Perennial Winners - Question for the Experts

[Frankenrogers]

I'm not too familiar with the OHL but have noticed that London seems to perennially have good teams (Kitchener too maybe).

I always assumed that the structure of the league where you have kids for 2-4 years at most would mean that a team would be great for maybe three or four years but then fall quickly when their stars moved on to the NHL or university. Unlike college basketball they can't just recruit new players to a great organization. The lack of high draft picks would mean that there is a constant renewal going on, way faster than NHL cycles.

So my question is, why are some teams perennial challengers (or is this just something that I am seeing but doesn't really exist)?

Could it be that they have great scouts that see kids that nobody else does?

Do they get kids to say that they won't report to any team that drafts them or that they are going to US college and then pick them up?

Just curious if this is a recent phenomenon or if this is a trend that is happening where the OHL becomes "Premiere League-esque" and a few (larger market) teams are really just fighting each other and the other teams are just guys that they play.

Thanks.

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[ottawah]

I'm not too familiar with the OHL but have noticed that London seems to perennially have good teams (Kitchener too maybe).

I always assumed that the structure of the league where you have kids for 2-4 years at most would mean that a team would be great for maybe three or four years but then fall quickly when their stars moved on to the NHL or university. Unlike college basketball they can't just recruit new players to a great organization. The lack of high draft picks would mean that there is a constant renewal going on, way faster than NHL cycles.

So my question is, why are some teams perennial challengers (or is this just something that I am seeing but doesn't really exist)?

Could it be that they have great scouts that see kids that nobody else does?

Do they get kids to say that they won't report to any team that drafts them or that they are going to US college and then pick them up?

Just curious if this is a recent phenomenon or if this is a trend that is happening where the OHL becomes "Premiere League-esque" and a few (larger market) teams are really just fighting each other and the other teams are just guys that they play.

Thanks.

From what I have seen winning begets winning. Basically if a team wins and does a good job of developing NHL players, then their chance of getting players to report are that much higher, and the cycle renews.

Take Domi for example. He should have went top 3 based on talent in the draft, but went 7th based on the fact he was able to engineer his way onto London, the team he wanted all along.

 

[OHLFan8771]

From what I have seen winning begets winning. Basically if a team wins and does a good job of developing NHL players, then their chance of getting players to report are that much higher, and the cycle renews.

Take Domi for example. He should have went top 3 based on talent in the draft, but went 7th based on the fact he was able to engineer his way onto London, the team he wanted all along.

Engineer is a nice way of saying it

 

[NHL Fanatic]

What people don't realize is that the Knight's director of Scouting runs Pro Hockey Development Group. This is some of the alum --->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mXPhd1NsaBQ#!

It's a summer program in which players participate in high level tournaments. This runs every summer from kids as young as 7/8. The Knights scouting staff are somewhat aware of the top players before they even reach minor midget. Also the Knights have one of the largest scouting staff's in the OHL. If you are constantly aware of the top players and your staff does an excellent job at developing, there is nothing else to do but win. And when you have that reputation, you can take a risk drafting the Top US players and be rewarded.

 

[Frankenrogers]

Thanks for the replies so far.

What is the process like for drafting? I am thinking more specifically about the before-the-draft interviews.

Say Erie asked McDavid beforehand if he wanted to play there, and he said that he wasn't interested and wouldn't report if he got drafted. What are Erie's options here? Draft him and he never plays in the OHL if he doesn't report? Or would he get put back into the draft at a later date like the NHL?
Draft and trade I assume?
Pick someone else and watch him go somewhere he wants to play?

How often do players say that they are going to US college and then "change their mind"?

Thanks.

 

[ottawah]

How often do players say that they are going to US college and then "change their mind"?

When they get to play on the team they want

 

[NHL Fanatic]

Thanks for the replies so far.

What is the process like for drafting? I am thinking more specifically about the before-the-draft interviews.

Say Erie asked McDavid beforehand if he wanted to play there, and he said that he wasn't interested and wouldn't report if he got drafted. What are Erie's options here? Draft him and he never plays in the OHL if he doesn't report? Or would he get put back into the draft at a later date like the NHL?
Draft and trade I assume?
Pick someone else and watch him go somewhere he wants to play?

How often do players say that they are going to US college and then "change their mind"?

Thanks.

Before the draft they conduct interviews with the player, either in home or phone interviews. They also have interviews with the player's coach to find out the player's personality, any attitude issues etc. Trying to see if that player would be a right fit for their squad. Each team arranges their own individual list before the draft of all the players they are interested from 1 to 200 etc. They make their selections based off their individual list. If a player was selected before their selection they simply cross off the player's name off the list.

If a team drafts a player and he doesn't want to report, they have a short window of a week in August and January in which they can trade his rights to another team. If the player does not report to training camp and is traded away, the OHL team who selected that player will receive another first round selection in the next draft. (i.e. In 2011 Mississauga had two first round picks, because in the 2010 draft their first round pick didn't report and he was then traded to Windsor). After the draft the OHL team can ONLY trade the player they picked in the first round during those two windows (August and January), no other draftees can be traded until that season is over. The OHL teams also cannot trade future first round draft picks as its prohibited by the league, which is why you constantly see a bunch of deals primarily involving second round draft picks and later.

Most US players don't come to the OHL right away. It differs based on the player's goal. Some prefer to go to the NCAA over the OHL. So players often remain in the US. Sometimes player's are either swayed by the OHL teams or sometimes the NHL teams to play in the Ontario. Most players who decide not to play in the OHL either from Canada or the US want to remain eligible for the NCAA. If a players plays in one exhibition or regular season game, they automatically lose their eligibility to play with any Division 1 NCAA school. Some OHL teams draft players in the 8th round or even later who have a significantly high chance of playing in the league but they decide not to, in order to retain their eligibility.

 

[Frankenrogers]

Thank you for the insight NHL Fanatic.

 

[NHL Fanatic]

Thank you for the insight NHL Fanatic.

No problem