Will there be a Maritimes league?

[BigFatCat999]

I look at the CHL and I'm curious, will there ever be enough teams in the Q to split the Q into a Q league and a Maritimes league? You would think there would be enough owners and demand.

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[spitshockey81]

re

I don't know why it would be done, there would be enough markets for a small league, 8 I can think of if expanded into Frederiction, Summerside and Bathurst, and remaining strictly Canadian, ruling out St. John's d/t AHL being there. I think it'd be weak, what would be the point other than reduced travel?

 

[spitshockey81]

...and Corner Brook, I forgot about them having a decent arena though small.

 

[Taoiseach]

I don't know why it would be done, there would be enough markets for a small league, 8 I can think of if expanded into Frederiction, Summerside and Bathurst, and remaining strictly Canadian, ruling out St. John's d/t AHL being there. I think it'd be weak, what would be the point other than reduced travel?

There is a team in Bathurst.

 

[StrBender]

Don't forget that there's also a Jr A League already playing in the Maritime's. I don't know if there would be enough fans to support it.

 

[Taoiseach]

Don't forget that there's also a Jr A League already playing in the Maritime's. I don't know if there would be enough fans to support it.

Well, if you're going to make this work, I think you'd have to look at promoting some of the better Jr A teams in big-ish markets with halfway decent arenas into the hypothetical new MMJHL. Truro, for instance, should seriously be considered as a potential team.

 

[Trevor3]

...and Corner Brook, I forgot about them having a decent arena though small.

The Pepsi Centre in Corner Brook has a total capacity of 3921, with 3171 seated. However, it's kind of a sad hockey town recently. Their junior B team moved last season and then folded, and this season their senior team, active since 1935, moved to Deer Lake (population 4500) because of poor attendance over the past several years. The team is now said to be eyeing a possible move to Stephenville for next year after fans failed to turn up as expected.

For those curious, senior hockey ticket prices are comparable with the Q, around $12-$15 for the regular season and up to $20-$25 in the playoffs and finals.

 

[brec7]

I DOUBT you'd ever see this happen.... a lot would have to occur for it to work.

I think it would be a long shot possibility if the AHL ever outgrows New England... then you could have a New England/Atlantic Canada league. Even still, the amount of teams in that league and the newly reduced Quebec league would be much smaller than the "W" or "O".

 

[Harbourmouth]

I highly doubt it, but as a fan of Maritime Hockey, I sure hope so. Just like anything that originates, the QMJHL is corrupt garbage. From ridiculous rental trades to beef up Memorial contenders, to stealing other coaches/GM under contract, to ridiculous suspensions to pander to the socialist mentality in Quebec, the QMJHL is a joke.

Just look at the current playoff series between Moncton and Victoriaville. If one of those players throws a big hit, they'll get suspended. But the coach of Victoriaville can go on a slanderous rant accusing the opposition of head hunting, insulting the quality of reffing outside of Quebec, and suggesting a Quebec team is at a disadvantage playing outside of Quebec. Any other league, that's grounds for a ten game suspension and a massive fine to the team (would not be tolerated in the OHL or WHL). Not so much as a peep in the QMJHL and the idiot is still behind the bench.

 

[Sidekick]

I can't see another/separate league forming in the Maritimes..there simply are not enough viable markets. The Q already struggles to have 18 financially sound franchises.

I think if there is ever to be a 4th league, it will have to come from a split of the Dub. A Pacific league ( BC/Wash/Ore ) league, and an Prairie league (AB/SK/MB, maybe Montana?)

Feasible West Coast markets still exist in Penticton, Chilliwack, Nanaimo (if new arena), Wenatchee (check their Tier 2 Jr. A attendance), Abbotsford ( if the AHL finally realizes its travel challenges). And Yakima, Salem, Eugene, Tacoma are all possibles..

Future Prairie markets include Fort McMurray (a new arena has to happen sometime in this rapidly growing city), Winnipeg, Grande Prairie, Camrose (their success at Tier 2, and beautiful arena warrant at least consideration). Also, Great Falls, Billings could be included in any discussion. Maybe even a Fargo (geographic outlier in the USHL) or even Thunder Bay (...maybe...doubtful)

 

[Taoiseach]

I highly doubt it, but as a fan of Maritime Hockey, I sure hope so. Just like anything that originates, the QMJHL is corrupt garbage. From ridiculous rental trades to beef up Memorial contenders, to stealing other coaches/GM under contract, to ridiculous suspensions to pander to the socialist mentality in Quebec, the QMJHL is a joke.

Just look at the current playoff series between Moncton and Victoriaville. If one of those players throws a big hit, they'll get suspended. But the coach of Victoriaville can go on a slanderous rant accusing the opposition of head hunting, insulting the quality of reffing outside of Quebec, and suggesting a Quebec team is at a disadvantage playing outside of Quebec. Any other league, that's grounds for a ten game suspension and a massive fine to the team (would not be tolerated in the OHL or WHL). Not so much as a peep in the QMJHL and the idiot is still behind the bench.

Oh, is this this year's 'The QMJHL is biassed against the Maritimes because we've only hosted 1/3 of the league's Memorial Cups' ?

 

[Flyers12]

We will never see a Maritime league just because the Maritimes doesn't products a great number of players.

Less than 70 players played in the Q these season.

How do you can make a competitive league with a limited of good junior major players?

Fredericton can't have a team because the owner of the arena is UNB Varsity Red!

The PEI can't support two teams.

Newfoundland, the problem is the transport. Ferry and plane cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

Q

I can't see it happening and I think most fans are o.k. With the Q name.
The only 2 spots that the Q can go in the maritimes would be Fredericton and Summerside. Summerside isn't happening as long as Charlottetown has a team.
Fredericton won't happen unless some owner comes in and builds an arena. UNB owns the only arena that could support it. Two brand new facilities are too small, 1,500 seats with standing room, 2,000 max.
Newfoundland?

 

[Taoiseach]

Newfoundland, the problem is the transport. Ferry and plane cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Exactly. And if they ever do build a bridge and make good on their promise to finish the 138 for Québec, it would still probably be a 24 hour drive just to Baie-Comeau. You might as well put a team in Sept-Îles! And that doesn't change the fact that we're talking about putting them in their own league with the Maritime teams, so there's really no way around paying for a ferry/plane to get teams to and from NL.

 

[Trevor3]

Exactly. And if they ever do build a bridge and make good on their promise to finish the 138 for Québec, it would still probably be a 24 hour drive just to Baie-Comeau. You might as well put a team in Sept-Îles! And that doesn't change the fact that we're talking about putting them in their own league with the Maritime teams, so there's really no way around paying for a ferry/plane to get teams to and from NL.

Any team that would exist in Newfoundland would have to subsidize the travel of teams coming in, just as the Fog Devils did. However, that cost could be halved by putting two teams on the island, and that is the only way it will ever work. For example, St. John's pays for a team to travel to the island, and Corner Brook pays their way back with the travelling team funding their own travel across the island and playing both teams on a trip, much like NHL teams almost always play both Florida clubs when they swing through the state.

In terms of cost, assuming a team takes 25 individuals on the road plus a bus, the cost of the ferry crossing is about $1300.

The issue right now is that there are only two rinks capable of hosting the Q in the province and the AHL IceCaps have sold out every game for the last 2 years at Mile One, so they aren't going anywhere. Conception Bay South, the province's second largest city is building a new rink but it will only hold 1,000 people so it's way undersized. The only building capable of it is in Corner Brook.

 

[TheQNews]

This wll never happen! Not enough mid-sized cities to make it competitive. Acadie-Bathursts and Cape Breton are rumoured to move out of town. Promoting a Jr. A team wouldn't make sense as it would kill the MHL. There's just not enough financial backing.

 

[HamDangled]

Maybe look into the AUS division of CIS hockey? I know it's not junior hockey, but a ot of the guys have played junior throughout the CHL and unfortunately that may be as close as you'll get to what you're looking for. Plus the two teams who competed for the CIS title were both from AUS, very strong competition coming out of there and the hockey isn't terrible.

 

[JoeyBeans]

Cant count out Yarmouth, Bridgewater, and or <Liverpool brand new arena with brand new hotel next door> and Im sure the NFLD ferry is cheaper then going from Halifax to Rouyn Noranda.

 

[Alpine]

There's a Maritimes Division.
70 players in the Q which is about 65 more than before the Q'a moved east.
PEI and Bathurst just came up with local groups to pay 3 and a half million $ or there abouts to keep the teams.
Name every town you want but unless someone has 4 million $ plus operating cash and a 3500-4000 seat arena?
The Q has been good for player development. MHL has it's market and AUS has good support.
To think this all started with AHL developing hockey as a spectator sport in the region.
Yeah many amateur leagues and a long history but the AHL taught us how to do things and the Q carried on and it has filtered down. Still growing still getting stronger
There'll be hiccups but compare hockey in the Maritimes now to 1970.
So no there'll be no Maritime/Atlantic Major Jr League or a return to AHL in the Maritimes (we know the difference between Maritime and Atlantic )
But the Q is doing okay, the MHL is awright and AUS is doing fine and Ice Caps bring in the Atlantic part

 

[Raimu]

Yea I wouldn't want to see that either. Especially since the draft would be watered down even further, allowing us only to pick players (assumedly) from New Foundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and leaving Quebec only Quebec... and then how would you handle the already minisucule area the Q has for drafting americans? Who gets New England? This doesn't sound like a good idea