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LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

islander98 said:
I think that there is a change in perspective for many Canadian kids. While the top tier prospects at 15 or 16 still look to play major junior, even some of them give serious thought to keeping their NCAA eligibility and play Junior A. Most of the kids that have any educational aspirations, and are middle 6 players, only consider Junior A in Canada. Some will think about the USHL or the NAHL, but most consider Junior A in Canada as a better choice. Quality free to play hockey close to home and with their buddies. Having made a few sweeping generalizations, I think there is a danger in making sweeping generalizations. A prudent coach scouting for Div 1 should look at all leagues of Junior A in Canada. While some of the D1 programs recruit straight out of Bantam or Midget, more and more of those programs are recruiting older kids playing Junior A. The risk is much less because it is a huge jump from playing midget hockey, at any level, to playing D1. The jump from Junior A is much less intimidating.

I guess this is a very circuitous way of saying that I don't think that the D1 teams are competing with major junior in Canada. They are 2 completely different paths attracting different kids.
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I don't think D1 coaches are totally ignoring the NOJHL (or the SIJHL for that matter). If there's a kid playing there that is talented enough to play D1 hockey, word will get out and some D1 coach is going to find him. But as jnaac says, there are few players in the NOJHL (and SIJHL) that have the talent to play D1 hockey. Occasionally there will be one or two, but not often. Most D1 coaches aren't going to spend much if any time scouting the NOJHL or SIJHL because there's not much bang for the travel buck doing so.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Bill said:
I don't think D1 coaches are totally ignoring the NOJHL (or the SIJHL for that matter). If there's a kid playing there that is talented enough to play D1 hockey, word will get out and some D1 coach is going to find him. But as jnaac says, there are few players in the NOJHL (and SIJHL) that have the talent to play D1 hockey. Occasionally there will be one or two, but not often. Most D1 coaches aren't going to spend much if any time scouting the NOJHL or SIJHL because there's not much bang for the travel buck doing so.
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Exactly right. The Lakers have a limited budget and have to use their resources efficiently as possible. Having both the Eagles and Thunderbirds in their back yard helps and believe me that if there are players capable and interested in playing D-1 hockey, the Lakers would be on them.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

jnacc said:
An offensive leader on his team as an 18 year old which is nice to see. Good pick up late in the year for the Laker staff!
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Sounds like he will play one more season at Nanaimo and then join the Lakers for 2020-21. We will have 5 senior forwards this coming season that will need to be replaced in 2020-21.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Podcast of the June edition of the Laker Hockey Talk show is up at the LSSU Hockey site.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

It looks like the Penguins have resigned both Zach Trotman and Kevin Czuczman. Both are two year, two way deals, with their contracts being worth $700k in the NHL.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Bill said:
Big conference realignment news today. Basically a new 7 team conference composed of the current WCHA schools minus the 2 Alaska schools and UAH. Likely they would want to go 8 teams at some point.

https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2019/6/28/ice-hockey-statement-regarding-hockey-league-affiliation.aspx
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Had to think this was an eventuality. How long can we and others in the WCHA afford the travel and costs associated with playing the Alaska schools and Alabama?
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

jnacc said:
Had to think this was an eventuality. How long can we and others in the WCHA afford the travel and costs associated with playing the Alaska schools and Alabama?
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Yeah, although I would like to see them let UAH into the proposed new conference. It's a long trip but at least it's doable by bus and they are more compatible time zone wise than the Alaska schools.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

I think it is a good plan . Maybe Miami of Ohio will become the 8th team.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

sm2pk said:
I think it is a good plan . Maybe Miami of Ohio will become the 8th team.
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I don't know the specifics, but the cost to exit the NCHC is supposed to be very high. That might give Miami, or WMU for that matter, cause to think twice about leaving the NCHC for a new conference.

Some people think Arizona State might be the 8th team, but that would mean another long trip, by air, and that's what the 7 teams planning to leave the WCHA are trying to get away from. I can only see Arizona State as the 8th team if the Big Ten and NCHC won't take them, and even then I think it would only be a temporary move for Arizona State. I think they will wind up in the Big Ten or NCHC sooner or later, or maybe even a west coast conference if enough Div 1 schools ever start hockey out there. In terms of being a big school with lots of money, the Big Ten is the most logical spot for them. Geographically, they match up best with the NCHC.

UAH may still have a shot at being the 8th team, or if not them, maybe one (or more) teams from Atlantic Hockey. But adding team(s) from Atlantic Hockey also makes for long trips for some of the 7 schools.
 
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Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Miami has had only one winning season in the NCHC and pretty much has been at the bottom since they joined the league. They have fired their long standing coach and they are the furthest east in the league. We always thought even after the formation of the new WCHA that their would be a push to put the league back to a more central league due to how much the cost of travel would drive playing hockey up. I think Miami's fate will be decided on the money issue just as it seems it has for the seven teams pulling out of the WCHA . The bottom line is always the same no matter what school you are and that bottom line is called money .
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

jnacc said:
Had to think this was an eventuality. How long can we and others in the WCHA afford the travel and costs associated with playing the Alaska schools and Alabama?
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I'd like someone to tell me exactly how much it costs lower 48 schools to travel to Alaska, when the Alaska schools are footing around $20,000 of the cost for each team that comes up here. It's got to be pretty negligible.
 
Suze said:
I'd like someone to tell me exactly how much it costs lower 48 schools to travel to Alaska, when the Alaska schools are footing around $20,000 of the cost for each team that comes up here. It's got to be pretty negligible.
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The costs can vary greatly by school. Minnesota State flying out of MSP is far less expensive than NMU flying from Marquette or leaving a day earlier, making the 8 hour bus trip to Minnesota. I know that my Fairbanks ticket for this coming January cost $923 plus it’ll be another $140 round trip for baggage. And if you multiply that by 28 players and staff, then add the cost of transportation of equipment, and the much higher meal costs in Alaska, generally, the stipends paid by the Alaska schools still leave the visiting teams with greater expenses than a trip to Bemidji or Ferris State.
 
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Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

davyd83 said:
The costs can vary greatly by school. Minnesota State flying out of MSP is far less expensive than NMU flying from Marquette or leaving a day earlier, making the 8 hour bus trip to Minnesota. I know that my Fairbanks ticket for January was over $900 plus it’ll be $140 for baggage. No hockey equipment included. Last I heard, Anchorage paid either $15 or $18,000 and Fairbanks was $18-20,000. Plus hotels. In Anchorage, it’s the Cook or Hampton. In Fairbanks, the LaQuinta out by the airport which has nothing else but the airport nearby.
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I am sure that the costs are more than the subsidy they receive. I understand that the travel is tiring and that making this trip is difficult. But these student athletes are still young and many of them have spent hours and hours traveling on buses throughout their junior careers. And what will they encounter when they go on to play in the AHL or the ECHL? This is difficult but not horrendous. It is surmountable. The burden is greatest o the two Alaska teams. And they didn't appear to be complaining?
 
woodenskates said:
I am sure that the costs are more than the subsidy they receive. I understand that the travel is tiring and that making this trip is difficult. But these student athletes are still young and many of them have spent hours and hours traveling on buses throughout their junior careers. And what will they encounter when they go on to play in the AHL or the ECHL? This is difficult but not horrendous. It is surmountable. The burden is greatest o the two Alaska teams. And they didn't appear to be complaining?
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I spent years working the ECHL & WPHL. Never had a 19+ hour travel day. Generally, it was 5-7 bus hours. AHL travel isn’t bad at all, especially for the teams in the northeast & Midwest. Had I taken the one day trip to Fairbanks, I’d leave my house at 6 am to get to the airport and check into my hotel room around 3 am ET. And you’re absolutely right. I don’t know how the Alaska players get through it. The fatigue of the course of the season must be incredible. I don’t envy them at all.
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

davyd83 said:
The costs can vary greatly by school. Minnesota State flying out of MSP is far less expensive than NMU flying from Marquette or leaving a day earlier, making the 8 hour bus trip to Minnesota. I know that my Fairbanks ticket for this coming January cost $923 plus it’ll be another $140 round trip for baggage. And if you multiply that by 28 players and staff, then add the cost of transportation of equipment, and the much higher meal costs in Alaska, generally, the stipends paid by the Alaska schools still leave the visiting teams with greater expenses than a trip to Bemidji or Ferris State.
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Have you seen an actual accounting of one of NMU trips north? So you believe the "unsubsidized" cost of a trip to Alaska is much greater than the cost of a trip to say MSU or BGSU?
 
Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

woodenskates said:
I am sure that the costs are more than the subsidy they receive.
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The intent isn't to cover 100% of the costs, but that net costs to a traveling team are similar to what they would pay to travel to other teams in the conference.
 
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