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Post by mlh01 on Mar 28, 2023 22:43:38 GMT -5
I know the Ontario league is still going, however do we have any early predictions? I’ve been to many Allan Cups. I find the Ontario teams generally have more pro experience and talent. The large size of Ontario dictates this. On paper it’s generally not a contest. Even the “best team” ever (Bentley) lol did not come close to having the same talent as the Ontario teams. But they played tough Western style, team orientated hockey. No prima- donnas like our Ontario teams tended to have. The Generals, therefore, won more than they lost. Will Innisfail bring the same tenacity ?? Newfoundland will likely be a step below but in watching Clarenville in 2-3 games the last few years when I’ve been out on the Rock, they have talent, a decent mix of youth but don’t have the same ex-pro experience. They will be helped by adding 4-5 top players. In the end if you look at rosters, Dundas likely has highest caliber. The issue is the Ontario Senior AAA games at times can be like beer league hockey. Some games with very little body contact. Alberta will bang and Newfoundland will bring heart. In the end I see Dundas Vs Inny in Final. Dundas wins in final is my prediction. *** my pick is asterisked as I’ve only seen 3 of the 4 teams. Haven’t even watched the highlights on you tube that Inny posts. I’ll take a look before the tourney.
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 26, 2023 22:42:03 GMT -5
Hamilton defeats Dundas 6-5 in OT in last game of round Robin.
Wentworth is eliminated
Dundas/Hamilton will play for Robertson Cup.
Both teams advance to Allan Cup
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 25, 2023 15:49:43 GMT -5
Hearing Clarenville is confirmed. Announcements next week.
Ticket packages will only be $100 for all games. On sale next weekend.
Come out and support !!
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 23, 2023 17:10:30 GMT -5
The East - West final has been bandied about for years. But in the end it could, and likely would end up being far most expensive.
Canada is such a large land mass. The two teams who end up in the final could end up having to travel long distances 3 times…rather than the current one long road trip.
For example Powell River,BC plays a team on the East side of Alberta. This encompasses hotel rooms and travel over a weekend. Then if Powell wins and say Southeast in Manitoba wins, that’s another long trip with hotel rooms for contingents of 25-30 people.
East final would also mean plane rides and hotels in either ON, QC or NFLD.
Then under the East West Final unless the best of 7 is all played in one city, would involve the teams both travelling one weekend. Then to the other side of the country the next weekend.
Either way, the real solution is funding. Hockey Canada, Provincial Associations and/or sponsorship is only way to expect all teams to be able to travel. Or have budgets setup at beginning of season for all AAA teams that involves enough fundraising and sponsorship to help avoid the need for last minute scrambles for cash - like Inny and potentially Clarenville are facing now.
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 21, 2023 22:05:12 GMT -5
I understand the concept of a challenge cup and Clarenville being a last-minute addition, but adding players at this stage when all other AAA teams have had their rosters finalized a long time ago doesn't seem right. Actually this is not out of the ordinary. Newfoundland, in all of the modern day era tournaments were granted an exemption. This allowed them to add 4-5 players. They did this during the 2014 Cup here in Dundas. Although….read on. It really wasn’t an exemption under Hockey Canada rules. We also need to put this in perspective. Newfoundland is an island with a population of approx 500,000 people. That is less than the amalgamated city of Hamilton (which includes the 22k who live here in Dundas. The 4 teams in our league have over 15 million people in the small area called the “Golden Horseshoe” to build teams from. Therefore the only way to allow the smaller provinces a fighting chance is to allow pickups. Secondly - we can actually do the same in Ontario. Alberta too ….by adding “AA” AP players. In fact we did it here in Dundas. Seasoned McCoys fans will remember that we added big D MacMillan after his AA season in Southwest Ontario was done. I remember at least two years he joined us for the Cup run. What would happen is the previous years winner would declare “AAA” for the following season in Newfoundland. The rest of the teams in NFLD would play as “AA”. Thus allowing them to pickup AP “AA” players fair and square. Only difference in 2023 is this is such short notice that Clarenville didn’t declare AAA. But let’s be honest. That is just semantics. I will be thrilled if they can pull this off. Looking forward to seeing the Caribous again !!! ** Please feel free to add to my comments above. All are my recollection of how the Allan Cup has run for the last 25 years with regards to NFLD adding pickups.
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 20, 2023 22:45:57 GMT -5
Clarenville, Innisfail, Dundas, and Ontario team. Unless something drastic changes in the next few weeks. Too bad this didn't break earlier. The AESHL and Herder series in Newfoundland could have been cut down to best-of-five series and it might have worked out to have this year's Herder champion participate in the Allan Cup. To be honest, that wouldn’t have mattered. It’s not about the best team entering. It’s about the best organization. I met a few of the Clarenville contingent when they played in the 2014 Allan Cup down here. And have even gone to some games out on the Rock. They are a very very solid Senior A organization. Since the league toned down with fewer ex-pros, and the caliber of players wasn’t as strong, it coincided with fewer sponsors. Covid then reared its ugly head. Then, as you mention it was almost the death of Senior hockey. Add to it, in previous years the winner of the AA league would declare AAA for the following season, and subsequently would have a year to fundraise. So given there is only a month to go, I feel Clarenville is the only team on the Rock who can pull it off. And hopefully they can add 4-5 players to allow them a competitive team to battle Ontario and Alberta.
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 18, 2023 22:22:36 GMT -5
And remember this is a new beginning. Essentially trying to get the old lady (Allan is her name 🙂) back in the groove. This year is a “Challenge for the Allan Cup”. Not a series of champions. Open season.
Goal is to get more teams interested in AAA.
Once interest is tweaked again, the second goal is how to make it affordable to travel / host an Allan Cup
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 18, 2023 22:18:15 GMT -5
And idea which team? Hoping Clarenville. They have great organization I can’t see how any Newfoundland teams could commit? They’re having a Herder Series during the same time the Dundas Tournament is happening. Clarenville was eliminated in quarter finals. They’d be likely choice as their season is already over.
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 18, 2023 11:34:48 GMT -5
Sounds like NFLD team is being serious on taking the 4th spot in the Tournament. Sounds like Stony Plain has made a tough reverse decision on participating And idea which team? Hoping Clarenville. They have great organization
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 15, 2023 22:52:01 GMT -5
Finally Official:
The Ontario Hockey Association is pleased to announce that one of its members, namely the Dundas Real McCoys, will hosting “The Challenge for the Allan Cup” in Dundas, Ontario April 17-22, 2023. It will be the third time the Real McCoys have hosted this Canadian iconic championship. The Real McCoy’s are former Allan Cup Champions as well as reigning Robertson Cup Champions.
The event will consist of 4 Teams including the Real McCoys and the Innisfail Eagles from Alberta. There will also be a second team from the OHA’s Allan Cup Hockey league and a 4th team to be announced. All games will be played at the newly renovated J L Grightmire Arena in Dundas. The Allan Cup is Canada’s oldest national hockey championship and is awarded annually to the Senior AAA ice hockey champions in Canada.
Tickets will be available to purchase here on April 1st.
“The OHA is absolutely thrilled to be hosting the 2023 Allan Cup Challenge within its membership. We are proud to be bringing this event back to Ontario, especially after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic,” said OHA Board of Directors Chair Marc Mercier. “It only seems appropriate that the oldest hockey association in Canada is hosting the oldest hockey championship in the country in the great hockey community of Dundas.”
The event kicks off on April 17. Here is the full schedule:
Tickets will be available to purchase here on April 1st
Date Games Time Monday April 17 ACH vs TBD 3:30 PM Monday April 17 Dundas vs Innisfail 7:30 PM Tuesday April 18 Innisfail vs TBD 3:30 PM Tuesday April 18 Dundas vs ACH 7:30 PM Wednesday April 19 ACH vs Innisfail 7:30 PM Thursday April 20 Dundas vs TBD 7:30 PM Friday April 21 Semi Final TBD vs TBD 7:30 PM Saturday April 22 Final TBD vs TBD TBD
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 14, 2023 15:16:32 GMT -5
to grow the game at the AAA level will be very difficult in Ontario The outlaw AA leagues are growing and are providing good competition for players returning from the professional ranks and graduating players from junior and university There is no competition for returning pros. They all go to AAA unless they live deep in the Southwestern area of Ontario. Each outlaw team is only allowed 2 ex-Pros. And then they even limit the # of Major Jr players to 4 players. Why would someone returning from Europe or ECHL…whatever pro league , play in the AA Outlaw league with NCAA Division 3 and Jr C players, of which each team is 75-80% made from? When they can play on teams filled with much higher caliber? I’ve watched games. Good competition. But the level of play is very far below ACH. Years ago when Clinton stacked their team with ex-pros, then yes, they could compete. But not now. Not even close. The WOSHL goes a step farther and distributes players based on calibre. I hope the rumours finally pan out and the ACH can add 2-3 franchises next season. The hope is the Allan Cup will showcase the level of play at the AAA level !
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 12, 2023 23:21:03 GMT -5
To add to this, I can tell you that Dundas is paying for the whole Allan Cup solely with sponsorship money. Last figure I heard was a paltry $7500 from Hockey Canada, which now could be zero funds.
Very sad state of affairs. The amount of money paid out by Hockey Canada, that we’ve all read about in the press, and they virtually have no money to help run the smaller National championships.
Kudos to Dundas for trying to resurrect the Allan Cup. Post Covid it’s not easy. And kudos to Inny for trying to raise money.
Who cares about 5-6 years ago. The world has changed. I will be logging on and contributing to their Go Fund me.
Looking forward to seeing both Alberta teams down here in Dundas. And seeing Senior hockey trying to grow again.
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AAA TEAMS
Mar 10, 2023 17:21:13 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by mlh01 on Mar 10, 2023 17:21:13 GMT -5
One thing to contest, though, is your comment about AA teams icing a better product than AAA. If you mean “on ice talent”, you are so far off it’s not funny. All AA teams in Ontario, whether it’s the WOSHL or the outlaw WOAA league, both limit the number of former pros to just 2-3 per team.
The McCoys, Steelers, Gryphins are 90% ex-pro. The AA teams would be throttled. Trust me I’ve watched both levels.
Maybe Alberta AA doesn’t have a pro level limit?
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AAA TEAMS
Mar 10, 2023 17:16:41 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by mlh01 on Mar 10, 2023 17:16:41 GMT -5
Or...allow AA teams to compete? They don’t have any interest in going AAA. In fact, the AA leagues mandated not to allow AAA teams in their leagues. Which, by the way, are icing a much better product than what any of the so called AAA teams/leagues are doing Wade good to see you posting again. You should write a book. Were you in any of the scenes from the Senior documentary about the Bentley Generals in the middle of last decade? Love that doc For those who aren’t familiar it’s a Canadian documentary film that followed the Bentley Generals during a full season right to the Allan Cup. One of my favourites. Title is “Blood, Sweat and Beers”. It’s on Tubi.
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Post by mlh01 on Mar 3, 2023 14:57:57 GMT -5
why don't Wentworth Gryphins and Hamilton Steelers just have a series to decide the spot Because it’s also the Ontario Championship. Robertson Cup up for grabs.
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