Federal Hockey League..."the silence is deafening"...

[paul-laus]

Is it safe to say that the longer we go on with zero announcements from the FHL the greater the likelihood that they're done after three years? I remember reading late in the season that the Privateers were having arena issues in Lewistown. If they drop out, this would leave Dayton (still playing in Hara), Danville, and Danbury. Not much to work with and nothing in terms of rumblings for expansion. Looks like they could be joining the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League, All-American Hockey League, and the EPHL as failed single A leagues of the last five years. I really do wish that Danbury could get a legitimate arena constructed as they do have a rabid fan base for hockey there as evidenced via the Trashers and now the Whalers.

Click to read more...

 

[JungleJON]

I believe the Privateers played in Watertown, NY this past season. Some of the remaining teams have announced season tickets are on sale for next season. They might be waiting to see what cities are left after the dust settles in the AHL & ECHL - look for some franchises to be on the move this summer.

 

[LadyStanley]

Got an email from them today (see free agent camp for subject).

 

[paul-laus]

I believe the Privateers played in Watertown, NY this past season. Some of the remaining teams have announced season tickets are on sale for next season. They might be waiting to see what cities are left after the dust settles in the AHL & ECHL - look for some franchises to be on the move this summer.

You're right. My bad. My point though was that there was ongoing issues with the team and arena management in regards to costs associated with keeping the arena as a viable option with the team.

 

[JungleJON]

If I can remember from past newspaper articles, the mayor and city council approved upgrades (though minor) to the local rink. The pursued the team to get them to move to Watertown. Unless this is recent info. have not seen any articles posted on Oursportscentral.com from the team or the city.

 

[JeffNYI]

Is it safe to say that the longer we go on with zero announcements from the FHL the greater the likelihood that they're done after three years?

This is a league that forms expansion teams mid-season.

Whatever they say now means nothing. Whatever they don't say now means nothing.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Wouldn't be surprised if they fold, and wouldn't be surprised if they hurriedly announced a schedule with new teams in place a mere week before the season started with no prior warning.

That's just the type of beast the FHL is...

 

[Rangers79]

They were having problems a year ago when I worked with the Outlaws. It's all in fighting and bs. How they didn't shut down after their 1st year is beyond me.

 

[wildhairyguy]

Saw a twitter update today from one of the Danbury owners - apparently season tickets sales are quite brisk after they won the championship....league is quite a **** show.....

 

[SPORTSMANIAC]

I had a friend with contacts throughout hockey promoting the FHL Free Agent Camp on Facebook...I commented saying the FHL is a beer league. A couple of people responded including one Andrew Richards who says he doesn't know too many beer leagues that pay out 2 millions to coaches and players. I fired back asking how the Williamsport experiment, and how two teams can be owned by one person and a third be owned by the commissioners daughter and a few other things. Waiting to hear a response back

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Well, beer league is a bit of an insult, but I have a hard time imagining that the payroll for staff and players was $2 million.

 

[SemireliableSource]

For the entire league, I could see it. The average SPHL budget is $1.2 M so I could see a six (four) team league having payroll north of $2 M.

 

[Lefty9420]

I know someone who played the FHL for about 5 games a few years ago as a goalie before he had enough. He said his contract was for $175 per week, or $25 a day...

 

[CrazyEddie20]

For the entire league, I could see it. The average SPHL budget is $1.2 M so I could see a six (four) team league having payroll north of $2 M.

WRONG AGAIN!

Using a calculator may help. Let's go through this step-by-step.

Start with $2,000,000.

Now, the claim was that the $2M was paid out to players and coaches, so let's low-ball the coaches' salaries and say they each make $25,000 a year. In a six team league, that leaves $1,850,000 per year for player salaries.

Divided equally amongst the six teams, that suggests that player payroll is $308,333.33/season. The FHL had a 23 week season last year. Divided evenly among each of the 23 weeks, that makes the weekly payroll in a six team FHL $13,405.80 - right around the ECHL's weekly cap number. I doubt that any FHL club save maybe Danbury pulls in enough money weekly to cover that kind of payroll, not to mention league dues, insurance, travel costs, etc.

But hey, coaches might make more that that, right? Ok, let's do this again, assuming that coaches make $45,000. That makes the coaches' salary pool $270,000 and the players salary pool $1,730,000 - broken down among six teams, that's $288,333.33/season and $12,536/week.

Any coach that is making $45,000 in the FHL has a great agent or works for an idiot. A shaved chimp could coach a team in this league and no one would know the difference.

This $2,000,000/season claim is patently absurd. I'd maybe believe $2,000,000 total in player and coaches' salaries paid over the life of the league - but only maybe, since we all know that the FHL isn't good about paying anyone on time. Just because money is owed doesn't mean it has been paid, and the law certainly doesn't view money owed as income or having been "paid out." (See Generally Hornung v. Commissioner, 47 T. C. 428 (T. C. 1967) (holding that a car awarded to a professional football player in 1961 was not taxable as income for 1961 because the player did not actually receive the vehicle until 1962.)

 

[Cornwall OHL]

I know someone who played the FHL for about 5 games a few years ago as a goalie before he had enough. He said his contract was for $175 per week, or $25 a day...

Do you know if he was on one of the travel teams? New York Blue Fins, Delaware Federals, or the other one?

 

[Qward]

Just asked my friend what he made playing in the FHL. $225/week with some bonuses. Bonuses are not big.

 

[paul-laus]

Latest Federal Hockey League release:

Quote- "Our expansion draft scheduled for May 31st, will not be held this season due to no new franchises being added to the league at this time..."

So they're going ahead with 4 teams for next season. Congratulations FHL! You've now hit rock bottom....

 

[Sniper45]

I had a friend with contacts throughout hockey promoting the FHL Free Agent Camp on Facebook...I commented saying the FHL is a beer league. A couple of people responded including one Andrew Richards who says he doesn't know too many beer leagues that pay out 2 millions to coaches and players. I fired back asking how the Williamsport experiment, and how two teams can be owned by one person and a third be owned by the commissioners daughter and a few other things. Waiting to hear a response back

Yeah that 2 million figure is for the total payout the past 3 seasons, the league likes to put stuff like that out in news releases to legitimize what they do

 

[Gerin]

Latest Federal Hockey League release:

Quote- "Our expansion draft scheduled for May 31st, will not be held this season due to no new franchises being added to the league at this time..."

So they're going ahead with 4 teams for next season. Congratulations FHL! You've now hit rock bottom....

So does that mean they have to have some sort of import law? Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought I remember hearing when u have under 6 teams here some sort of import rule?

 

[JeffNYI]

So does that mean they have to have some sort of import law? Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought I remember hearing when u have under 6 teams here some sort of import rule?

U.S. Immigration seems to use 6 teams as a magic threshold in order to grant visas.

I don't know if it's cast in stone by law or is just a general policy.. but you're right that it could be an issue for the FHL getting Canadian players if they're gonna go with 4 teams..

 

[SemireliableSource]

They're consulting immigration lawyers trying to find a way around it.

 

[LadyStanley]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=51483251

Sounds like you're talking about H-2B visas.

 

[Kapn Kaveman]

Another Lawsuit?

http://thejuniorhockeynews.com/?p=15598

 

[Cornwall OHL]

I noticed in their news piece that 1000 Islands is called Watertown: FHL

 

[MonsterSurge]

Hopefully this joke of a league goes away.