2008 Born for the 2024 OHL Draft

TcNorth

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Jan 25, 2015
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Sorry if already posted, but Colin Fitzgerald of the Peterborough Jr. Petes had signed a tender with Green Bay of the USHL
 

digicamo

Registered User
Mar 31, 2023
58
106
We should want more talent to play in this league- both smaller markets and larger markets. Having more talent across the league would be more beneficial for the league overall. The fact more players are going to the states and bchl should be rasing red flags for the chl
I'm sure red flags have been raised especially after this week. What I don't understand is players refusing to play for small-market teams that have a good reputation, just to go to smaller-market teams with lower attendance in the USHL. Unless they're paying high-school-aged kids great salaries, it's a bit of a head-scratcher to me.

Chicago, Madison, and Youngstown are examples of teams that have tendered prospective OHL talent and although Chicago is a big city, the Steel average 1,000 fewer fans than the Steelheads, who are the lowest-attended OHL team by quite a bit and they're located a similar distance from the downtown hub of Toronto as the Steel is from Chicago. Green Bay is the exception attendance-wise, they would rank 15th in OHL attendance but they play out of a smaller city than Owen Sound.

The USHL is a good league hockey-wise, and I know they're only there for a few years until they can hopefully crack an NCAA roster, but the whole rationale around not wanting to go to our smaller markets just doesn't make sense to me. Peterborough for example will be an absolute force in a few seasons, who wouldn't want to be a part of that and play in a decent smaller city? Sure, the facilities are outdated as mentioned by someone earlier here but you can't tell me all of these USHL teams in the middle of nowhere have NHL-level amenities as well?
 
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Section7fan

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Feb 12, 2018
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The OHL has to come to some sort of decision on prospects refusing to report if teams draft them. Good on the players for having options. Nothing wrong with this. The issue is every year there are some of the same teams finishing at the bottom of the standings. These teams never improve. The lottery is set up so that these teams start to become more competitive. If the franchise isn't managed properly the parents of these said kids don't want them in that particular city. They let them know not to draft their son. Maybe the OHL should have some sort of document the players eligible sign coming up to the draft that states they can't come back into this league. They should do something to cover their ass if all the top players are going south. Otherwise this becomes glorified Jr. B.
I wouldn’t really says it’s always the same teams every year other than maybe Niagara. Sarnia, Windsor, Peterborough and Barrie were all top teams last year.
 
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Wolfman Jack

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Jan 19, 2009
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The OHL has to come to some sort of decision on prospects refusing to report if teams draft them. Good on the players for having options. Nothing wrong with this. The issue is every year there are some of the same teams finishing at the bottom of the standings. These teams never improve. The lottery is set up so that these teams start to become more competitive. If the franchise isn't managed properly the parents of these said kids don't want them in that particular city. They let them know not to draft their son. Maybe the OHL should have some sort of document the players eligible sign coming up to the draft that states they can't come back into this league. They should do something to cover their ass if all the top players are going south. Otherwise this becomes glorified Jr. B.
The league should do what the NCAA does. You commit to the draft or not by a certain date. Otherwise no team can select you.

WJ

BCHL just expanded for next season with the defection of 5 or 6 (I think 6) teams from the AJHL in Alberta. They formed an Alberta division within BCHL as I understand for the sole purpose of escaping the import restrictions of the AJHL so that they could recruit more players from out of Province. So there will be more competition for top Ontario talent in the future.
Parents from Ontario let their 16 year old venture out to a province a 5 hour flight away. I say let them then. Have fun paying to visit your 16 year old kid.

WJ
 

Mcnotloilersfan

I'm here, I'm bored
Jul 11, 2010
11,100
5,172
Niagara
The league should do what the NCAA does. You commit to the draft or not by a certain date. Otherwise no team can select you.

WJ
I think most of us wish this was the case. However... the league would rather the current system of players messing with teams and still going to the O, than being scared out of the O all together.

Curious how many of these guys actually report to the OHL. I've never seen a year like this before. Kinda makes the draft lottery pointless. I feel like if draft were in order by standings, the only change we might be seeing tonight is Di Lorio to the Petes.
 
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bobber

Registered User
Jan 21, 2013
8,988
7,102
Kitchener Ontario
We should want more talent to play in this league- both smaller markets and larger markets. Having more talent across the league would be more beneficial for the league overall. The fact more players are going to the states and bchl should be rasing red flags for the chl
This is the idea of putting the lottery in place. In a league where teams need to rebuild when they start to age out and rebuild its a good thing. Doesn't always mean it will work the way it's suppose to if highly ranked players won't report.
It is what it is.
 

digicamo

Registered User
Mar 31, 2023
58
106
The league should do what the NCAA does. You commit to the draft or not by a certain date. Otherwise no team can select you.

WJ


Parents from Ontario let their 16 year old venture out to a province a 5 hour flight away. I say let them then. Have fun paying to visit your 16 year old kid.

WJ
The hard part here is what happens if you don't declare? Can you just sign with whomever you prefer? Unfortunately, like every league in hockey and sports in general, some teams are preferred destinations by a large percentage of players based on their history of development. If you don't declare and you can just sign as a free agent some teams would get top talent every year regardless of what position they finished at in the league.

If you cap the amount of signings, that could work and this would be similar to the tender process mentioned earlier.
 

stickhandle

Registered User
Jul 4, 2007
357
89
The OHL has to come to some sort of decision on prospects refusing to report if teams draft them. Good on the players for having options. Nothing wrong with this. The issue is every year there are some of the same teams finishing at the bottom of the standings. These teams never improve. The lottery is set up so that these teams start to become more competitive. If the franchise isn't managed properly the parents of these said kids don't want them in that particular city. They let them know not to draft their son. Maybe the OHL should have some sort of document the players eligible sign coming up to the draft that states they can't come back into this league. They should do something to cover their ass if all the top players are going south. Otherwise this becomes glorified Jr. B.
rich from rangers fan
 

Wolfman Jack

Registered User
Jan 19, 2009
3,264
2,503
I'm sure red flags have been raised especially after this week. What I don't understand is players refusing to play for small-market teams that have a good reputation, just to go to smaller-market teams with lower attendance in the USHL. Unless they're paying high-school-aged kids great salaries, it's a bit of a head-scratcher to me.

Chicago, Madison, and Youngstown are examples of teams that have tendered prospective OHL talent and although Chicago is a big city, the Steel average 1,000 fewer fans than the Steelheads, who are the lowest-attended OHL team by quite a bit and they're located a similar distance from the downtown hub of Toronto as the Steel is from Chicago. Green Bay is the exception attendance-wise, they would rank 15th in OHL attendance but they play out of a smaller city than Owen Sound.

The USHL is a good league hockey-wise, and I know they're only there for a few years until they can hopefully crack an NCAA roster, but the whole rationale around not wanting to go to our smaller markets just doesn't make sense to me. Peterborough for example will be an absolute force in a few seasons, who wouldn't want to be a part of that and play in a decent smaller city? Sure, the facilities are outdated as mentioned by someone earlier here but you can't tell me all of these USHL teams in the middle of nowhere have NHL-level amenities as well?
Branch did nothing to curtail this manipulation of the draft for years. Now that he is on his way out hopefully and new commissioner will put in place some solid rules pertaining to the draft.

But in all honesty this opens the door to players to get a chance that normally wouldn't and might surprise us with being late bloomers. Also players who were drafted in previous drafts might have more chances at making a club as well. Let the spoiled/selfish families play 24 games a year in the NCAA or out west or the USHL. Distance is a factor for families when it comes to letting your 16 year leave the den. A league with the Soo, Sudbury and North Bay along with Flint, Saginaw and Erie are your furthest teams. A parent can plan to watch their kid all season. Not so much if they are out west.

WJ

The hard part here is what happens if you don't declare? Can you just sign with whomever you prefer? Unfortunately, like every league in hockey and sports in general, some teams are preferred destinations by a large percentage of players based on their history of development. If you don't declare and you can just sign as a free agent some teams would get top talent every year regardless of what position they finished at in the league.

If you cap the amount of signings, that could work and this would be similar to the tender process mentioned earlier.
No the first few years might hurt the league but eventually sticking to your guns will make for a better operated league. The game playing needs to stop.

WJ
 

Bardown99

Registered User
Jan 20, 2024
26
22
I thought USA hockey was producing and developing hockey players at greater rate for the past half decade and that they are passing everyone, especially Canada or globally? So much movement to fill those US teams/schools is kind of putting ANY arguement to rest what country still churns them out the most.. still...
 

frontsfan67

Registered User
Dec 3, 2022
1,603
727
Caleb Malholtra to the fronts. What are the fronts getting with this guy? What’s his OHL comparison?
 

djscooter

Registered User
Apr 19, 2005
3,060
3,065
They really need to get Stewart off the broadcast, I swear he's described every single player drafted so far as "he plays the game the right way". Expert analysis.
 
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