Mexico Elite Hockey League

[Headcoach]

Take a look at this

I've been waiting for this!

They seem to be doing it right too, 4-6 teams to start out with and careful reviews of each team before opening the doors to play. Although Mexico has poverty, there are tons of wealthy people in Mexico, and in Mexico City you have a population of about 10 miliion confirmed, so surely there will be one or two hockey die hards there.

If hockey takes off anything like American Football has done in terms of popularity, they will have a problem with ice time like we've never seen North of the border.

I wonder which other cities they are looking at... I figured at least one tourist town, like Cancun, would be in the plans.

Ya, well, take a look at this...
http://www.mexicohockey.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=393


Headcoach

 

[Ribban]

I wonder which Canadian Network will buy the rights to this league.

I was thinking that it would be CSN at first, but I discovered that CBC is having holes in their programming and had to resort to broadcast news and shows, so maybe they'll look at this as an opportunity to correct their unfortunate situation and get rid of The National and Heartland.

 

[MEXICAN PLAYER]

Mexican player in pro training camp.

That's great to hear! The Mexican team seems to do pretty well, and from what I've heard there's several Mexican fans who travel to Laredo to watch the Bucks play and there were some other Mexican fans that would do the same thing when the El Paso Buzzards played. The sport will never surpass soccer in popularity, but it doesn't need to for it to succeed.

,,

Just to let you all know that there is talent for ice hockey in Mexico. There are kids playing ice hockey now that could have a shot in the NHL in the future as I did with the El Paso Buzzards. I actually went to the El Paso Buzzards training camp and was practicing with the team the whole season, too bad that the team does not exist anymore. But again there is talent in Mexico and having a pro team could be a big possibility.

 

[mexicoelitehockey]

Good Morning everyone

We thought it was time we came an answered all of your questions.

1)The mexican elite hockey league will start in nov 2011.We do not want to rush into things.There are to many fly by night leagues that are well not all that solid.

2)There have been rumors going around about a national league.To clear things up that is not us.This other league is some going big time right off the bat.We are not we will start with 4 teams and after 2 years expand.

3)Can mexico support 2 league that i guess is the big question.We feel it can as we will be after defferent players and run out league more like a sr a league.

4)As of now we have 2 teams set to join cancun & mazatlan.

5)As for going up aginst baseball/football.We have no plans to compete with them at all.We don't want to turn into a league that people can' afford to go to.We want to be a very cheap event for familys to go tur ticket prices are $10.00 for any seat in the arena.

6)Each team will have a salary cap of $10,000 per week.Its up to each team how much they want to pay there players.On the avg top line players will get paid a good amount while third line will get much less.

7)In our first year teams will play a 24 game schedule.

If anyone has any other questions please as away.Or email us at [email protected]

 

[Ribban]

Good Morning everyone

We thought it was time we came an answered all of your questions.

1)The mexican elite hockey league will start in nov 2011.We do not want to rush into things.There are to many fly by night leagues that are well not all that solid.

2)There have been rumors going around about a national league.To clear things up that is not us.This other league is some going big time right off the bat.We are not we will start with 4 teams and after 2 years expand.

3)Can mexico support 2 league that i guess is the big question.We feel it can as we will be after defferent players and run out league more like a sr a league.

4)As of now we have 2 teams set to join cancun & mazatlan.

5)As for going up aginst baseball/football.We have no plans to compete with them at all.We don't want to turn into a league that people can' afford to go to.We want to be a very cheap event for familys to go tur ticket prices are $10.00 for any seat in the arena.

6)Each team will have a salary cap of $10,000 per week.Its up to each team how much they want to pay there players.On the avg top line players will get paid a good amount while third line will get much less.

7)In our first year teams will play a 24 game schedule.

If anyone has any other questions please as away.Or email us at [email protected]

1. Will there be any broadcasts of the games? Maybe webcasts?
2. During what time of the year will the season run?
3. Will foreigners be allowed to play, and will there be a cap on the number of internationals per team?
4. Is the league going to play IIHF rules or according to NA rules... or are you establishing any unique ideas specific to your league?

 

[mexicoelitehockey]

1. Will there be any broadcasts of the games? Maybe webcasts?
2. During what time of the year will the season run?
3. Will foreigners be allowed to play, and will there be a cap on the number of internationals per team?
4. Is the league going to play IIHF rules or according to NA rules... or are you establishing any unique ideas specific to your league?

1)We will be broadcasting all games free of charge on our web site.

2)Yes foreiners will be allowed to play.

2a)There is a cap of 8 non mexican decent players.

2b)Players Who are of mexican decent do not count vs the cap.What this means a player born in canada or the states but has a grandma or grand father that was born in mexicao.Well this player will be seen of mexican decent.

3)We will be going by na american rules for the kost part.However we will be goign with no touch iceing.

 

[YogiCanucks]

You're right about Gomez, but I was meaning out of this league. By 2020, someone will have been drafted from the Mexican Elite League. I wonder if in the twilight of his career Scott Gomez would consider playing down there? If for no other reason than to create a bit of hype surrounding the league. Isn't that the same reason he went to Alaska during the lockout?

David Beckham the hockey version?

 

[beowulf]

Interesting would need a team close to the resorts so all the Canadians that go down there for vacation could catch a game or two!!!

 

[The Hockey Hitman]

Maybe Dan Cloutier could actually win a team a hockey game in this league...lol

Seriously though, I never thought I'd hear Mexico getting a hockey league...actually kinda cool.

 

[VanIslander]

As a Canadian tourist I'd plan my holiday around some hot kick-back vacationing in Mexico accompanied by some cool sombrero and cerveza action at the ice hockey rink

 

[Ribban]

1)We will be broadcasting all games free of charge on our web site.

2)Yes foreiners will be allowed to play.

2a)There is a cap of 8 non mexican decent players.

2b)Players Who are of mexican decent do not count vs the cap.What this means a player born in canada or the states but has a grandma or grand father that was born in mexicao.Well this player will be seen of mexican decent.

3)We will be going by na american rules for the kost part.However we will be goign with no touch iceing.

This will be awesome! Thansk for the reply. I'm really looking forward to seeing this!

 

[Headcoach]

4)As of now we have 2 teams set to join cancun & mazatlan.

How can you have two teams from Cancun and Mazatlan when there are no ice rinks within those two cities?


Head coach

 

[mcorrea5684]

How can you have two teams from Cancun and Mazatlan when there are no ice rinks within those two cities?


Head coach

I agree with Headcoach. There are no rinks whatsoever in Cancun and Mazatlan. However, Culiacan (which is in the same state as Mazatlan and is about three hours away by bus) recently opened a rink.

Regarding Cancun, the closest rink is in Villahermosa (which is 13 hours away by bus).

 

[Ribban]

I agree with Headcoach. There are no rinks whatsoever in Cancun and Mazatlan. However, Culiacan (which is in the same state as Mazatlan and is about three hours away by bus) recently opened a rink.

Regarding Cancun, the closest rink is in Villahermosa (which is 13 hours away by bus).

Hmmm... I don't know about this. When I was in Cancun... oh damn.... in 1992 or so, I went to see a Vegas show called "Fire on Ice" there. Sure it wasn't a hockey rink, but they certainly had a sheet of ice, so building some boards around whatever they had shouldn't be all that hard, and I believe the total crowd was about 1,500 people, which I would think isn't too shaby for starters... I couldn't tell you where in the city I was though, but I know it was a short cab trip from a club named Bananas (downtown), where we had our "warm-up."

 

[Anisimovs AK]

i wonder aloud if there is any more info about this

 

[Ti-girl]

I agree with Headcoach. There are no rinks whatsoever in Cancun and Mazatlan. However, Culiacan (which is in the same state as Mazatlan and is about three hours away by bus) recently opened a rink.

Regarding Cancun, the closest rink is in Villahermosa (which is 13 hours away by bus).

Merida now has a rink.

 

[Headcoach]

Hmmm... I don't know about this. When I was in Cancun... oh damn.... in 1992 or so, I went to see a Vegas show called "Fire on Ice" there. Sure it wasn't a hockey rink, but they certainly had a sheet of ice, so building some boards around whatever they had shouldn't be all that hard, and I believe the total crowd was about 1,500 people, which I would think isn't too shaby for starters... I couldn't tell you where in the city I was though, but I know it was a short cab trip from a club named Bananas (downtown), where we had our "warm-up."

Well, there are Vegas clubs that travel all around the country and world with their own equipment, bords and all. It's not that hard to put up a temp sheet of ice in any building you want. Hell, when I got to Scottsdale, Holiday on Ice, had a 50' x 50' sheet of practice ice in an airplane hanger. Where the temperature was 115 degrees outside.

Head Coach

 

[The Viking Fury]

Pretty sweet. As far as viewing goes, hockey is very similar to soccer (my two favorite sports) so I think audience will be fine. But playing requires money for equipment and such, so getting young kids to start playing may take some time.

I think one of the main reasons why soccer is so popular everywhere is because to play all you really need is a ball.

 

[Headcoach]

Pretty sweet. As far as viewing goes, hockey is very similar to soccer (my two favorite sports) so I think audience will be fine. But playing requires money for equipment and such, so getting young kids to start playing may take some time.

I think one of the main reasons why soccer is so popular everywhere is because to play all you really need is a ball.

I'm not so sure about that my Viking friend! I had the opportunity to build a large program in Mexico City back in 1993 with Daniel Gendron and we built a small program from 100 kids to over 900 kids in under two years...in the land of Soccer.

Head coach

 

[The Viking Fury]

That's awesome. I was just speculating, as the money factor is what is usually cited when it comes to hockey being unpopular in other countries.

 

[Headcoach]

That's awesome. I was just speculating, as the money factor is what is usually cited when it comes to hockey being unpopular in other countries.

Well, you have a point there. One of the things that we did in Mexico, was that we had an owner that could think outside the box. He allowed us to spend his money and invest in "Players Kits". It was a complete kit with all of the equipment except, a cup, mouth guard, skates and neck guard.

Then we rented the kit for $20.00 USD a month. When the player finished his basic class, the player could purchase the equipment or they could return it.

By having a players kit, it kind of takes the excuses away. Here's what you do....
Have a 1 hour class and call it..."Intro to Hockey"

Then let the kid use the equipment for free. Then allow the kid and his parents to try out this "Intro to Hockey" for free, for two weeks. After two weeks, the kid loves it and the parents and kids are hooked.

Then move them into a learn to play hockey program that cost about $225.00 USD for 13 weeks. I call it a "Practice and Play". (1 practice and 1 game each week)

Then offer them an incentive program. For every kid you bring in, you get 10 to 20 % off on your class, up to 10 kids (10%) 5 Kids (20%)

Plus, in order to make all of this work, you will need a master plan to throw all of this together and make it work. But this info, will cost you!

Head coach

 

[pedrochapala]

it would still be affordable only to the rich but there are lots of those in guadalajara.
my tacks were over $200cdn several years ago. i would imagine that a pair of good skates in guad would cost over $400 and since the kid grows that would have to be spent every year or 2-no?
i talked to a 20 something guy who was in the hockey programme here when he was a kid. apparently the programme ended because the coaches could not stop the kids from fighting. obviously not good coaches.

 

[Headcoach]

it would still be affordable only to the rich but there are lots of those in guadalajara.
my tacks were over $200cdn several years ago. i would imagine that a pair of good skates in guad would cost over $400 and since the kid grows that would have to be spent every year or 2-no?
i talked to a 20 something guy who was in the hockey programme here when he was a kid. apparently the programme ended because the coaches could not stop the kids from fighting. obviously not good coaches.

But, is the rink still there in Guadalajara and is it operating?

Head coach

 

[tinyzombies]

I've watched NHL games broadcast in Spanish while in Mexico and it sounds great. I think the NHL has a chance to gain fans wherever they go. Hockey is a great game. Just ask the guys down at the British pub. Hockey is catching on like wildfire in the UK. They've started to make forays into China as well.

 

[Headcoach]

I've watched NHL games broadcast in Spanish while in Mexico and it sounds great. I think the NHL has a chance to gain fans wherever they go. Hockey is a great game. Just ask the guys down at the British pub. Hockey is catching on like wildfire in the UK. They've started to make forays into China as well.

Not to be an a** but, you are not telling us anything new. If you would like to catch up to the rest of us, you can go here: http://forums.internationalhockey.net/

Head Coach