Junior Hockey: Additions and Losses

[kij]

Measuring ice sales is difficult. There is damage done to it while skating and it costs to run the zamboni over it, which accumulates over a season. I know many arenas and rinks that would prefer ice be unused than sell the ice slot for less than the asking price.

That is true it's not a concrete thing to judge all rinks by. I would bet it's not the $170 price that caused the team to walk, rather than the inability to find a middle ground that covered the rink's cost but wasn't a prime time charge for the team at non premium hours.

There is also the expectation of the team getting prime-time ice slots, about every other weekend during the season. Taking up the ice from 6-9pm every other Friday and Saturday is not cheap when a regular youth program could put 2-3 games on during that time. While there was no mention of the game times, I am not hopeful that a fair offer was presented by the team for those game slots either.

 

[mk80]

Springfield has suspended for this season as well.

 

[mk80]

Cedar Rapids and Madison are taking the year off

 

[JMCx4]

Still no word from the NA3HL South division on their season schedule, after the other four divisions went public over a week ago. Are they drafting their divisional withdrawal letter?

 

[TORY GENTILE]

Lansing Wolves are going dark

 

[CB1]

Interesting. Did Lansing even start the season and get a couple games in? I'm already hearing about USPHL teams postponing games and etc, and it's only the 3rd week of the season. So I wonder if more will opt out or slow down and delay the season. FWIW, not outing any teams, but my info and opinion is based on my sons who play and what we have experienced thus far.

 

[mk80]

WSHL 2021 Update

I feel like we could revive this thread a bit with our latest addition to the running tally of teams. The WSHL is apparently going to make a comeback

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

WSHL 2021 Update

I feel like we could revive this thread a bit with our latest addition to the running tally of teams. The WSHL is apparently going to make a comeback

If this continues, the WSHL will likely have more Canadien teams than American teams.

 

[mk80]

If this continues, the WSHL will likely have more Canadien teams than American teams.

Technically that's already the case as the Vancouver Devils make 5 Canadian teams. And not counting Valencia who is still listed on the website (and El Paso), Bellingham, Seattle, Dallas and Witchita are the other remaining teams. Although, Witchita's website link is dead so I'm assuming the team is as well, and while Dallas is still live, I can't see how they would survive being all alone, and with really no other option than to fold considering they share an arena with the existing NA3 Mid Cities Jr. Stars.

The league's best bet would be filling in some Pacific Northwest teams to shore up Bellingham, Seattle, and now Vancouver, and possibly seeing if they can find a couple other Canadian markets that have been passed over by other junior leagues up there.

Edit: Also after clicking on the Valencia website, it looks like they are setting up a youth program based out of a new rink in Santa Clarita, so maybe the WSHL has a commitment from them to rejoin the league in the future to complete that program top to bottom.

 

[mk80]

It seems the NA3HL Dandbury Jr. Hattricks quietly became the Springfield Hattricks at some point recently.... Twitter account identity and NA3HL team page have been changed to reflect the move

https://twitter.com/DanburyNA3HL
Springfield Jr. Hat Tricks | North American Tier III Hockey League | NA3HL

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

It seems the NA3HL Dandbury Jr. Hattricks quietly became the Springfield Hattricks at some point recently.... Twitter account identity and NA3HL team page have been changed to reflect the move

https://twitter.com/DanburyNA3HL
Springfield Jr. Hat Tricks | North American Tier III Hockey League | NA3HL

This is temporary move until the end of the season due to less strict playing regulations. The NA3HL New Jersey Titans also relocated to Mass. I know Jr. Hat Tricks players are traveling more than an hour one way from Danbury to Smead Arena in Springfield. They are there because it is a state-owned/FMC-operated rink, just like Fitzpatrick Arena of the Bay State Bobcats 10 minutes away up 391.

The Titans are playing out of Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington and Everett in Eastern Mass. I can't imagine they're commuting from New Jersey.

The Sharks also changed their name from Long Beach to New England, yet are still playing out of Long Beach Municipal Ice Arena.

 

[JMCx4]

It seems the NA3HL Dandbury Jr. Hattricks quietly became the Springfield Hattricks at some point recently.... Twitter account identity and NA3HL team page have been changed to reflect the move

https://twitter.com/DanburyNA3HL
Springfield Jr. Hat Tricks | North American Tier III Hockey League | NA3HL

Does this mean Herm will be selling more discounted merch with the "Dandbury" branding on it?

 

[mk80]

This is temporary move until the end of the season due to less strict playing regulations. The NA3HL New Jersey Titans also relocated to Mass. I know Jr. Hat Tricks players are traveling more than an hour one way from Danbury to Smead Arena in Springfield. They are there because it is a state-owned/FMC-operated rink, just like Fitzpatrick Arena of the Bay State Bobcats 10 minutes away up 391.

The Titans are playing out of Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington and Everett in Eastern Mass. I can't imagine they're commuting from New Jersey.

The Sharks also changed their name from Long Beach to New England, yet are still playing out of Long Beach Municipal Ice Arena.

I hadn't considered them changing names due to displacement from covid. But it makes sense they would.

Does this mean Herm will be selling more discounted merch with the "Dandbury" branding on it?

Name your price on it! But I'm guessing they had a limited amount available to start.

 

[JMCx4]

... Name your price on it! But I'm guessing they had a limited amount available to start.

When they changed the Jr. team brand to match the FPHL club, they were able to narrow their stock list & reduce their inventory. I snatched one of the last (and short-lived) Colonials t-shirts. I'm sure it's a collector's item by now.

 

[PCSPounder]

Not for the upcoming season... but an Idaho Falls article indicates the arena complex that broke ground last week will host NA3HL.

A decade in the making: Mountain America Center breaks ground

 

[mk80]

Not an addition or subtraction but the owner of the North Iowa Bulls and Mason City Toros just bought the Lincoln Stars of the USHL