United Professional Hockey League

[JB51Hockey]

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[Kanka]

Do we have another single A league sprouting?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Professional-Hockey-League/515127015188435

Please God, stop the inhumanity.

Is it not enough that hockey had to suffer the AAHL, AAHA, NEHL, EPHL, MAHL.....

Hasn't everyone figured it out by now that minor pro (aka 'Beer League) hockey WILL NOT WORK in "northeastern cities". I hope this is someones lame idea of a joke.

 

[ForsbergForever]

Please God, stop the inhumanity.

Is it not enough that hockey had to suffer the AAHL, AAHA, NEHL, EPHL, MAHL.....

Hasn't everyone figured it out by now that minor pro (aka 'Beer League) hockey WILL NOT WORK in "northeastern cities". I hope this is someones lame idea of a joke.

I second that, the organization/quality of play/available arenas/visibility are all just too low to attract support. I think 'AA'-level hockey is the minimum standard that can work.

I can really appreciate lower-tier hockey but it has to have some sort of quality-control. I live in the Montreal area and would love to have a cheaper, more accessible alternative to the Habs since its impossible to get tickets and is so expensive all around. I wonder if the ECHL would work in Quebec, maybe a team in St. Jean or Trois Rivieres if they had new arenas...

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I'll hold my tongue until we get some more details, but I have a hard time believing that there's talent, interest, or capital to make another single A hockey league work, especially if it's in the eastern U.S.

 

[mk80]

Well hopefully this could be a northeastern A league that is finally handled the right way. The SPHL is a good model to look at for A level pro hockey.

If someone took thier model and was able to apply it to the northeast, we may finally see some A level hockey worth paying attention too. One thing the SPHL is good at doing is moving into markets that have failed in the AA market many former ECHL and CHL markets (Louisiana, both Mississippi teams, Pensacola, Columbus, Augusta) didn't pan out in AA but have seemed to work well in A level hockey.

Many such markets exsist in the Northeast: Dayton is a good example, they seem to be doing well in the FHL. Unfortunately the problem is not with the team itself, but rather the league is the problem.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I second that, the organization/quality of play/available arenas/visibility are all just too low to attract support. I think 'AA'-level hockey is the minimum standard that can work.

I can really appreciate lower-tier hockey but it has to have some sort of quality-control. I live in the Montreal area and would love to have a cheaper, more accessible alternative to the Habs since its impossible to get tickets and is so expensive all around. I wonder if the ECHL would work in Quebec, maybe a team in St. Jean or Trois Rivieres if they had new arenas...

isn't both those markets covered by either the Sherbrooke Phoenix and/or the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL), FF? esp. w/ the history of the Draveurs of Trois Rivieres being a charter member of said league?

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

I thought the UHL was gunna make a return!!! Bummer.

 

[ForsbergForever]

isn't both those markets covered by either the Sherbrooke Phoenix and/or the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL), FF? esp. w/ the history of the Draveurs of Trois Rivieres being a charter member of said league?

The problem is really the arenas...St. Jean is far enough from Sherbrooke (140 km) that I think they could support a team if they had better facilities. The city has a population of just under 100,000 but a thirty year old arena that seats barely 3000. The same with Trois Rivieres, a city of approx. 130,000 but with a tiny rink built in the 1950s. I think a city of this size should be able to support a more professional team than the one they host in the semi-pro Quebec senior league (The Draveurs are long gone). Blainville-Boisbriand is an rather far drive from all these cities and let's not forget in a region that his home to approx. 3.5 million people which should be enough to create niche markets with the wider region.

Ultimately though, my idea hinges on new, modern facilities being built that can seat upwards of 6000. But there are no plans for this in either TR or St. Jean, so its really just day dreaming unfortunately.

 

[lennysundahl]

The person with the petition at their FB page is at the very least a fan of Williamsport--Outlaws logo for a profile pic, cover picture is the outdoor rink--dunno what affiliation he has, but might this be a sign of a schism in the FHL?

 

[ForsbergForever]

The person with the petition at their FB page is at the very least a fan of Williamsport--Outlaws logo for a profile pic, cover picture is the outdoor rink--dunno what affiliation he has, but might this be a sign of a schism in the FHL?

That's what I was thinking, maybe as one of the more stable franchises in that gong show of a league, they're trying to create/transfer to a more stable environment.

 

[Kanka]

Well hopefully this could be a northeastern A league that is finally handled the right way. The SPHL is a good model to look at for A level pro hockey.

If someone took thier model and was able to apply it to the northeast, we may finally see some A level hockey worth paying attention too. One thing the SPHL is good at doing is moving into markets that have failed in the AA market many former ECHL and CHL markets (Louisiana, both Mississippi teams, Pensacola, Columbus, Augusta) didn't pan out in AA but have seemed to work well in A level hockey.

Many such markets exsist in the Northeast: Dayton is a good example, they seem to be doing well in the FHL. Unfortunately the problem is not with the team itself, but rather the league is the problem.

Sorry, I can't agree with you. The SPHL model works primarily because of its geographic location. Because of it's location, there is little hockey entertainment to compete with. However, in the northeast, they are blessed with hockey entertainment: NHL, AHL, NCAA D1/D3, and Juniors.

Not too mention the facilities required for the SPHL model are already being used by pro and NCAA D1/D3 teams. Of course only Huntsville has to compete with a D1 team in their facility, but that D1 team has been struggling for years to put together a competitive D1 program (I believe they just lost to a D3 team from Michigan). However, if Huntsville gets accepted into a conference, that could change and fans might start going to watch some future NHL players.

"A" level hockey in Northeast will not work. The past leagues mentioned above are prime examples.

One facility in the northeast, Lewiston, was a great location for minor pro, but the operators wanted nothing to do with single 'A' hockey and instead are seeking a junior team.

 

[SemireliableSource]

A petition? Seriously? This screams of someone with absolutely no clue how leagues are run. A league isn't going to pop up just because 100 people sign an online petition.

 

[mk80]

I still believe that given the right ownership and the right people who can run a league A level hockey could fit in the northeast.

However as pointed out, given the fact this league is being started on facebook, and by a petition, I have my doubts about this league.

 

[Prussian_Blue]

A petition? Seriously? This screams of someone with absolutely no clue how leagues are run. A league isn't going to pop up just because 100 people sign an online petition.

When I looked at it earlier today, the petition had exactly ONE signature...