CHL Territorial Rights

[BOS358]

As for Galchenyuk, I'd be interested in learning the rule around that. Because I was under the impression that reason he left Russia to come over to play for the Chicago Young Americans during his minor midget year, was to make himself eligible for the OHL Draft (there was some uncertainty that he was).

Galchenyuk was born in Milwaukee, WI, and is a dual USA/ Russia citizen.

 

[Brodeur]

I was rewatching the 1995 Draft and I had forgotten that Brian Boucher, from Rhode Island, played in the WHL. As best as I can surmise, he must've gone undrafted in the QMJHL and then was free to go to the WHL?

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/tri-city-americans/article48927430.html

Boucher got his big break in hockey in the winter of 1994. He was playing Tier II hockey in Toronto when he heard Tri-City needed a goalie. Then-Americans general manager Dennis Beyak made a great pitch.

“In two months, I went from Rhode Island to Toronto to Washington,” Boucher said. “It was crazy. I really wanted to play college hockey — that’s where my heart was at. But I couldn’t get a commitment right away. Schools that were interested in me had older goalies, and I would have gotten to play five or six games a year until I was a senior. Tri-City needed a goalie, and they had a good school package to offer.”

Boucher had drawn interest from Michigan State, Providence, Brown and Cornell. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau thought highly of him, pegging him for a second-round pick in the 1995 draft. He knew if he wanted to be a high draft pick, he needed to play.

He arrived in the Tri-Cities in mid-November 1994. He sat for three weeks before he played. Coach Bob Loucks apparently liked what he saw from the 17-year-old. Boucher played 35 games that season and earned the starting job in the playoffs.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

My guess is since the W drafts at 14 that Keegan went undrafted and was then eligible for the O draft. But I have no idea.

That was the case. Thanks for responding.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

The Q gets screwed on the territories hard, Atleast let them have Florida.

 

[BOS358]

The Q gets screwed on the territories hard, Atleast let them have Florida.

How so? The New England and Massachusetts districts are two of the strongest in the USA.

 

[EnglishJet]

How so? The New England and Massachusetts districts are two of the strongest in the USA.

True, but NCAA culture/pride is so huge in those districts that getting anybody to report seems damn near impossible.

 

[nbwingsfan]

How so? The New England and Massachusetts districts are two of the strongest in the USA.

Strongest but also people who rarely leave the States to play. They’re the first to be recruited by the US program.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

How so? The New England and Massachusetts districts are two of the strongest in the USA.

David Branch is on record as stating that the OHL has an advantage which he won’t look at.

 

[Mickey Marner]

David Branch is on record as stating that the OHL has an advantage which he won’t look at.

Yep, OHL recruits by far the best Americans. Probably better than the other two combined. Hell, the London Knights might be able to ice a 21st century roster of Americans comparable to the other two.

 

[BOS358]

David Branch is on record as stating that the OHL has an advantage which he won’t look at.

Fair enough. Never thought of that.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think location is also a factor.

American kids would much rather go play in Ontario or even Western Canada than Quebec. American kids don't speak French, unless they choose to learn it in school, and the culture in Quebec is less similar to what these kids experience in the USA than Ontario or Western Canada.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I think location is also a factor.

American kids would much rather go play in Ontario or even Western Canada than Quebec. American kids don't speak French, unless they choose to learn it in school, and the culture in Quebec is less similar to what these kids experience in the USA than Ontario or Western Canada.

The OHL has by far the least travel as well. Most teenagers don't want to live on a greyhound.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

How so? The New England and Massachusetts districts are two of the strongest in the USA.

At the time the agreement was reached the Q the deal was probably more fair as Massachusetts and New England probably rivaled Michigan/NY and Minnesota as the top hotbeds for American hockey. The explosion of the game on the west coast plus places like St. Louis and the Atlantic Coast has probably given the other two leagues more of an advantage.

The situation probably needs to be addressed but the solution is not an easy one.

Possibly dividing NY in some way?

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

At the time the agreement was reached the Q the deal was probably more fair as Massachusetts and New England probably rivaled Michigan/NY and Minnesota as the top hotbeds for American hockey. The explosion of the game on the west coast plus places like St. Louis and the Atlantic Coast has probably given the other two leagues more of an advantage.

The situation probably needs to be addressed but the solution is not an easy one.

Possibly dividing NY in some way?

I don't think it's something that can be fixed, really. As mentioned previously, most American prospects are probably not big on going to live in a non-English environment for junior hockey, so it's always gonna be harder for the Q to recruit in the US.

And if they do come, it's not going to be to go to Baie-Comeau or Val-d'Or. They would all go to Maritimes teams or bigger Quebec markets, giving an unfair advantage to those teams. So I'm not sure it leaves the league much better off.

 

[JiggsNY]

Looking at that OHL map it's always surprised me there hasn't been any teams located in upstate NY. Somewhere in the Buffalo area, or Rochester/ Syracuse. Even up in Watertown even. Would fill in the gap down to Erie. Maybe it's the AHL/ NCAA teams, but that doesn't stop Michigan based teams, and the Upstate NY schools aren't as big time as some of those Michigan schools.

 

[JiggsNY]

Looking t it more i guess it makes sense. Buffalo has the Sabres. and Niagara/ Cansius (NCAA). Rochester has the Americans (AHL) and RIT (NCAA). Syracuse has the Crunch (AHL). Ithica has Cornell (NCAA). Utica has the Comets (AHL). Binghamton has the Devils (AHL). St. Lawrence and Clarkson (NCAA) are big up in Potsdam/ Canton Area. Watertown doesnt really have a team but also is not a huge place. Still would think the Buffalo area could find a spot.


I'm way off topic but on the Territorial draft there's really no way to fix it. QMJHL will always have a big disadvantage no matter what. It used to be just the OHL having a big advantage, but like the poster above said the WHL is getting more and more quality kids with the West Coast picking up. Even if you made one streamlined American draft for all three leagues to take part in, the Q will always be disadvantaged in getting kids to report.

 

[OldScool]

The Q is the last option for any top New England recruits for the reasons mentioned - language barrier, travel, etc. The huge factor in the New England region is college hockey is so strong that its the destination of any top level player. If your kid is an awful student and has zero educational aspirations and wants to put all his eggs into one basket and hope it pays off then go for it. Otherwise New England players avoid the Q. It used to have some lustre but that's long gone.

 

[Number 57]

One thing I've thought about in the past is expanding territorial rights to smaller hockey nations in Europe, and it should be the NHL paying for it. Think about it. If the NHL wants to expand their talent pool they need to invest in training in countries such as Ukraine, France, England, Latvia, Danemark, Norway, Japan, etc. One way to do it so to allow CHL teams to lure top players from these countries.

There isnt enough top talent that it would steer the balance of the leagues one way or the other, but it would be fun to get a couple of solid players to report here and there. And I'm thinking every team could have one extra foreign player using those new countries that don't count among their imports. Could be fun and exciting and eventually these countries could produce enough talent that it would upgrade the CHL in terms of skills too