Why is London always good?

[Skinnyjimmy08]

The CHL will never do anything about it unless someone has emails/recordings etc etc and leaks it to the media and the league is forced to act. If these teams that we all know are suspicious can keep scooping these 100% NCAA only guys, they aren't going to do crap all. In fact the league will probably be the first email/text/call to that team congratulating them and thanking them

 

[Tigers1992]

Teams don't draft players that in no circumstances will not commit to playing for their organization.

So i guess this statement is incorrect?

It's not an equal playing field. That's the point

Unless every team is playing in the same location and with the same coaches, there will never be an 'equal playing field'. That's life, no different then any other league. No different than the NHL. If that's the issue then fold the CHL now, because we'll never fix that. Your job as an operator is to maximize the value or program and leave no doubt, and failing that, draft US players before London does to ensure that If they do eventually come to the league and won't report, you can force London to trade for them as opposed to getting them for free. Its been a long time coming, but that strategy is starting to take hold in the OHL, more teams are drafting 'non reporting' players ahead of London. Sudbury drafted 2 top 40 rated US players in the recent OHL Draft, more then London did.

As an example, Tyler Parsons wasn't drafted in back to back years, perhaps a team should have drafted him in the 15th round, where less then 2 percent of the players
ever actually play a single regular season game? Christian Dvorak was an 8th round pick, perhaps someone should have taken him first?

Teams like Kitchener, Niagara, Kingston, Barrie, etc all do the same thing as London does, they just don't do it as well. The best player to 'fall' to a team in the first round of this year's OHL Draft was drafted by Barrie, where's the pitchforks for them?


For as long as the NCAA considered the CHL as a professional league, this issues will happen. But using the draft with a level of intelligence and being strategic with our picks can hurt other teams. You can either complain or do something about it. I get its easier to complain, that's always the easy out, but OHL teams are doing things about it, and its nice to see.

What teams like London offers to their players in terms of living location, exposure to NHL scouts, education and coaching is bar none better than most other CHL teams. Coaching and Education especially costs teams lots of money. Money teams like London, Quebec & Portland has and the rest of the CHL doesn't.

Every league operates within the same limits in regards to education packages. 7 gold packages over 4 years. That's standard, doesn't matter what your income as a team is, that's the rule. There are other creative ways to get players signed, you can structure education packages with 1 or 2 year gaurintees, but everyone is playing under the same rules.

Perhaps London/Quebec can guarantee that 2nd year vs. Sudbury who can't, but Patrick Kane isn't getting a year over year contract, he's getting one of those 7 gold packages.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

I'm not sure how it is in the ohl/qmjhl but here in the whl it's getting extremely bad for kids picking and choosing and telling teams who they will play for and not play for. Alot of teams that have high picks in the draft end up drafting players that aren't BPA but are players that will come play. Like for instance if there is a kid that is a very highly ranked #1 overall player but is from Vancouver area or down in the states and the first 3 picks are for example, swift current, moose jaw and another team in Saskatchewan, chances are they won't draft that kid cause that kid may see that Spokane or vancouver or seattle is picking 4th and he may have told those first 3 teams he won't report.

The rich do keep getting richer when draft day comes at times I'll admit

 

[Tigers1992]

I'm not sure how it is in the ohl/qmjhl but here in the whl it's getting extremely bad for kids picking and choosing and telling teams who they will play for and not play for. Alot of teams that have high picks in the draft end up drafting players that aren't BPA but are players that will come play. Like for instance if there is a kid that is a very highly ranked #1 overall player but is from Vancouver area or down in the states and the first 3 picks are for example, swift current, moose jaw and another team in Saskatchewan, chances are they won't draft that kid cause that kid may see that Spokane or vancouver or seattle is picking 4th and he may have told those first 3 teams he won't report.

The rich do keep getting richer when draft day comes at times I'll admit

That use to be the case in the OHL, however with the recent draft compensation rules, its silly not for teams to call players bluffs. Flint drafted a non reporting player 3rd overall last year and acquired 8 picks for him, including the 5th overall compensation pick in the following draft. A top 5 pick, 4 second round picks and 3 3rd round picks are more value then any single player, no matter how good said player is.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

I hate the London Knights.

I am a Season Seat Holder for the Guelph Storm...divisional rival of the Knights, and geographically, one of their biggest rivals.

That said.....

As much as I hate them, the Knights are good for the OHL and CHL. First, they set a standard for all other organizations to aspire to. No longer can OHL ownership teams or GM's sit idly by twiddling their thumbs. Fans see what is going on, as do other teams, and they are being forced to improve their own programs and adapt in order to keep up.

By recruiting as doggedly as they do, I as a fan am afforded the chance to see some fantastic players I likely wouldn't otherwise see as they end up in the OHL as opposed to the USHL for example. I have heard multiple stories about them contacting draftees DAILY in an effort to convince them to come to the OHL. I know their their management team likely watches more midget games than any other OHL management group. I know that their players are enrolled into a private school that caters to them and their schedules as hockey players. I know they are provided with the best coaching and support staff of likely every other CHL team. As someone else mentioned, they also have alumni who can speak on their behalf, and who will train with them in the summer, not to mention a staff of former NHLers who will help pave one of the more successful paths to pro hockey you can get as a 16-20 year old.

As a parent or as a potential player, why would you not want to play here. I wish the Storm were more professional when it came to all this stuff, and bless them, they are trying. Still, there is much work to be done.

I do wish the rules were different regarding "declaring" for the OHL draft - I would try to come up with a way of making the kids choose ahead of being drafted if they will report, but that argument is for another day.

David Price (pitcher, Boston Red Sox) has a general mantra that sums up my rant pretty well.

"Don't like it, pitch better".

In this case: Don't like that the Knights are leaving you behind? Get better. Period. Stop finding things to complain about, and get better. Everywhere you can. This is not your grandpa's or even your father's CHL. No just "waiting for the next cycle". For the have (good) teams, there are no down years or cycles. Only perennial contenders. Everyone else needs to get serious.

As for the comment about losing interest in the Memorial Cup because London has been so good - none of these games really matter. There is only one game that matters, the final. And speaking from experience, you can dominate round robin all you want...crap the bed in the final, and that's the one everyone will remember. No one remembers #2.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

That use to be the case in the OHL, however with the recent draft compensation rules, its silly not for teams to call players bluffs. Flint drafted a non reporting player 3rd overall last year and acquired 8 picks for him, including the 5th overall compensation pick in the following draft. A top 5 pick, 4 second round picks and 3 3rd round picks are more value then any single player, no matter how good said player is.

Bang on (in the OHL).

Ever since the introduction of the compensation package, I have been beating the drums for teams to go BPA and call the player's bluffs. Looks like last year, and even moreso this year, teams are doing just this. Challenging players to go the NCAA route, or taking the spoils from a trade to the players desired destination...or of course, just getting the BPA to report. It's really win-win and I am not sure why there was reluctance to do this once the compensation rule was implemented.

 

[Tigers1992]

Bang on (in the OHL).

Ever since the introduction of the compensation package, I have been beating the drums for teams to go BPA and call the player's bluffs. Looks like last year, and even moreso this year, teams are doing just this. Challenging players to go the NCAA route, or taking the spoils from a trade to the players desired destination...or of course, just getting the BPA to report. It's really win-win and I am not sure why there was reluctance to do this once the compensation rule was implemented.

There was at some point until teams witnessed the rule play out, and the prices became what they became. Its hard for a GM to look at a return of 8 high end assets for a 16 year old, no matter how good that 16 year old is. Now that the ball is rolling, it wont stop, some teams are drafting them just to draft them, with little interest in actually signing them.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

I'm sorry but I'm unsure if I understand. .. in ohl if a kid doesn't report, that team gets a very big draft pick package for compensation?.. I'm just very intrigued by this cause in whl if a kid doesn't report, tjats it.. turns into a waste of a pick

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

So i guess this statement is incorrect?

Nope, I gave you and other posters gave you examples.

Unless every team is playing in the same location and with the same coaches, there will never be an 'equal playing field'. That's life, no different then any other league. No different than the NHL. If that's the issue then fold the CHL now, because we'll never fix that. Your job as an operator is to maximize the value or program and leave no doubt, and failing that, draft US players before London does to ensure that If they do eventually come to the league and won't report, you can force London to trade for them as opposed to getting them for free. Its been a long time coming, but that strategy is starting to take hold in the OHL, more teams are drafting 'non reporting' players ahead of London. Sudbury drafted 2 top 40 rated US players in the recent OHL Draft, more then London did.

The playing field across canada is heavily skewed to the top 10%-20% of each league. If I could blow up the CHL and start over I would. There have already been preliminary discussions between Hockey Canada, The CHL and the NHL in regards to reforms so I have hope that a better league will rise up in the future.

As an example, Tyler Parsons wasn't drafted in back to back years, perhaps a team should have drafted him in the 15th round, where less then 2 percent of the players
ever actually play a single regular season game? Christian Dvorak was an 8th round pick, perhaps someone should have taken him first?

Teams like Kitchener, Niagara, Kingston, Barrie, etc all do the same thing as London does, they just don't do it as well. The best player to 'fall' to a team in the first round of this year's OHL Draft was drafted by Barrie, where's the pitchforks for them?

To be clear I don't think what London does is "wrong". I just think its illogical to have them in league where most of the competition can't compete with them. I'd rather have teams like London play against equals rather than inferior competition. I don't think its worth celebrating when pro level team crushes a weak opponent year after year every year. I don't think it's best for players to return to a league at 18-19 having just missed out on an NHL job and tear up a league for 150 pts in 50 games. It doesn't help the player to stay in the NHL either while getting 8 min an night. Like I said in my 1st post. Top players want to play in the London or Quebec or Portland. Make a league from those teams and let the players go where they want to play and compete against each other.

For as long as the NCAA considered the CHL as a professional league, this issues will happen. But using the draft with a level of intelligence and being strategic with our picks can hurt other teams. You can either complain or do something about it. I get its easier to complain, that's always the easy out, but OHL teams are doing things about it, and its nice to see.



Every league operates within the same limits in regards to education packages. 7 gold packages over 4 years. That's standard, doesn't matter what your income as a team is, that's the rule. There are other creative ways to get players signed, you can structure education packages with 1 or 2 year gaurintees, but everyone is playing under the same rules.

Perhaps London/Quebec can guarantee that 2nd year vs. Sudbury who can't, but Patrick Kane isn't getting a year over year contract, he's getting one of those 7 gold packages.

10 years ago the GM of the Saint John Sea Dogs was begging the league (QMJHL) to create a system where players would have to sign a waiver prior to the entry draft forcing players to choose between NCAA/CHL. In other words, you have to declare yourself eligible for the draft before the draft begins. This is similar to what football players do when they decide to leave NCAA for the NFL. This could easily be done and it would be fair for the entire league as everyone knows the players intentions before drafting them. This also neutralizes the differences between programs. This would stop players from using NCAA as leverage to go to a London or Quebec or Halifax for example. I also suspect this would make many players choose the NCAA over the CHL and that's why the league will never allow it to happen.

You think i'm attacking London. I'm not. I'm frustrated that the CHL chooses to be a mediocre 60 team league rather than 20 or 30 team super awesome league.

 

[Tigers1992]

I'm sorry but I'm unsure if I understand. .. in ohl if a kid doesn't report, that team gets a very big draft pick package for compensation?.. I'm just very intrigued by this cause in whl if a kid doesn't report, tjats it.. turns into a waste of a pick

Correct. If you draft a player, he refuses to report, you can

1. Trade him for picks and acquire a compensation draft pick one slot later the following year
2. Release him and acquire a compensation draft pick one slot later the following year.

2 never happens, 1 does.

Last year the rights to the 3rd overall pick was worth the 5th overall pick in this past draft and 7 other picks, 4 2nd round picks and 3 3rd round picks.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Correct. If you draft a player, he refuses to report, you can

1. Trade him for picks and acquire a compensation draft pick one slot later the following year
2. Release him and acquire a compensation draft pick one slot later the following year.

2 never happens, 1 does.

Last year the rights to the 3rd overall pick was worth the 5th overall pick in this past draft and 7 other picks, 4 2nd round picks and 3 3rd round picks.

One question though... does the team have to drop him off their protected list then? Cause what if he doesn't report and the team gets a compensation package in return but then the kid decides 2 years later after he is drafted to the NHL tjat he wants to play junior?.. are his rights still with that particular team and tjat team was able to basically double dip?

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Oops sorry I didn't read your reply properly... disregard my comment before this

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Wow that's awesome. I am unsure why whl hasn't done that. Like for instance a few years ago Dante Fabbro let the whl know he is most likely going to the NCAA but if tjere was a team he would most likely come to, it's seattle thunderbirds to play with his best friend Mathew barzal. So ofcourse seattle ended up drafting him 8th overall I believe but as we all know he didn't end up reporting and seattle basically got shafted on wasting a real high pick

 

[Sidekick]

Since the compensation thing has been working so well, why don't they they expand it. Why is it just the 1st round?...Why not the first 5 rounds? 10 rounds?...

...as long as a player is kept on the protected list, they have 2 years (3 years?) to report, and if not, then comp pick...I fail to see why this wouldn't work. Some rebutted on another thread that this would make the draft super long, but I disagree, for I mean how often would this come up?..But at least it would allow all the teams to take a chance on the kids that are good, but maybe not 1st round good.

 

[krt88]

Well thanks, this has been a fantastic thread.

Can someone explain to me the gold level package? Never heard of that. I know these guys go to private schools and get sime college level education paid for but what other benefits do they receive?

 

[fanofdo]

I won't get into the allegations of pushing the rules. What I will say is that where London's program is right now is due to the bar being raised first by Plymouth, then by Kitchener, maybe Windsor.

Watching for 20 plus years these teams getting superior talent has been both frustrating and satisfying - the fact is that without these I would not have had the pleasure of watching some fantastic players.

The over whelming fact is that only the top few percentage of players possess the capital to affect where they will play - the rest don't. Those players that want to exercise that ability will in most cases chose the best team....great coaching.....stability.....winning.....playing in front of a consistent 9000+ crowd...etc.

One thing that many people miss is how much more competitive London (Plymouth, Kitchener and Windsor before them) has made the division - they have raised the bar, increased the competition, which in turn improves all the teams.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

I won't get into the allegations of pushing the rules. What I will say is that where London's program is right now is due to the bar being raised first by Plymouth, then by Kitchener, maybe Windsor.

Watching for 20 plus years these teams getting superior talent has been both frustrating and satisfying - the fact is that without these I would not have had the pleasure of watching some fantastic players.

The over whelming fact is that only the top few percentage of players possess the capital to affect where they will play - the rest don't. Those players that want to exercise that ability will in most cases chose the best team....great coaching.....stability.....winning.....playing in front of a consistent 9000+ crowd...etc.

One thing that many people miss is how much more competitive London (Plymouth, Kitchener and Windsor before them) has made the division - they have raised the bar, increased the competition, which in turn improves all the teams.

Ya it definately makes for better competition cause other teams want to beat them. It's like a few years back when Portland was doing the London thing and steam rolling their opponents and rumors were spreading that some major cheating was going on.. opposing teams used that as a measuring stick and alot of teams mimicked their recipe to build. Portland was huge and skilled and beat teams on the scoreboard and physically. I know Seattle changed up their game plan about 5 years ago and decided to get huge and skilled too and it all finally fell into place this season and they beat alot of teams physically and on the score board.

 

[Otto]

I've never been a fan of blaming the success of a particular franchise in any sport on cheating. Instead of pointing fingers and laying blame look at your own organization and determine what they need to do to achieve success. It's like blaming everyone else because you are unemployed.. get out there and do something about it.

Aside from that, there have been enough disgruntled players that have come through London over the years (Akim Aliu & Dane Fox come to mind) don't you think that if there were any shenanigans going on someone would have spilled the beans?

Or is it just one big conspiracy?

 

[newfan]

I hate the London Knights.

I am a Season Seat Holder for the Guelph Storm...divisional rival of the Knights, and geographically, one of their biggest rivals.

That said.....

As much as I hate them, the Knights are good for the OHL and CHL. First, they set a standard for all other organizations to aspire to. No longer can OHL ownership teams or GM's sit idly by twiddling their thumbs. Fans see what is going on, as do other teams, and they are being forced to improve their own programs and adapt in order to keep up.

By recruiting as doggedly as they do, I as a fan am afforded the chance to see some fantastic players I likely wouldn't otherwise see as they end up in the OHL as opposed to the USHL for example. I have heard multiple stories about them contacting draftees DAILY in an effort to convince them to come to the OHL. I know their their management team likely watches more midget games than any other OHL management group. I know that their players are enrolled into a private school that caters to them and their schedules as hockey players. I know they are provided with the best coaching and support staff of likely every other CHL team. As someone else mentioned, they also have alumni who can speak on their behalf, and who will train with them in the summer, not to mention a staff of former NHLers who will help pave one of the more successful paths to pro hockey you can get as a 16-20 year old.

As a parent or as a potential player, why would you not want to play here. I wish the Storm were more professional when it came to all this stuff, and bless them, they are trying. Still, there is much work to be done.

I do wish the rules were different regarding "declaring" for the OHL draft - I would try to come up with a way of making the kids choose ahead of being drafted if they will report, but that argument is for another day.

David Price (pitcher, Boston Red Sox) has a general mantra that sums up my rant pretty well.

"Don't like it, pitch better".

In this case: Don't like that the Knights are leaving you behind? Get better. Period. Stop finding things to complain about, and get better. Everywhere you can. This is not your grandpa's or even your father's CHL. No just "waiting for the next cycle". For the have (good) teams, there are no down years or cycles. Only perennial contenders. Everyone else needs to get serious.

As for the comment about losing interest in the Memorial Cup because London has been so good - none of these games really matter. There is only one game that matters, the final. And speaking from experience, you can dominate round robin all you want...crap the bed in the final, and that's the one everyone will remember. No one remembers #2.

didn't Alexandre Daigle say that?

 

[Tigers1992]

Well thanks, this has been a fantastic thread.

Can someone explain to me the gold level package? Never heard of that. I know these guys go to private schools and get sime college level education paid for but what other benefits do they receive?

I can only speak for the OHL, I don't have a great working knowledge of how the WHL/QMJHL operate, but Im sure that its similar.

Every OHL team is allowed to carry 7 'full ride' Gold Packages. They are full, room and board, book and tuition for 4 years and earned the moment they touch the ice. One game locks in 4 years. Usually a $80,000/$100,000 depending on location (its based off where the kids live). Those are what players like Marner, Tkachuk, etc get. Once they are signed by an NHL team those packages are null and void.

After that there's some discretion as to how the OHL teams will spend their education money, more so in the guaranteed years. You can have a contract that pays you one year for one game or two years for one game. Its all negotiable.

I've never been a fan of blaming the success of a particular franchise in any sport on cheating. Instead of pointing fingers and laying blame look at your own organization and determine what they need to do to achieve success. It's like blaming everyone else because you are unemployed.. get out there and do something about it.

That's been my point. Why do we need to dumb things down, why can't we make everyone else better? When Mark Hunter was with London he outworked every one of his peers. Work ethic is the one thing that you can control. Some GMs prefer to stay home and have dinner with their family, while Mark was out in some random Ontario city. The penalties for that lack of action by the GMs who don't want to work as hard is they won't have as good of a team. Match his work ethic before you complain.

That said, Im not sure that's the case anymore. Basil has other business's that he need to manage so he doesn't go out nearly as much as Mark was. It will be interesting to see if they can continue with their dominance without Mark there.

Aside from that, there have been enough disgruntled players that have come through London over the years (Akim Aliu & Dane Fox come to mind) don't you think that if there were any shenanigans going on someone would have spilled the beans?

What he said. If they are paying certain players under the table and not others, I'm pretty sure those who where not getting anything would be vocal about it once they graduate the league. It doesn't happen for a reason.

 

[Rocko604]

Maybe after these results they will. I cant imagine anyone will bother watching anymore of the memorial cup outside of leaf/london fans.

I certainly have lost all interest. The entire OHL playoffs were aweful, not good for the league.

Whats the point of following any team if you know that London is just paying players and are in a league of their own. No chance to ever win no motivation to follow it.

I could make the same argument for Kelowna, and yet, Kelowna has only one Memorial Cup (that they won as a host) and London now have two. Neither are the Alabama Football team of major junior hockey that we're trying to make them out to be.

 

[thomasincanada]

I could make the same argument for Kelowna, and yet, Kelowna has only one Memorial Cup (that they won as a host) and London now have two. Neither are the Alabama Football team of major junior hockey that we're trying to make them out to be.

Agreed.. with all this dramatic talk about London dominance.. and all the recent Memorial Cup appearances.. we have only won twice.

Clearly the rest of the CHL is still keeping pace. Even yesterday London was outplayed.

 

[Voight]

London is the 13th biggest city in Canada with 333,000 people (2011 census). There is 0 competition in the city for sports so the Knights are essentially an NHL/pro team in that regard. All kinds of money.

Stable ownership/management/coaching helps too.

 

[BadgerBruce]

If you were a parent of child selected in the first few rounds of the most recent 2016 midget priority selection, what questions would you have of the OHL organization that made the pick? Remember, your kid isn't even finished grade 10 yet and you're concerned.

Question: Where will my kid go to school? London's answer: the Blyth Academy, which we co-own and operate. Private school, small classes. Athletes only. Next question?

Question: If my kid eventually wants to attend college or university while still a player on the team, what community options are available? London's answer: University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College. The Knights will even bring in people from those institutions to speak with prospective players and their families.

Question: With whom will my kid billet? London's answer: Nearly the perfect family for your kid. We learn about your kid and then carefully match him with a family. We invite you down to be part of the process of selecting a billet family and even foot the bill for you all to go out to dinner together. No billet family assigned without your approval. We have a waiting list of interested billet families -- these are top notch families.

Question: is the city safe? London's answer: try finding a safer city in the CHL. Beautiful city, low crime. Come and see for yourself.

Question: As a midget AAA player last season, the travel time was really onerous on our son. Sometimes, it seemed like we lived in the car! Will the boy endure this again? London's answer: we are perfectly situated along the major highway in Ontario, and most of our out-of-town trips are less than 2 hours by first-class coach.

Question: if we want to come and watch our boy play, is London easy to get to? London's answer: if you are driving, we are along the 401 highway and easy to get to. if you are flying in, Pearson airport in Toronto is less than 2 hours away.

Question: for the last 8 years, my son has had different coaches and different "hockey philosophies" every year. Will that happen to him over the next 4-5 years here? London's answer: there is not a more stable organization in the CHL. In some organizations, the owners constantly meddle and players suffer. Here, the owners are former NHL players and executives who meddle every single day to provide a thoroughly professional experience for the players.

In short, there are lots of reasons for the Knights' success, but understanding exactly how parents see things and what they want is a huge strength

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

If you were a parent of child selected in the first few rounds of the most recent 2016 midget priority selection, what questions would you have of the OHL organization that made the pick? Remember, your kid isn't even finished grade 10 yet and you're concerned.

Question: Where will my kid go to school? London's answer: the Blyth Academy, which we co-own and operate. Private school, small classes. Athletes only. Next question?

Question: If my kid eventually wants to attend college or university while still a player on the team, what community options are available? London's answer: University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College. The Knights will even bring in people from those institutions to speak with prospective players and their families.

Question: With whom will my kid billet? London's answer: Nearly the perfect family for your kid. We learn about your kid and then carefully match him with a family. We invite you down to be part of the process of selecting a billet family and even foot the bill for you all to go out to dinner together. No billet family assigned without your approval. We have a waiting list of interested billet families -- these are top notch families.

Question: is the city safe? London's answer: try finding a safer city in the CHL. Beautiful city, low crime. Come and see for yourself.

Question: As a midget AAA player last season, the travel time was really onerous on our son. Sometimes, it seemed like we lived in the car! Will the boy endure this again? London's answer: we are perfectly situated along the major highway in Ontario, and most of our out-of-town trips are less than 2 hours by first-class coach.

Question: if we want to come and watch our boy play, is London easy to get to? London's answer: if you are driving, we are along the 401 highway and easy to get to. if you are flying in, Pearson airport in Toronto is less than 2 hours away.

Question: for the last 8 years, my son has had different coaches and different "hockey philosophies" every year. Will that happen to him over the next 4-5 years here? London's answer: there is not a more stable organization in the CHL. In some organizations, the owners constantly meddle and players suffer. Here, the owners are former NHL players and executives who meddle every single day to provide a thoroughly professional experience for the players.

In short, there are lots of reasons for the Knights' success, but understanding exactly how parents see things and what they want is a huge strength

and then the questions once the kid is a bit older

So Boston College, BU, Michigan, ND and every other school wants me to go down on a full ride scholarship and have first class everything.. Why should I forget about that and go to this CHL team?

also,

OK I am currently playing at "NCAA school", why should I leave here and play major junior?

-I can only speak for a certain team in WHL that finally got caught, but the answer to both of those questions was $$$$$$$$$$

it happens everywhere.. heck I know of many guys that got paid under the table to play Junior A haha