OHL team sues U of Michigan student newspaper

The same type of people who say players are given $200,000 dels are thevsame type who say high school players are offered big money to transfer to another school.

 

Also, they may choose the CHL over the NCAA because they have no choice - they aren't academically eligible or have been denied admission. (see: Yandle, Keith)

 

Players that have been drafted are strongly encouraged by that team to leave college and play Major Junior hockey.

 

Demanding...ONE MILLION DOLLARS

http://therecord.blogs.com/rangers_report/2012/07/rangers-seek-1m-in-damages.html

 

It's not always a given that NHL teams will tell that player to blow off college for Major Jr., particularly if that player's a project. We had a guy who is committed to come to the D1 program here get picked by the Oilers, who said they were OK with him playing here and recommended that whatever his decision, he stick with it. The WHL team with his rights has been bending his ear a lot, but he seems to be academically inclined and will probably be here for some time.

The big problem with the Major Junior/college divide right now is it's a 1-way street, which really isn't fair, but isn't going to change any time soon. I can change my mind and play OHL if I don't like my coach, going to class or feel I'm getting insufficient ice time. But if I go OHL and don't like it, I'm basically screwed. Local college team had a player lose an entire year of eligibility for appearing in one game in the Q as a 17-year-old.

 

CHL teams will offer education packages to players, I think based on where they were drafted. I don't know the ins and outs. All I'm clear on is that the package is available to them as long as they don't sign a pro contract.

A lot of guys end up attending university in the Canadian Maritimes and playing hockey at that level. Joel Ward played four years in the OHL with Owen Sound and then went to the University of Prince Edward Island on their dime before finally finding his way to pro hockey and, eventually, the NHL.

 

... which is why the Junior A/USHL/NCAA route isn't too bad.

I've seen a couple of occasions where a guy played in the USHL (which is a solid league, not CHL caliber, but still very solid), went to college, had a conflict and spent his transfer year in the USHL, then went back to continue the college career elsewhere.

But with the CHL, there's really no other option, unless you want to come back to the States and play in the USHL.

 

The other option up here is tier II junior or junior A which is probably closer to the USHL than the USHL is to the CHL. And many players will go that route. They can still wind up at a Canadian university or college on a scholarship.

 

I suspect that as soon as Carrick's rights were traded from Guelph to Plymouth that Red Berenson and his staff knew he was a goner. And you're right, when Kitchener - or London or Windsor or Plymouth - takes a kid like Trouba there will always be plenty of discussion about which route they will take. If he had been drafted by Belleville, Sault Ste. Marie or Kingston this is a complete non issue.

As for the Kitchener Bahamas trip I don;t know the answer but I'd imagine it was paid for through the proceeds from the Memorial Cup. Everybody knew about it, it isn't like they were hiding it. The London Knights did the same thing in 2005.

 

You can still play CIS hockey if you play in the CHL. I believe that for each year you play you recieve a years paid tuition. Kids are treated much better these days in Junior than they were years ago. I still would be reluctant to send my kid the Major Junior route unless it was the right organization.

 

JC, I worked in the O for 10 years and agree. There are some places you want to steer clear of.

Our contracts were always structured the same: you got a year of schooling for playing one game, exhibition or regular season. In the old days you just gave the kid an arbitrary number, could be as high as 15 or 20K a year for a first rounder or major US import to as little as 2 or 3 K for a late-round pick or walk on.

Before the OHL outlawed it some teams would structure a kid's contract so that he only got his education money if he was on the roster as of Oct. 10 and ion many cases would get rid of a kid a day or two before that knowing it would be tough for him to land somewhere else in before Oct. 10 order to get his money.

A few years back the OHL changed it so you had to give the kid his money based on the tuition and books costs of the university closest to his home. You can give a kid tuition, books, room and board but you are only limited to four "full rides" on your roster.

 

Thanks for the info Huggy. I guess as a Father you would really have to do your research as to where you would allow your son to play. These kids are being drafted as 15 year olds. Like hell I'm sending my 16 year old to play in some of these organizations in junior hockey. I know it is a hell of a lot better now than it was when I was growing up but the old Major Junior way left a lot of broken down young men.