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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 25, 2017 4:22:50 GMT -5
This is the one area where the set up seems a bit unfair. Grand Falls-Windsor wins the Allan Cup and may not even have a chance to be eligible to compete for it the next season. I understand the intent of sending the previous year's winner of the Herder to the Atlantic region qualifying (giving a team the better part of a year to raise funds for qualifying and hopefully the Allan Cup travel expenses), but; the defending champion should at least have a chance to qualify for the tournament that year. Especially if they didn't qualify as the host team to begin with.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 23, 2017 5:09:55 GMT -5
What is there for senior hockey in Quebec at this point?
All I have found is the Laval Senior A Hockey League. I know the LNAH is Quebec based but that is considered semi-pro. Are there any other leagues in the province? I know the levels on Junior hockey are run differently the Junior A and B (Quebec standard, Junior C & D elsewhere) are pretty much well recreation leagues with some players as old as 24. Is the LNAH such a target for kids in the province? Or did something happen that turned teams away from the Senior AAA level in the province. Ten years of not having any teams registered seems like its a running joke.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 19, 2017 3:55:57 GMT -5
With the league cutting out imports except for goalies, Clarenville might be doubtful as well unless they are allowed to pick up some extra players for the Allan Cup qualifying. The fact that the league is dropping the number of imports , doesn't have anything to do with adding players for the Allan Cup. If Clarenville declares AAA, then they can pickup as many players from the other AA teams in their province as they want. Most of the "imports" are still from Newfoundland. Yes some are out of province but not many. Most live in the St Johns area and the general Avalon area. The financial issue they're facing is they paid to room and board these players over the weekends as they played for teams like Grand Falls and Clarenville in the Central West League. Now each of the teams in the Central West league will be comprised of local players. But it doesn't mean they can't pick up many players for a Cup run. Thanks, the way some places define imports leaves me confused. Glad to see that it won't end the chance of a Newfoundland team still trying to qualify.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 18, 2017 17:43:33 GMT -5
The Elsipogtog Hawks will be representing New Brunswick in the Atlantic Provincials New Brunswick is sending the top NB team from the year before Montague Stallions who won the New Brunswick league last year will be representing PEI Still waiting on whether there will even be a league in Newfoundand Am told it may be Sept before they decide Would think it likely that Clarenville registered just in case With the league cutting out imports except for goalies, Clarenville might be doubtful as well unless they are allowed to pick up some extra players for the Allan Cup qualifying.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 15, 2017 17:21:03 GMT -5
I see the plan coming together...if the NFLD and/or NB leagues follow suit, these teams will have automatic paths to the AC, while at-Large teams will have to play down on their own to qualify...I LOVE IT I've been saying that should be the way right along if you win a senior AAA league you should qualify for the Allan Cup, but; it would get a bit ridiculous this year...West Coast Heat, Bethune, Montague, and one or two from Manitoba not to mention Newfoundland is not a Senior AAA league to begin with. Cost wise it would wipe out some teams finances West Coast vs Bethune and the winner of Manitoba vs Montague and then the final qualifier. Unless they find a way to weigh the bids when the Cup is held in certain regions: If BC, Alberta or Saskatchewan are the host, BC, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan all qualifying with the Atlantic and Ontario champs (and if Quebec has a team) meeting for the sixth spot or have the BC/Alberta and Saskatchewan/Manitoba champ qualify and make it a four team tournament with the same format as the Memorial Cup. If Manitoba or Ontario host have the present set up used. If in the Atlantic region have The four western teams play down for one spot, Ontario qualify and an Atlantic team and host qualify for a four team event with the same format as the Memorial Cup. Hopefully this would cut down on the expenses for the teams furthest east and west. The Allan Cup should be an opportunity for a team to build a tradition not break the team's finances.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 15, 2017 3:16:02 GMT -5
From past practice that would be the likely Saskatchewan scenario Alberta has had separate Allan Cup provincials in the past where there were Alberta teams outside of the Chiniook league but Would make more sense to send the runner up if Rosetown won Rosetown ain't winnng the ACHW. Come on now. With the format of the ACHW playoffs this year all you need is a hot goalie to win the playoffs or a goalie having a bad night and its over.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 9, 2017 17:49:36 GMT -5
So Bethune gets a free pass to the allan cup , how many of their players from last year are capable of this level , 2 maybee 3. There is time for some other Saskatchewan teams to get in the mix. Wilkie and Gull Lake have both had good runs in provincials the past few years and a short trip for the Cup might be enough to entice one of them to give it a try (I didn't say they would be competitive but logic seems to go out the window in some cases) . Wade had also mentioned the Lloydminster Border Kings as a possible entry. Look at the mess of teams that tried last year in New Brunswick (and two of them have apparently folded completely going into this season).
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 9, 2017 5:13:46 GMT -5
Would Saskatchewan hold a Senior AAA provincial tournament if it doesn't mean anything as far as Allan Cup qualifier spots? Rosetown would be in as host, Bethune would qualify using the Quebec spot which goes to the host branch and Manitoba's champion would earn the West spot in the tournament as they wouldn't have to play the Saskatchewan champion in the Rathgaber Cup.
If Rosetown participated in the ACHW playoffs, would Alberta have to have a separate provincial playoff since it would not be a true provincial playdown? If Rosetown won the playoffs I assume the runner-up would play the BC champ/rep (so far West Coast Heat)for the McKenzie Cup/Pacific spot.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 2, 2017 3:54:48 GMT -5
By the sounds of it, the only thing changing is the name, to Allan Cup West Hockey League, then expansion plans are on the horizon, but not for next season. Reliable source feeding me this info. I see innisfail eagles twitter has been promoting the name Allan Cup West Hockey League in the last few weeks. I wonder why league or others have not been mentioning.
Maybe their cell phones don't get service on the golf course.
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Post by southoftheborder on Aug 1, 2017 4:47:14 GMT -5
It looks like the North East Senior Hockey League is getting a shake up. The league website team listed as Memramcook/Dieppe under team contacts. Memramcook was a member of the league from 2011 to 2016 withdrawing prior to the start of the 2016-17 season. The Lameque Au P'tit Mousse and Restigouche Nord Viking are both missing from the list. Both of which were Senior AAA last year. neshl.ca/contacts.php
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Post by southoftheborder on Jun 26, 2017 18:05:31 GMT -5
The name of the new league is Allan Cup Hockey West. there will be a new website up and running soon. sounds like their might be another team in the league and it is a Saskatchewan based team. All for now, but things are changing Not much of a stretch with a new Senior AAA team from Saskatchewan with either a free ride or at worse a 50-50 chance of winning provincial Senior AAA championship to qualify for the Allan Cup. If I was to guess if it was an existing team; the Bethune Bulldogs would be my first guess as they have won the last two Senior A provincial championships and runner up in 2015 but the distance may be a bit much for road trips with Alberta teams. Second guess would be Gull Lake Greyhounds with a Class D championship in 2015, Class C championship in 2016, and a Class B runner up finish in 2017 with a better fit geographically with the existing teams. Third guess Wilkie Outlaws Class C Champions in 2015, Class B champions in 2016, and Class A runner up in 2017. An even better fit geographically.
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Post by southoftheborder on Jun 19, 2017 16:01:08 GMT -5
Major Changes in the Chinook League, Name change, new branding, possible new teams. its getting very interesting The one out of those that surprises me the most is the name change of the league. Sixty two years of tradition. New teams or teams leaving are almost always a given nowadays in senior hockey.
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Post by southoftheborder on May 11, 2017 18:18:25 GMT -5
Don / jimc Any chance the owner, Joe Machado, of the Winterhawks has any interest in owning a Senior AAA team? If he pulled out of the OHA with the team out of protest would he not be blackballed by the OHA for getting any other team any way?
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Post by southoftheborder on Apr 16, 2017 8:52:35 GMT -5
How about revising the tournament format to:
when it is in the West (BC, AB, SK, MB)have the Atlantic region, Ontario, and Quebec (yes, I know they haven't participated in many years) playoff from east to west to determine an eastern representative and have a host team plus the Pacific and Western representatives play in a four team tournament.
when it is in the East (PQ, NB, NS, PEI, NL) have the Pacific and Western champs play for a spot, have the Ontario champ qualify (or play the Quebec champ for a spot) for the tournament and the host team and Atlantic champs qualify in a four team tournament.
when it is in Ontario have the Pacific and Western champs meet for a spot the Ontario champ and the host qualify, and the Atlantic champ play the Quebec champ (if they have a team) for a spot in a four team tournament.
This would save on some of the traveling expenses by having some of the longer distance traveling teams eliminating one another and could cut the tournament itself down to four days. A single round robin over three days and the top two teams meeting in a single championship game.
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Post by southoftheborder on Apr 3, 2017 15:18:23 GMT -5
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