2023-24 Junior Hockey Expansion, Relocation, and Retraction

[mk80]

Regarding some earlier discussion here about the possibility of the Maine Nordiques moving. Today they announced new ownership and renewed their lease for 5 years Maine Nordiques announce new ownership group

 

[Rbenj]

Just closure here on the Noco Jr Eagles and Jr Monarchs NCDC Teams, (where NAHL moved in, in their respective rinks).
Both teams didn’t participate in the NCDC draft a couple of weeks ago, so that’s that.
It should also be noted that Twin City Thunder didn’t draft as well, so most likely they are folding, but I can’t find any official announcement, so just speculation here.

On another topic here, Rumor is NAHL is looking to purchase the BCHL, (if not already). Has anyone heard any confirmation or denial regarding this??

 

[JMCx4]

... On another topic here, Rumor is NAHL is looking to purchase the BCHL, (if not already). Has anyone heard any confirmation or denial regarding this??

As in the NA League purchasing the BC League? Seems like quite a financial leap ... did the NAHL team owners all pitch in to share a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket?

ETA: Note the publication date on this TJHN report. There's a league merger born every minute.

 

[Dan K]

Just closure here on the Noco Jr Eagles and Jr Monarchs NCDC Teams, (where NAHL moved in, in their respective rinks).
Both teams didn’t participate in the NCDC draft a couple of weeks ago, so that’s that.
It should also be noted that Twin City Thunder didn’t draft as well, so most likely they are folding, but I can’t find any official announcement, so just speculation here.

On another topic here, Rumor is NAHL is looking to purchase the BCHL, (if not already). Has anyone heard any confirmation or denial regarding this??

I was wondering why no Boston Advantage on the draft list, but it appeared Twin City was part of the draft. 2023 NCDC DRAFT

 

[JMCx4]

Tangential to this thread topic ... two NAHL East teams have new owners ...

 

[Rbenj]

I was wondering why no Boston Advantage on the draft list, but it appeared Twin City was part of the draft. 2023 NCDC DRAFT

My bad…I was flying thru it, didn’t realize it was the Advantage that was missing.
Wonder what’s happening to that team, it can’t be instability, being that Lovell Hockey is pretty solid ya?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

My bad…I was flying thru it, didn’t realize it was the Advantage that was missing.
Wonder what’s happening to that team, it can’t be instability, being that Lovell Hockey is pretty solid ya?

Lovell is an empire which is not going to fail. They are likely just leaving the free-to-play scene.

On another topic here, Rumor is NAHL is looking to purchase the BCHL, (if not already). Has anyone heard any confirmation or denial regarding this??

You also probably were flying through the "NAHL purchasing the BCHL" article on TJHN as well because you clearly didn't see it was posted on April Fool's Day or see lines as clearly satirical as "Alex Kyrias was later seen coloring the BCHL logo red, white and blue. With witnesses remarking that Mr. Kyrias refused the poutine earlier in the day while asking if anyone was aware of discounted crab leg purchasing opportunities in British Columbia" or Frankenfeld was later seen with a gravy and cheese stained tie, while picking up Tim Hortons coffee."

Slow down on what you're throwing on here and look for more than half a second.

 

[Rbenj]

Lovell is an empire which is not going to fail. They are likely just leaving the free-to-play scene.


You also probably were flying through the "NAHL purchasing the BCHL" article on TJHN as well because you clearly didn't see it was posted on April Fool's Day or see lines as clearly satirical as "Alex Kyrias was later seen coloring the BCHL logo red, white and blue. With witnesses remarking that Mr. Kyrias refused the poutine earlier in the day while asking if anyone was aware of discounted crab leg purchasing opportunities in British Columbia" or Frankenfeld was later seen with a gravy and cheese stained tie, while picking up Tim Hortons coffee."

Slow down on what you're throwing on here and look for more than half a second.

I apologize.
But thank you for the information.

 

[mk80]

I know we are relatively USA based with this thread but North of the border the OJHL is picking up a team from Junior B


Also the USPHL and NAPHL are going to play showcases against each other apparently

 

[kneelworm]

I know we are relatively USA based with this thread but North of the border the OJHL is picking up a team from Junior B

Nice. I'm not too familiar with Juniors in Canada. Is A tuition free and B is pay to play?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Nice. I'm not too familiar with Juniors in Canada. Is A tuition free and B is pay to play?

Canadian Juniors is run differently than American juniors. Tier I/II/III in the USA is indeed based on business model/tuition and board. Canadian Juniors is different. They base theirs loosely on level of play. There are OJHL teams that are free to play and there are OJHL teams that charge tuition. That goes for all leagues except for maybe the BCHL. That being said, the GOJHL is Junior B. There are free to play GOJHL teams that would give a good game and possibly beat Junior A teams which charge tuition. It isn't a model which particularly makes a ton of sense.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Bandits Rejoining EHL and EHLP

Bridgewater Set to Return to Action in the #EShow this September

www.easternhockeyleague.org

Bridgewater's USPHL experiment ends.

They rejoin the EHL after several years in the USPHL which includes a stint with the NCDC division.

 

[mk80]

-1 for the BCHL

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

-1 for the BCHL

-1 for the BCHL but +1 for the WHL, Wenatchee and all of north central Washington. Today's news I am absolutely thrilled for everyone over there on the east side of the Cascades. This is news that I have been dreaming they would eventually get some day over there. Having the WHL at Town Toyota Center means almost guaranteed sellouts of the 4,000-seat building for every divisional game in the U.S. Division as Wenatchee is within reasonable driving distance from all the U.S. Division cities, so a lot of fans will travel to games there and that of course means potential significant economic impacts for a region that can certainly use that at that time of year. Here's hoping the Wild are fantastic rivals for Seattle, Everett, Tri-City, Spokane and Portland this coming season. I can't wait to see what happens.

 

[PCSPounder]

-1 for the BCHL

To be honest, once the story of Winnipeg Ice being in trouble broke, it seemed to me that “the Snatch” would be the path of least resistance. Voila.



Not sure this actually indicates which other things are coming up the road after this… some speculation that the BCHL would try to get another American market. But not sure where. I’ve been over this previously.



Meanwhile…



New Spokane football/soccer stadium opens this fall.



Eugene Emeralds baseball appears to be making progress on a new fairgrounds ballpark.



Speaking of Eugene, not only has Lane United purchased rights to move up to USL League One, grandstand construction already started at Civic Park, meaning even though LUFC wants a different park, Civic could work out for them.



Hillsboro Hops, playing in a 10-year-old ballpark, has announced a new $120 million ballpark across the parking lot (supposedly more cost effective than the improvements they wanted to make to the current facility). This is funded ($18 million from Hillsboro, the rest private).



Everett is now looking to replace their ballpark. Discussions are still preliminary.



Then a Salem developer has announced a new development near the Willamette River, which would include a new soccer stadium and their own attempt at USL League One, or maybe Championship.



This is all to say that, in the space of 5 months, the dam of money for Northwest projects has broken and things are happening. But not a peep about hockey. I’m thinking the dreams of the NAHL out here are stillborn.

 

[mk80]

To be honest, once the story of Winnipeg Ice being in trouble broke, it seemed to me that “the Snatch” would be the path of least resistance. Voila.



Not sure this actually indicates which other things are coming up the road after this… some speculation that the BCHL would try to get another American market. But not sure where. I’ve been over this previously.



Meanwhile…



New Spokane football/soccer stadium opens this fall.



Eugene Emeralds baseball appears to be making progress on a new fairgrounds ballpark.



Speaking of Eugene, not only has Lane United purchased rights to move up to USL League One, grandstand construction already started at Civic Park, meaning even though LUFC wants a different park, Civic could work out for them.



Hillsboro Hops, playing in a 10-year-old ballpark, has announced a new $120 million ballpark across the parking lot (supposedly more cost effective than the improvements they wanted to make to the current facility). This is funded ($18 million from Hillsboro, the rest private).



Everett is now looking to replace their ballpark. Discussions are still preliminary.



Then a Salem developer has announced a new development near the Willamette River, which would include a new soccer stadium and their own attempt at USL League One, or maybe Championship.



This is all to say that, in the space of 5 months, the dam of money for Northwest projects has broken and things are happening. But not a peep about hockey. I’m thinking the dreams of the NAHL out here are stillborn.

Regarding the NAHL I had always speculated if the league did get a Pacific Northwest footprint, that Wenatchee would end up being a part of it. But this move to the WHL definitely takes that out of the equation.

And the other candidate Eugene Generals have been long gone from the hockey map the past few years

 

[mk80]

The Milwaukee Power now West Bend Power have been sold and moved rinks once again

Power announces new ownership group, name change, affiliation

Milwaukee Power to become the West Bend Power; Team announces NAHL affiliation with the Wisconsin Windigo.

na3hl.com

 

[JMCx4]

The Power-Windigo affiliation is a very smart move. But ONLY if the NA3 club doesn't adopt the Eagle River team name in the future.

 

[MeHateHe]

Not exactly a relocation, but I'll just note that the Spokane Braves of the KIJHL are playing a couple of exhibition games at the Frontier Ice Arena in Couer d'Alene, Idaho next month. I had a quick skim to make sure they aren't playing any regular season games over there. Couldn't find any.

Preseason tickets are on sale

www.spokanebraves.com

 

[JMCx4]

Not exactly a relocation, but I'll just note that the Spokane Braves of the KIJHL are playing a couple of exhibition games at the Frontier Ice Arena in Couer d'Alene, Idaho next month. I had a quick skim to make sure they aren't playing any regular season games over there. Couldn't find any.

Preseason tickets are on sale

www.spokanebraves.com

If posts like this are gonna be encouraged in this thread, somebody needs to add "comma Etc" to the thread title.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Lovell is an empire which is not going to fail. They are likely just leaving the free-to-play scene.


You also probably were flying through the "NAHL purchasing the BCHL" article on TJHN as well because you clearly didn't see it was posted on April Fool's Day or see lines as clearly satirical as "Alex Kyrias was later seen coloring the BCHL logo red, white and blue. With witnesses remarking that Mr. Kyrias refused the poutine earlier in the day while asking if anyone was aware of discounted crab leg purchasing opportunities in British Columbia" or Frankenfeld was later seen with a gravy and cheese stained tie, while picking up Tim Hortons coffee."

Slow down on what you're throwing on here and look for more than half a second.

The whole junior hockey scene is amazing. Teams fleecing families for tens of thousands of dollars in tuition to fund an NHL dream that was dead before the kid played midgets, an overweight narcissist league PR guy who thinks he should be doing play-by-play in the NHL, shyster Stephen Heisler and convicted felon Joe Kolodziej in a blog site war... it makes Single-A hockey look tame and reasonable.

 

[JMCx4]

The whole junior hockey scene is amazing. Teams fleecing families for tens of thousands of dollars in tuition to fund an NHL dream that was dead before the kid played midgets, an overweight narcissist league PR guy who thinks he should be doing play-by-play in the NHL, shyster Stephen Heisler and convicted felon Joe Kolodziej in a blog site war... it makes Single-A hockey look tame and reasonable.

FINALLY ... a little love for Single-A ...

 

[CrazyEddie20]

FINALLY ... a little love for Single-A ...

But really - what in my statement is untrue?

I'll hang up and listen.

 

[JMCx4]

But really - what in my statement is untrue?

I'll hang up and listen.

I can't argue your points, but I do consider your "shyster" characterization to be a refreshing understatement from you.

"Next caller ... what's your beef?"

 

[MeHateHe]

If posts like this are gonna be encouraged in this thread, somebody needs to add "comma Etc" to the thread title.

In fairness to me, because who else would be fair to me, I'm mostly noting this as potential grist if Coeur d'Alene were to ever seriously consider being a location of a junior team. The Spokane KIJHL franchise has always struck me as almost an outlier - the WHL Chiefs have a pretty devoted following but why would a Junior B club, playing against clubs from communities most people in Spoke have never heard of, be stuck down there. It's weird, especially in this day and age. When I saw the exhibition games posted for CdA, I checked to see if the club was playing any regular season games there. They're not, but wouldn't it make more sense to move the Braves franchise the 30 miles into Idaho where they could be the big dog in town instead of staying in Spokane, lingering in the shadows of the Chiefs?