With or without Imports - the CHL is the
best junior league on the globe. What you don't understand is what the word best means
It doesn't mean it has every one of the best junior players in the world - it means their teams have the best resources, play the best competition, and provide the best route to the NHL among all the top junior leagues in the world. I'll say it again and you'll likely still not comprehend, but with or without imports the CHL is the best junior league in the world. If you'd like to counter with a league you think is better than the CHL I'd enjoy a chuckle.
While the CHL would continue to be the best junior league in the world, it would certainly weaken itself. Why weaken your business for no reason?
Smartass remark =/= racism.
Many Jr. A/B/C leagues employ the same rule - doesn't change my sarcastic statement. Why should age dictate who can and can't play in the league? if the 16 year olds can't play with the 25 year olds, they're not good enough for the league
(It's the same flawed logic you're using for imports)
There are very real, biological reasons that are not nearly as stark between 16 and 20 year olds. It's not the same 'flawed logic,' it makes the point that 25 year olds are almost always much bigger and stronger than 16/17/18 year olds. There's no biological difference between Europeans and North Americans of roughly the same age that would make the European so disproportionately bigger and stronger than the North American.
"A few exceptional foreigners" but the majority of the Euro goalies are meh and could easily be replaced (See Prospects thread, I'm not rerererepeating myself again)
Like Marvin Cüpper, who was sensational despite his craptastic team? Like Mrázek and Neiderberger who were both sensational too? You'll have to forgive me for my lack of WHL knowledge.
If they were so easily replaceable, I guarantee that teams would cut their Import goalies in order to acquire a less expendable player on whom to place of of their two import tags. If there are two players who bring exactly the same thing to the table, you go with the one who doesn't eat up an import of OA tag.
Martin Reway is a forward and isn't effected by this rule so bringing him up is irrelevant.
He's still a fine example of a European who makes everyone around him better. I can't imagine that European goalies don't have the same impact on their teams. A little hockey 'culture,' if you will, that is imparted upon their teammates (especially their backup). If I were a coach, and I could bring in a goalie from whom my backup and I could learn the mysteries of the European goaltender who's such a threat, I'd leap on the opportunity. It just makes sense. I would want the best guy for the job either way.
That's hogwash. There are many cancerous Euro players as well and it can go both ways (See Kirill Kabanov) Lucrative bias
That's a discipline and coaching issue. You cut guys who are detrimental to the team.
The CHL is a business and if you had it your way your team would be loaded with all the Europeans possible as long as they were the best. Do you know how difficult that would be to sell to a Canadian market
You say to the fan of the team whose fanbase still talks about Pavel Rosa, David KrejčÃ, AleÅ¡ Hemský, etc...
Everybody loves a winner.
No, it's really not. Some could say that it's a shame that a Canadian who grew up watching his home town CHL team and striving to play on that CHL team and would make the team had it not been for a Euro player who was paid to come over from Russia. I know you'll make an asinine comment as if it's logical like "take our jobs" or "Good ole Canadian boy" but at the end of the day those are the people the league was originally created for and those are the people who are supporting the teams finances. I'm actually sure more ticket buyers would side for the local kid than the Euro. It's not at all my point, just stating what general consensus would be and how out of touch you really are.
That 'good ole Canadian goaltender' sure is blessed to have the opportunity to sit on a Major Junior bench, rather than playing in Junior A. The players that will move as a result of this rule likely won't go anywhere, other than for a spin around the carousel. Hey, maybe they'll get a year of university out of it.
And casual fans want a mix of local players and elite players. Fans in Val-d'Or won't care about a backup goalie from Tadoussac.
Are you seriously saying that the imports coming to the CHL is the reason why there is more teams today? That's easily the most absurd thing I've seen someone attempt to connect to this debate. Hilarious.
The rise in quality of competition due to the advent of import players is certainly a factor in the increased popularity of Major Junior hockey. It's not the only factor, but it's a big one. That increased nationwide popularity has in turn led to a greater number of teams.
It's very clear that you want to watch European juniors and it's very clear that you're more interested in being entertained than the development of junior hockey players.
A little from column A, a little from column B... A higher quality league will do a better job developing ~1000 Canadian players (~100 Canadian goalies) than a lower quality league will ~1100 Canadians (~110 Canadian goalies), where those extra players are generally the worst in the league. It will also be more entertaining for the fans, which is good for business.
As a hockey guy, I'm more interested in watching players develop in the CHL. The simple fact that you want no limits and wouldn't mind seeing less Canadians and more Europeans displays your bias pretty clear and your completely out of touch with the point of view of the league.
Development is good. A stronger league is good for development. My actual proposal is to consider European players to be non-imports after a certain number of years. That is to say, players who come over at 16 or 17 are considered non-imports at 19 or 20, whereas players who come over at 18 or 19 aren't. Allowing teams to keep their 'home-grown' veterans is a good thing, and it further strengthens the league when you allow them to do so without penalty.
Also, if I'm out of touch with the point of view of the
league, I'm very much in touch with the point of view of individual teams.
I'll be awaiting anxiously for you to name what junior league is going to be the top once CHL eliminates Euro goalies.
It will still be the CHL. The CHL of 2012-13 would be better than the future CHL without European goaltenders though.
