USACHL: New Junior League?

[Captain Crash]

It appears that there's an effort to start a new junior league for next season, centered in Texas. They're expecting at least 4 teams, possibly 6, to play a 60 game schedule. So far it appears that reboots of the Laredo Bucks and Rio Grande Killer Bees are on the table. It's been picked up in the press already.

Laredo: Hockey returning to Laredo in 2018

Rio Grande: RGV Killer Bees returning to the Valley this fall

Click to read more...

 

[kij]

It looks like this is the reboot of the C1HL that failed last season. All I am going to say is do not get your hopes up.

 

[JMCx4]

Maybe the logistics, infrastructure & politics would be non-starters, but a junior hockey league with a foundation in Hidalgo & Laredo might stand a better chance of survival by putting teams in the northern states of Mexico (Chihuaua, Coahuila, maybe Sonora). This ESPN article from February 2017 hints at the possibilities.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Lot of issues with this one. It's the same commissioner who tried to start the C1HL twice and failed twice. He tried to make a six team league with only one team actually able to support a team (El Paso). The guy in charge oversaw the CHL fall off the face of the earth as well as those two embarrassing attempts to start a free to play league. Laredo and Hidalgo are markets that, if they still could support teams, then the ECHL or the NAHL would've at least expressed some interest. The name "USACHL" is atrocious.. alphabet soup hockey league names.

 

[Blue Liner]

Just what the US needs. Another Junior league in an already over-saturated Junior landscape.

 

[GoalieEd]

Thursday they will formally announce Wichita Falls, Texas as a third team: Additional article: Zach Duncan: What to know about hockey's return to Wichita Falls

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

My bet is that they won't last past 2 years. Bill Davidson is a clown who ran the CHL into the ground and tried and the C1HL failure could predominately be placed on his shoulders. The name is freaking joke and sounds like they picked letters out of alphabet soup.

The markets will get tired seeing the same 6 teams play each other each night. Considering that only half of the teams are announced, all of the tier 3, Canadian junior, NAHL and USHL camps having already happened and kids have signed with other teams by now. If the season starts in 3 months and they haven't gotten their shit together by now, then if it ever does happen it will fall apart quick.

 

[JungleJON]

The NAHL did look at both Laredo and Rio Grande few years back, but no owners stepped forward. Why would someone want to put a franchise in Mexico?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

The person at the head of the league doesn't know a lot about hockey, that's why someone would want to try and put a franchise in Mexico. He killed the CHL with his lack of knowledge about hockey and business, and they didn't even submit payments to get the C1HL off the ground.

 

[Captain Crash]

The Rio Grande Valley market in question is not in Mexico.

 

[JungleJON]

might stand a better chance of survival by putting teams in the northern states of Mexico (Chihuaua, Coahuila, maybe Sonora). This taken from another post. I am aware that Rio Grande Valley is not in Mexico.

 

[ElGuapo]

Man bring hockey back to San Angelo. Don't care if it sucks or folds mid-season. Don't think it will ever happen, which is a shame it would be a great market for the NAHL. After the CHL team folded in 2005 the NAHL tried to move in the next season by moving the Santa Fe team, but the city flat out didn't want it and said no.

 

[Aero 75]

All teams in the USACHL will be owned by the league, and will be based in Texas. 48 game schedule starts in October.

The Central Hockey League brings hockey back to Texoma

 

[GindyDraws]

Sounds good on paper, but will end horribly.

 

[LuvVegas]

Sorry to hear you believe that the new league is being run by the same Bill Davidson. This Bill is an owner of the Surrey Eagles of the BCJHL and has played and been involved in a number of leagues.

 

[GoalieEd]

Update: this isn’t good....

The Death Pool – USA CHL Begins Its Train Wreck Ride

There is a number of rec players in the falls that the only ice is linked to this league staring.

 

[alko]

Update: this isn’t good....

The Death Pool – USA CHL Begins Its Train Wreck Ride

There is a number of rec players in the falls that the only ice is linked to this league staring.

From the article : "after all its just a reboot of that shit show that decimated some cities financially."

It is true?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

From the article : "after all its just a reboot of that **** show that decimated some cities financially."

It is true?

A bit exaggerated but some cities were left hurting by the old Central Hockey League, yes. When the league collapsed in on itself, for reasons comparable to why the USACHL can’t get off the ground, some teams got a big upgrade and went to the ECHL. I’m fairly certain every NAHL South Division market used to house a CHL team. SPHL is litter with ex-CHL markets. Whether the teams, rinks, and cities do as well financially as they would be had the CHL not folded is something I don’t know.

I do know that the Arizona Sundogs arena filed for bankruptcy in 2015 since they lacked a major tenant. That’s a lot of damage that even flex tape can’t fix. Lubbock Cotton Kings were crapping the bed and the city refused to put them up so they were shut down, which hurt them but less than if they kept hemorrhaging. Bossier-Shreveport and a couple of others got screwed big time when the league folded and couldn’t find anywhere else to play. Left some empty buildings and a lot unkept promises, but nothing financially decimating cities to my knowledge.

 

[JMCx4]

From the article : "after all its just a reboot of that **** show that decimated some cities financially."

It is true?

Read the footnote at the bottom of every David Wagner "Death Pool" contribution to TJHN: "*The Death Pool is a mix of Comedy, and Satire in connection with recent events. ..." It seems Mr. Wagner mistakes sophomoric hyperbole for satiric humor. But as long as he gets his clicks, you can't begrudge his success.

 

[mk80]

A bit exaggerated but some cities were left hurting by the old Central Hockey League, yes. When the league collapsed in on itself, for reasons comparable to why the USACHL can’t get off the ground, some teams got a big upgrade and went to the ECHL. I’m fairly certain every NAHL South Division market used to house a CHL team. SPHL is litter with ex-CHL markets. Whether the teams, rinks, and cities do as well financially as they would be had the CHL not folded is something I don’t know.

I do know that the Arizona Sundogs arena filed for bankruptcy in 2015 since they lacked a major tenant. That’s a lot of damage that even flex tape can’t fix. Lubbock Cotton Kings were crapping the bed and the city refused to put them up so they were shut down, which hurt them but less than if they kept hemorrhaging. Bossier-Shreveport and a couple of others got screwed big time when the league folded and couldn’t find anywhere else to play. Left some empty buildings and a lot unkept promises, but nothing financially decimating cities to my knowledge.

You're correct they all are former CHL markets, most under the same branding Brahmas, Jackalopes, Mudbugs, and IceRays. Only ones that have changed are Amarillo and Topeka.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

You're correct they all are former CHL markets, most under the same branding Brahmas, Jackalopes, Mudbugs, and IceRays. Only ones that have changed are Amarillo and Topeka.

They’re solid ex-CHL markets that have taken to juniors. IceRays, Mudbugs, and Brahmas have led league attendance last two years. The South Division has 5 of the top 7 teams with Odessa and Amarillo being numbers 6 and 7. Makes the East Division numbers minus Johnstown look even more pitiful.

 

[PCSPounder]

Read the footnote at the bottom of every David Wagner "Death Pool" contribution to TJHN: "*The Death Pool is a mix of Comedy, and Satire in connection with recent events. ..." It seems Mr. Wagner mistakes sophomoric hyperbole for satiric humor. But as long as he gets his clicks, you can't begrudge his success.

Dude is better at hinting at truth than at humor. In a way, offputting and creepy. I think he'd fare better with a hard news slant.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

A fourth team has been announced with puck drop in 2 months, it'll be the Texas Lawmen out of McAllen. Looks like a rec rink and not an arena like the other few. Also mentioned is that there will be some more camps in order to try and fill out the rosters since the recruitment numbers have been *ahem* pitiful. TX Lawmen becomes 4th team in USA CHL

 

[JMCx4]

Dude is better at hinting at truth than at humor. In a way, offputting and creepy. I think he'd fare better with a hard news slant.

Just about anybody who follows jr. hockey in the U.S. knows about the guy, so it seems he's got a shtick that "works" for him. I can usually get about three sentences into one of his pieces before I start for bothering.

 

[BOS358]

Stephen Heisler is, not surprisingly, bullish on the new four-team league.

I'll admit I read his site and TJHN. They're guilty pleasures. Both are heavily influenced by their advertisers and must be taken with a few packets of salt.

EDIT: Based on what Heisler is saying, this league should be hilarious. Overage goons slugging it out with a few minutes of hockey thrown in? I'll bet Tony Granato, Jeff Jackson, Albie O'Connell, and Jerry York are already planning their scouting trips!