Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) 2016-17

[Hounds9090]

65 teams, a ton of Jr. C awaits the 2016-17 season. Some questions...

Is this amalgamation a good thing?

Will the league competitive or watered down?

Will it lure kids to want to come and play at the junior C level or will it be taken as a farce?

After its first season of existence will you see teams leave the PJHL due to not being able to keep up with league standards?

Does this mimic the CHL consisting of the NOJHL, SIJHL, OJHL, ect? Will it work?

A lot of questions and I haven't heard much chatter about it. I know "it's only junior C", however, this is now a 65 team machine and there's been little said about it which is worrisome since it's July and really, there isn't that much time left until the start of the 2016-17 season(s).

Curious on thoughts, concerns, and other comments about this league. I am excited for it, I hope it works and produces some stiff competition and whips some organizations into shape. Time will tell. I'll let you have the floor now.

Click to read more...

 

[BeaverSports]

I've been involved in the process to create the PJHL and I'd like to caution everyone that this isn't an overnight change where we suddenly flip a switch and everything is different. The PJHL is something that is going to evolve over time and I think five to 10 years out, we're going to look back and realize a lot has changed and this has been a powerful catalyst.

You're not going to immediately notice a lot of change on the ice. We're not going to be introducing inter-league (or inter-divisional) play or a bunch of new rules and standards off the bat. The focus, right now, is on creating a league structure that works and improving our marketing.

The impetus, really, is that we do have nearly 65 teams competing at the same level of hockey, but there are a lot of differences across our footprint. We have teams in widely varied geographies, drawing from different pools of players based on numbers from years ago. We have some teams in the Junior A territory, and some in the Junior B. Each of our eight different leagues have their own schedules and different game-night operations.

We believe in player-focused development and in providing access to high-quality hockey to many players and to many communities in a competitive environment. We want to create an environment that allows as many of these teams to thrive as possible, in the spirit of the OHA's Tomorrow's Game process, but to do that, we have to bridge that geography and find solutions that work for all of us. Positive change that allows us to attract players has sometimes been stymied because of regional differences. We also know higher levels of junior hockey have greatly improved their league management structures to their own benefit of late.

We're looking to get rid of that "It's only Junior C" attitude and let players, parents, and fans know there's a good development product - both to advance in hockey and to position players well to succeed in life - right here. This level of hockey offers tremendous bang for the buck and slots in well with education and the world of work. Rather than eight separate groups, one league across the OHA's geography should establish confidence in the level, it should help players find teams when moving for school, and it should be more attractive to partners and sponsors.

Some of the things that have been discussed and will be discussed once the league structure is in place are rules that may impact upon competitive balance, possible new playoff structures, standardizing season start times and dates before cutdown dates, building a sustainable business model and best practices for member teams, and standardization of game procedures.

The divisions will have a fair bit of autonomy, at least to start.

To answer your questions...

Is this amalgamation a good thing?

A lot of our teams have been convinced it is moving in the right direction. There seem to be a lot more guys realizing the value of communicating, the benefit of keeping everyone healthy, and the strength in numbers for marketing.

Will the league competitive or watered down?

It depends on your feelings on the current Jr. C leagues. Personally, I'd like to get to a point where we have more teams in contention for the Schmalz Cup. We also see the value of junior hockey in communities where all the stars have to align for that to happen, however, as Junior C has been a catch-all for all sizes of communities. We need to look at both ends of that puzzle.

A big part of this is being more competitive for players. I want to raise the profile and standard operating procedures of the league for them and offer quality development that doesn't cost them an arm and a leg.

Will it lure kids to want to come and play at the junior C level or will it be taken as a farce?

I don't think it's going to hurt Junior C in any way. Those who would take it as a farce, probably do already now.

After its first season of existence will you see teams leave the PJHL due to not being able to keep up with league standards?

While we're going to try to push teams to better operating practices, nothing we're bringing in is too onerous or costly. Teams will see a bit higher web costs, but most of what we're asking has already been brought in via Tomorrow's Game. The big thrust here is on togetherness and communication.

Does this mimic the CHL consisting of the NOJHL, SIJHL, OJHL, ect? Will it work?

I think you're referring to the CJHL, and yes, that'd be the type of model we're looking to build. I think once the structure is defined, it will work. The challenge is that we have a messy landscape that has developed over time with many regional differences. It's working to educate and inform one another about those differences and finding commonalities to improve upon.

A lot of questions and I haven't heard much chatter about it. I know "it's only junior C", however, this is now a 65 team machine and there's been little said about it which is worrisome since it's July and really, there isn't that much time left until the start of the 2016-17 season(s).

I think a lot of team operators have realized this is a process and it's not going to change everything overnight… it's almost a soft launch as it were. We're working hard at getting the details done and making sure everything is done right before we make a huge splash. I'm betting you'll see the branding and league governance model in place by puck drop this season and I'd expect you're going to see things develop more in the future.

And yes, this has been something I've been passionate about going back several years. I'm very impressed by the forward-thinking representatives across the province who have given so much time and thought to this vision.

 

[Hounds9090]

I've been involved in the process to create the PJHL and I'd like to caution everyone that this isn't an overnight change where we suddenly flip a switch and everything is different. The PJHL is something that is going to evolve over time and I think five to 10 years out, we're going to look back and realize a lot has changed and this has been a powerful catalyst.

You're not going to immediately notice a lot of change on the ice. We're not going to be introducing inter-league (or inter-divisional) play or a bunch of new rules and standards off the bat. The focus, right now, is on creating a league structure that works and improving our marketing.

The impetus, really, is that we do have nearly 65 teams competing at the same level of hockey, but there are a lot of differences across geography. We have teams in widely varied geographies, drawing from different pools of players based on numbers from years ago. We have some teams in the Junior A territory, and some in the Junior B. Each of our eight different leagues have their own schedules and different game-night operations.

We believe in player-focused development and in providing access to high-quality hockey to many players and to many communities in a competitive environment. We want to create an environment that allows as many of these teams to thrive as possible, in the spirit of the OHA's Tomorrow's Game process, but to do that, we have bridge that geography and find solutions that work for all of us. Positive change that allows us to attract players has sometimes been stymied because of regional differences. We also know higher levels of junior hockey have greatly improved their league management structures to their own benefit of late.

We're looking to get rid of that "It's only Junior C" attitude and let players, parents, and fans know there's a good development product - both to advance in hockey and to position players well to succeed in life - right here. This level of hockey offers tremendous bang for the buck and slots in well with education and the world of work. Rather than eight separate groups, one league across the OHA's geography should establish confidence in the level, it should help players find teams when moving for school, and it should be more attractive to partners and sponsors.

Some of the things that have been discussed and will be discussed once the league structure is in place are rules that may impact upon competitive balance, possible new playoff structures, standardizing season start times and dates before cutdown dates, building a sustainable business model and best practices for member teams, and standardization of game procedures.

The divisions will have a fair bit of autonomy, at least to start.

To answer your questions...



A lot of our teams have been convinced it is moving in the right direction. There seem to be a lot more guys realizing the value of communicating, the benefit of keeping everyone healthy, and the strength in numbers for marketing.



It depends on your feelings on the current Jr. C leagues. Personally, I'd like to get to a point where we have more teams in contention for the Schmalz Cup. We also see the value of junior hockey in communities where all the stars have to align for that to happen, however, as Junior C has been a catch-all for all sizes of communities. We need to look at both ends of that puzzle.

A big part of this is being more competitive for players. I want to raise the profile and standard operating procedures of the league for them and offer quality development that doesn't cost them an arm and a leg.



I don't think it's going to hurt Junior C in any way. Those who would take it as a farce, probably do already now.



While we're going to try to push teams to better operating practices, nothing we're bringing in is too onerous or costly. Teams will see a bit higher web costs, but most of what we're asking has already been brought in via Tomorrow's Game. The big thrust here is on togetherness and communication.



I think you're referring to the CJHL, and yes, that'd be the type of model we're looking to build. I think once the structure is defined, it will work. The challenge is that we have a messy landscape that has developed over time with many regional differences. It's working to educate and inform one another about those differences and finding commonalities to improve upon.



I think a lot of team operators have realized this is a process and it's not going to change everything overnight… it's almost a soft launch as it were. We're working hard at getting the details done and making sure everything is done right before we make a huge splash. I'm betting you'll see the branding and league governance model in place by puck drop this season and I'd expect you're going to see things develop more in the future.

And yes, this has been something I've been passionate about going back several years. I'm very impressed by the forward-thinking representatives across the province who have given so much time and thought to this vision.

Firstly, thank you for the extremely detailed overview of the PJHL. This was an absolutely interesting read, so thank you very much again. Truly outstanding.

Would love to hear what others have to say about this too.

Thanks!

 

[BeaverSports]

Thanks for the interest. While I speak on my own behalf and not for my peers involved, I'm happy to try to answer questions and to take back ideas to the table.

 

[Hounds9090]

I guess the obvious question or suggestion now is - PJHL Showcase weekend? or weekends?

 

[BeaverSports]

I guess the obvious question or suggestion now is - PJHL Showcase weekend? or weekends?

Most likely, but not this season.