rockhouse15
Registered User
- Jul 23, 2011
- 669
- 0
Do you think a youth academy like what we see in European soccer and the MLS work in the NHL? The premise is somewhat simple, a team sets up a youth club system down from midgets to peewee or squirt or earlier. Once they reach their draft year, a team can sign a player from their academy without having their player go into the draft. This would encourage and give incentives to all teams in the NHL to invest in youth hockey in the area in order to acquire future players without the risk of losing them to the draft. It would also help increase hockey exposure to low income areas as teams have a financial and talent incentive to not just get players who can pay (like many youth hockey travel teams) but the best ones regardless of the kid's financial situation.
One potential problem could be that the Canadian teams in and northern US teams would have an immediate advantage due to hockey being more established there than in southern or western US teams. A way to counteract that would be to put a draft pick cost on each player a team signs from their academy (so one player = a 1st rounder, a 2nd player adds a 2nd or 3rd rounder to the cost).
Another potential problem would be what to do with the junior system. NHL teams could set up their own junior league or u-18 system within their geographic area or just join existing leagues through expansion. So Toronto's u-18 would join the OHL or Chicago's could join the USHL if the leagues allow it.
So thoughts and sorry in advance if this has already been discussed before?
One potential problem could be that the Canadian teams in and northern US teams would have an immediate advantage due to hockey being more established there than in southern or western US teams. A way to counteract that would be to put a draft pick cost on each player a team signs from their academy (so one player = a 1st rounder, a 2nd player adds a 2nd or 3rd rounder to the cost).
Another potential problem would be what to do with the junior system. NHL teams could set up their own junior league or u-18 system within their geographic area or just join existing leagues through expansion. So Toronto's u-18 would join the OHL or Chicago's could join the USHL if the leagues allow it.
So thoughts and sorry in advance if this has already been discussed before?