Flint Firebirds 2020 Offseason Thread

[Buttsy]

Ryan Merkely could wreck it for all the OHL clubs though and that changes.

Sorry interested what you are meaning? Under the old system Merkley is AHL eligible this season as he has spent 4 full seasons in the OHL and can only come back as an OA player? Just curious what your thoughts are, not calling you out?

 

[Savard18]

Sorry interested what you are meaning? Under the old system Merkley is AHL eligible this season as he has spent 4 full seasons in the OHL and can only come back as an OA player? Just curious what your thoughts are, not calling you out?

Last year’s situation. With Peterborough telling him not to show up to camp and SJ not being able to send him to the AHL. It raised talk all across North American hockey about the NHL/CHL contract. I hope nothing changes but there will for sure at least be talk and some if not all NHL clubs pushing for their prospects to be allowed to play in the AHL at 18. It may have been brought up this year anyway but the Merkely situation turned a bright spotlight on the negatives of the agreement from an NHL perspective. If kids drafted out of the CHL are allowed to play in the AHL at 18 it will seriously water down the talent level in the league.

 

[Kingpin794]

Last year’s situation. With Peterborough telling him not to show up to camp and SJ not being able to send him to the AHL. It raised talk all across North American hockey about the NHL/CHL contract. I hope nothing changes but there will for sure at least be talk and some if not all NHL clubs pushing for their prospects to be allowed to play in the AHL at 18. It may have been brought up this year anyway but the Merkely situation turned a bright spotlight on the negatives of the agreement from an NHL perspective. If kids drafted out of the CHL are allowed to play in the AHL at 18 it will seriously water down the talent level in the league.

You'd be talking about 2/3 kids a year that would actually benefit from playing in the AHL if they ever allowed them to go before 20. Guys taken in the top 10. That jump is huge and the effect it would have wouldn't be as big as people fear.

 

[Firebrd828]

You'd be talking about 2/3 kids a year that would actually benefit from playing in the AHL if they ever allowed them to go before 20. Guys taken in the top 10. That jump is huge and the effect it would have wouldn't be as big as people fear.

What it will do, though, is give NHL teams leverage to have their drafted players moved from "undesirable" OHL teams to the Londons and Kitcheners of the league, making the rich richer, and the others, well........

 

[General Pete]

making the rich richer, and the others, well........

What do you consider us? Our players dont seem to lack anything. We seem to be among the rich in junior hockey.

 

[General Pete]

making the rich richer, and the others, well........

What do you consider us? Our players dont seem to lack anything. We seem to be among the rich in junior hockey.

 

[TcNorth]

By the looks of all these players wearing the Firebirds jersey, it does not seem like FLint is having a problem of players wanting to play here

I feel bad for guys like NDaNot who truly wanted to see this franchise fail and they have done the entire opposite.

Great to see them in the Firebird jersey’s General Pete! I wonder how many of those four will actually sign with Flint?

 

[General Pete]

Great to see them in the Firebird jersey’s General Pete! I wonder how many of those four will actually sign with Flint?

Have to imagine the top 3 will have offers this summer...and by the looks of their social media accounts, all 3 will accept.





AB (@aaronbrown_13) • Instagram photos and videos

 

[Firebrd828]

What do you consider us? Our players dont seem to lack anything. We seem to be among the rich in junior hockey.

Flint is in a good position right now, but don't get ahead of yourself. We've had about a whole half a season as a perceived "desirable" OHL team to play for, and if I had to guess, I'd say that going forward, we're going to be one of those teams that rides the CHL's four-year wave of bouncing between being good and rebuilding. London and Kitchener on the other hand, are, well...London and Kitchener.

 

[Savard18]

Great to see them in the Firebird jersey’s General Pete! I wonder how many of those four will actually sign with Flint?

Uhm....? I’m guessing four?

 

[TcNorth]

They need to be invited to sign and many here thought no way 4 would sign. Typicall, nearly all picks say something nice about the team that drafted them. Doesn't mean they will sign. Owen Power said nice things when Flint drafted him.

 

[General Pete]

Uhm....? I’m guessing four?

Why do you think 4?

 

[Savard18]

They need to be invited to sign and many here thought no way 4 would sign. Typicall, nearly all picks say something nice about the team that drafted them. Doesn't mean they will sign. Owen Power said nice things when Flint drafted him.

Who posted anything here saying they didn’t think Flint would sign 4 draft picks this year? Do you understand the difference between rostering a player, actually playing a rostered player and signing a player? As usual I’m guessing no. Did Owen Power don a Firebirds jersey and hat and on his own post it to social media? No. If worthy of a roster spot and/or offered an OHL contract this year, I don’t see any issues when them signing. If offered a contract but not a roster spot this year, they could (and probably should to keep their options open) delay officially signing until next year but I would only slightly reduce their odds of signing and like others have before, could sign with Flint while not having a roster spot on the team. As Giroux and Granger did last year.

 

[TcNorth]

Doesn’t matter if Power or this years players wore the jerseys or not. Your comment said something like “Wow. That was quick..”. Making it sound like you thought the four had signed. Many of you initially thought Power would sign despite not wearing a jersey in his thank you to the organization

 

[General Pete]

“Your comment said something like “Wow. That was quick... Making it sound like you thought the four had signed...”

Hey TC. I come in peace. I think he may have been thinking that it was quick the organization got all the players personalized jerseys delivered to their house... not quick that the Firebirds signed the players.

 

[TcNorth]

Hey TC. I come in peace. I think he may have been thinking that it was quick the organization got all the players personalized jerseys delivered to their house... not quick that the Firebirds signed the players.

Maybe. But who knows with him. PS: I have never had an issue with any of your post!

 

[dirty12]

Doesn’t matter if Power or this years players wore the jerseys or not. Your comment said something like “Wow. That was quick..”. Making it sound like you thought the four had signed. Many of you initially thought Power would sign despite not wearing a jersey in his thank you to the organization

Really? I thought Power was the #2 rated D and top 7 pick if it were not for signing with Chicago of the USHL and committing to Michigan prior to the OHL draft.

 

[MJ5]

Doesn’t matter if Power or this years players wore the jerseys or not. Your comment said something like “Wow. That was quick..”. Making it sound like you thought the four had signed. Many of you initially thought Power would sign despite not wearing a jersey in his thank you to the organization

I don't think anyone thought Power would sign and most thought it was a wasted pick here. A pick the franchise couldn't afford to waste in it's situation at the time.

Everyone thought it was a huge gamble and was hoping someone knew something everyone else didn't.

 

[FireBird71]

Hey TC. I come in peace. I think he may have been thinking that it was quick the organization got all the players personalized jerseys delivered to their house... not quick that the Firebirds signed the players.

Delete

 

[FireBird71]

Hey TC. I come in peace. I think he may have been thinking that it was quick the organization got all the players personalized jerseys delivered to their house... not quick that the Firebirds signed the players.

Delete

 

[FireBird71]

Hey TC. I come in peace. I think he may have been thinking that it was quick the organization got all the players personalized jerseys delivered to their house... not quick that the Firebirds signed the players.

On their twitter they had a rack of jerseys with the number 20’s on all of them...all they needed was a destination

 

[TcNorth]

Ok.

 

[HockeyPops]

If they accept a jersey from the team without paying for it they lose their NCAA eligibility. Hope someone informed them.

 

[General Pete]

On their twitter they had a rack of jerseys with the number 20’s on all of them...all they needed was a destination

And a personalized last name. real nice gesture by our squad.

 

[Savard18]

And a personalized last name. real nice gesture by our squad.

Read the post above yours. Now, I do not expect TC to comprehend any of this, but you seem like a smart guy so I’m sure you’ll get it. Obviously only Gavin Hayes could have possibly signed because the border with Canada has been closed. There is a difference (in non-pandemic normal years) between a 1st round pick trying on the jersey for photos and saying nice things about the organization that drafted when there’s a central draft location and a bunch of PR stuff for the top 3 to 20 picks. It’s totally different when a kid is locked on the other side of the border away from the organization in lockdown situation and accepts a jersey and a hat and then goes and takes photos wearing that gear and posts it online. They got them that gear quick and obviously they’ve signaled they would be willing to report. Maybe TC thinks one day Aaron Brown opened some mail with Firebirds gear in it and thought “Screw that! I’m not gonna report to Flint! Get my phone! I’m gonna put this crap on and post pictures of me in it!” I’m pretty confident the OHL and likely Flint is the plan for those 4 gentlemen and if not, they’re gonna get in a LITTLE bit of trouble with the NCAA.