|
Post by wade on Dec 3, 2021 19:33:44 GMT -5
Congratulations are once again in order for Senior hockey’s royal family. The Bentley/Lacombe Generals who, as of today, have been the reigning Allan Cup Champions for 966 days.
Although The Army has a seemingly increasingly realistic expectation to be crowned “The Forever Champions” when Allan Cup is respectfully laid to rest…966 days is still about 610 days longer than the previous record.
That is all.
|
|
|
Post by wade on May 21, 2021 14:31:50 GMT -5
The key that I feel kinda ties into our SR AAA situation is that these BC JR to teams have been abiding by rules that they felt are outdated & no longer suitable for what they’re trying to do.
They tried to get an ear ...and how much they were listened to...Idunno.
But I’m not surprised they’ve gone maverick and I’m not gonna be surprised if other situations similar to this happen down the road
|
|
|
Post by wade on Mar 25, 2021 13:16:46 GMT -5
Kinda a JR hockey headline level bit of news breaking today.
But I think it relates to SR AAA (or what’s left of it)
BC’s JR league announced today that they’ve voted to leave the CJHL and operate independently, going forward.
This is a checkpoint in the road toward the breakdown of JR A hockey in Canada. This is (another) key prediction I made a few years ago now...when I was illustrating the who/how and why’s of the breakdown of SR AAA hockey.
It’s also another sad confirmation. One of those times I wish I was wrong...but...nope.
The system is broken at BOTH levels.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Jan 5, 2021 23:08:24 GMT -5
Terrible news. Doug was a wonderfully dedicated volunteer for Allan Cup hockey across Canada for longer than I can remember. Rest In Peace, Doug.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Oct 28, 2020 20:54:50 GMT -5
Can’t imagine anyone in the ACH would be seriously considering AC2021 at this point. Not with a straight look on their face, at least.
And as for long term forecasting....it doesn’t look good at all.
The ACH is the only league in all of Canada that wants anything to do with Allan Cup these days.
I think...if the rules & systems ever get overhauled & prestige restored...it could be possible to market the Allan Cup to prospective people & communities who might come out of the woodwork.
But the model we’ve got...the same model we’ve had since the mid-90’s...doesn’t work. And when I read articles talking about local players/lower budgets trying to stretch it out...it’s beyond clear to me there is no overhaul coming anytime soon.
It’s funny...the biggest crowds ever counted in Stony, Inny, FSJ, Bentley, Rosetown or Horse Lake & go one down the list...the teams had spent $$$ & put tons of recruiting work into it to make it happen. I think...it was worth it. The quality of the hockey was unsurpassed. I saw it with my own two eyes & I highly doubt a cheap knock off will ever have any success
|
|
|
Post by wade on Oct 18, 2020 1:08:43 GMT -5
Prediction:
The Army will patent & administer a vaccine for COVID-19, essentially defeating the pandemic just prior to the February roster cutdown.
They will then sweep Innisfail Eagles in Alberta SR AAA Best of 7 Finals, advance direct to a hybrid Allan Cup tournament where just 4 teams attend. The Army will win 3 round robin games to advance to the 2021 AC FINALS before losing in the finals to a team from Germany...brought to the tournament under a “pandemic provision” qualification format.
The message board will briefly flicker to life for a few evenings in April when I try to dissect whether or not Germany was truly a legitimate competitor and some nameless cyber-sniper will insist The Gens deserved to lose because they were paying their goalie $250 per game and the Corona vaccine “tasted a bit coppery”
|
|
|
Post by wade on Oct 15, 2020 17:20:35 GMT -5
Disappointing but expected...The biggest Senior Hockey League in Alberta made the announcement today...they won’t be playing hockey in the North Central League this winter. Too many on-going limitations on attendance, too much still unknown about if/when those restrictions could be lifted & certainly not any extra cash floating around to offset any MORE revenue shortages.
Our JR leagues are attempting to carry on with a very limited schedule and the few other remaining SR Leagues have yet to clarify what they’ve got planned for the next few months but I highly doubt there is much interest in making a serious commitment to playing a formal skeddy at this point.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Mar 27, 2020 21:37:27 GMT -5
I’m not gonna quote MLH’s post. It’s redundant. Basically the same post has been made every off season since forever.
And I’m not gonna argue with him.
Here is the reality: Ontario is the only place in Canada with a league where the focus is on the Allan Cup and last season the total amount of SR AAA teams in Canada hit an all time low.
I don’t know if it’s mathematically possible for it to get worse. And...no...actually I didn’t lose interest AFTER The Army retired. I was done a couple years prior. 2017 was pretty much the point where I looked around & realized it wasn’t interesting anymore. More BULLSHIT than BITE is what was happening.
Corporate sponsorship for Allan Cup ain’t gonna happen. Hockey Canada has its partnership. It’s a contract and Allan Cup is not why they’re invested. We’ve learned this. Like I said....redundant.
And the point isn’t that there’s “ebbs & flows”. The point is that the ebbing overpowered the flowing. And it always will when your dealing with an enterprise that LOSES MONEY.
Its a money pit!! Always has been. But eventually people stop incoming to fill the pit. And that’s where we’re at right now.
And if you think the economy can ever again consistently support THIS money pit at the level it did...you’re a fool.
If you really wanna save something...turn your focus to JR hockey. Because that’s next to go. It won’t happen nearly as fast as SR AAA. But the slow drain is gonna start in the smallest JR venues and slowly work its way to the mid size operators. Soon...the leagues will be urbanized. Cost effective. But nothing like what it is now.
SR AAA never had that flexibility. So, we’re done.
One league in Ontario...isn’t a national competition. Nobody is fooled.
Well....almost nobody haha
|
|
|
Post by wade on Mar 17, 2020 15:42:07 GMT -5
Ontario is making strides to be viable again. If other provinces want to get on board that is fine, but not required. It has to start with one strong centre and build from there. If they get to 8 teams that will be progressing in the right direction. I'm not so sure this will make a difference...we have gone down this road many times. There have been upwards of that many teams in the past & they are all gone. Petrolia, Tillsonburg, Orillia, Windsor, Welland, Aylmer, Cambridge...then you had the teams in the EOSHL (Marmora, Frankford, Norwood, Kingston) of which only 1 survived and is essentially on life support...Whitby. I hope i'm wrong but... Agreed. Ontario has already tried marrying leagues in the past. It propped up some brief excitement but within a few years teams were dropping like flies. Again.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Mar 13, 2020 12:40:03 GMT -5
I understand the reluctance in letting it die but honestly at this point put the paddles away and take it off life support. We’be all had the privilege of watching great hockey over the years but this just isn’t working anymore. Even if it had gone ahead this year I suspect the whole thing was gonna be a pretty watered down version of what we’ve seen in the past as far as quality of hockey. There were so many incredible moments during over the past ...20-Ish...years.... I wasn’t around in the 50’s or the 60’s but I agree...I’m fortunate to have been here...obsessively present....for this last great breath taken in Allan Cup Hockey across Canada. To pretend we’re not dealing with a dead body at this time...is only tarnishing what we had when this thing was so red hot & alive. We all know the real reason behind continued contesting...sure there is a flicker of hope something will drastically happen & things will improve...but...really...today’s SR AAA registrants are trying to sneak a leftover spot in a line of true legends. And it shouldn’t be allowed.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Mar 12, 2020 15:53:57 GMT -5
Naive to think Allan Cup week is far enough away that this situation will be under control by then. It probably won’t even be peaking by then. Unfortunately, it will (by then) have basically seized control of medical infrastructure as well as much urban logistical systems.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Mar 12, 2020 15:44:34 GMT -5
Stony Plain & Inny are certainly not trying to save SR AAA hockey in Alberta. They’re both determined to pretend it’s not already dead for the sake of a steeply rebated opportunity to win what has become the weakest Allan Cup ever awarded.
And as I say that...I also have to add...seems absolutely absurd to expect to operate this tournament in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
I fully expect a complete cancellation of the tournament given the expected trajectory of this situation.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Feb 20, 2020 0:01:21 GMT -5
No Idea I would assume someone high up in Hockey Canada It was the provincial Senior Chairs that were disbanded The teams basically get together and throw suggestions into an old milk pail and slosh it around with some slough water, pour it on the ground & whatever papers are floating face-up in the puddle...that’s what they go with. Good system if you don’t mind getting your feet wet.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Oct 14, 2019 18:32:00 GMT -5
Is there any chance the Gennies come back if the format changes?? Wade?? Format change would maybe be ONE item on a long list of improvements that are needed. There is no point in coming back to play against 2-3 other teams in all of Western Canada. There is no prestige or legitimacy to entice them back, regardless of format changes.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Sept 30, 2019 18:56:57 GMT -5
Chuck was an amazing fan. Iconic around the Allan Cup tournament and we were lucky to have had him as a supporter and a friend. He shall Rest In Peace.
|
|