Well my e-mail is sitting in Mr Branches inbox. Sure hope he reads these and takes up the concerns.
It's all about money. Melynk bought the right to host a Memorial Cup, didn't even win an OHL championship and fled like a bandit in the night. Andelauer had the Bulls bought and transferred to Hamilton in record time to try and do the same thing. When the league took it one step too far and tried to get money from the City of Hamilton for arena improvements, the plan was nixed for the time being. Now Windsor very well could be the 3rd time an owner with deep pockets has bought a team so his son could play in the league when there isn't a chance he would otherwise. Not to mention Branch's kid landing a GM position in 2 of those places.I don't understand why the league doesn't put some strong rules in place to curb nepotism. What's so hard about having a rule that says "Owners/Coaches/Staff can't have family play for their team. It's an immediate forced trade to another team if it happens." That way you get long time owners who are actually part of their community and want long term success instead of these looking for a place for my kid to play types.
I'm actually ok with a dad having a kid on his team if he deserves to be there. Nothing any different than Joe and Sons Plumbing - family in business has been around forever. Joe's son serves his apprenticeship and becomes a legit plumber - what is wrong with that? What I don't like is the kid being put in a spot that he is not equal to. Others being pushed aside that are more deserving and all of the fall out that comes from that including pressuring coaches to play them more. It is not a good look for the league or the team when Hockey parents try to impose their will and have the power/ownership to do it. Also using social media to influence opinion is not a good look as well.I don't understand why the league doesn't put some strong rules in place to curb nepotism. What's so hard about having a rule that says "Owners/Coaches/Staff can't have family play for their team. It's an immediate forced trade to another team if it happens." That way you get long time owners who are actually part of their community and want long term success instead of these looking for a place for my kid to play types.
It's all about money. Melynk bought the right to host a Memorial Cup, didn't even win an OHL championship and fled like a bandit in the night. Andelauer had the Bulls bought and transferred to Hamilton in record time to try and do the same thing. When the league took it one step too far and tried to get money from the City of Hamilton for arena improvements, the plan was nixed for the time being. Now Windsor very well could be the 3rd time an owner with deep pockets has bought a team so his son could play in the league when there isn't a chance he would otherwise. Not to mention Branch's kid landing a GM position in 2 of those places.
This is what happens when someone is allowed to run a league unfettered. Who knows what other shenanigans get swept under the carpet. Like I've said many times, there's a few people making a lot of money from the OHL. People have to remember we're still dealing with kids here, who for the most part are not going to have careers in hockey.
I'm actually ok with a dad having a kid on his team if he deserves to be there. Nothing any different than Joe and Sons Plumbing - family in business has been around forever. Joe's son serves his apprenticeship and becomes a legit plumber - what is wrong with that? What I don't like is the kid being put in a spot that he is not equal to. Others being pushed aside that are more deserving and all of the fall out that comes from that including pressuring coaches to play them more. It is not a good look for the league or the team when Hockey parents try to impose their will and have the power/ownership to do it. Also using social media to influence opinion is not a good look as well.
Having been around big business for years quite likely somebody is screening his e-mails for him. There will be side folders created for his review later and he will read some. It will be the volume of e-mails that will spark interest along with e-mails from know parties. Never think sending an e-mail is not worth the time because doing nothing is worth even less.Good luck to this campaign, but I am guessing all these emails are in Branch's spam folder.
Having been around big business for years quite likely somebody is screening his e-mails for him. There will be side folders created for his review later and he will read some. It will be the volume of e-mails that will spark interest along with e-mails from know parties. Never think sending an e-mail is not worth the time because doing nothing is worth even less.
Having been around big business for years quite likely somebody is screening his e-mails for him. There will be side folders created for his review later and he will read some. It will be the volume of e-mails that will spark interest along with e-mails from know parties. Never think sending an e-mail is not worth the time because doing nothing is worth even less.
At 23:14 ...........spits talk
Agreed, and for the record I had e-mailed Mr. Branch previously about something and received a response. For the life of me I can't remember what it was about, but I was impressed that he took the time to read and respond, this was a number of years and at least one e-mail account ago.
I think you kind of missed the point I was making, money in the OHL is a completely different motivation/issue then nepotism. As far as I am aware, neither Melynk nor Andlauer had/have kids in the game.
I can't speak as much to Melynk, as I'm not familiar with the situation, but didn't he own the majors for like a decade before getting out of the OHL? As far Andlauer, it was very clear that he bought the Bulls because Montreal was buying out his stake in the AHL Bulldogs to move their farm to Laval and he wanted to still have a hockey team. Considering he has been involved in ownership in Hamilton (AHL or OHL) for over 17 years, I think that portrait is unfair. It's not like the AHL Bulldogs were some giant money maker.
If you were going to make a point that Simmonds only sold the team because his son left, that to me would be a fair argument to make, which is why I brought up the rule suggestion in question. That way you avoid ownership revolving doors, relocation and situations like Flint and potentially Windsor. Steve Staios explicitly stating that he wants to make sure his kid doesn't play for Hamilton is the perfect example of this. It's not hard to do.
As I said earlier. It's not the first time a person bought an OHL team and their sons played on the said team. Some sons have a degree of talent. Some not so much. The CHL allows this to happen regardless of whether it cheapens the brand. If someone makes an owner an offer they can't refuse they grab the cash and run.No, I think the team will be alright. Still drafting the owner's son gives the team a bad look.
It's all about money. Melynk bought the right to host a Memorial Cup, didn't even win an OHL championship and fled like a bandit in the night. Andelauer had the Bulls bought and transferred to Hamilton in record time to try and do the same thing. When the league took it one step too far and tried to get money from the City of Hamilton for arena improvements, the plan was nixed for the time being. Now Windsor very well could be the 3rd time an owner with deep pockets has bought a team so his son could play in the league when there isn't a chance he would otherwise. Not to mention Branch's kid landing a GM position in 2 of those places.
This is what happens when someone is allowed to run a league unfettered. Who knows what other shenanigans get swept under the carpet. Like I've said many times, there's a few people making a lot of money from the OHL. People have to remember we're still dealing with kids here, who for the most part are not going to have careers in hockey.
If a potential owner offers possibly a lot more than the present owners imagined the could get they will turn a blind eye to these issues. Money trumps every thing.I just cant wrap my head around WR or someone in the org. not sitting down the new owner and explaining to him that your kids cant be pickd that high in a draft because it wouldnt look good because of their talent level and the paying fan would balk at this as suspicious and maybe turn on the org. its a bad business decision.But they can be chosen later and still have a shot at making the team.
Maybe they did and this new owner is a hard head.Good luck to the coaching staff if thats the case.
Andlauer actually does have a hockey playing son. Irony of ironies, he was a 12th round pick by Windsor in 2013.
Son of Habs owner skates with Spits
After Andlauer Sr. moved the Bulls to Hamilton, I wondered if he would acquire his son via trade and insert him into the Bulldogs lineup.
To his credit, that never happened. His son played Tier II in the OJHL and I don’t recall hearing even a whisper about him in Bulldogs land.
As you point out, same deal with Staios and his son.
Clearly, a lot of integrity in Hamilton. Admirable and needs to be pointed out, given the prevalence of nepotism across the league.
Well it has been 2 weeks now and nary a response but really I was not expecting one either. I hope someone at least read it.Well my e-mail is sitting in Mr Branches inbox. Sure hope he reads these and takes up the concerns.