Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:23 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 11:11 am

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 9:54 am

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 9:28 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 7:27 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 6:25 pm

100%

Hockey in the GTA needs a complete overhaul. Out with the old, in with the new.

Come on .. you are completely wrong with the G. A huge step under Oakman in getting costs down and corruption out of the league. Less private ownership and much more diverse boards across associations. This is leading to teams posting budgets on public websites .. yes, complete transparency. If you have a paid coach, fee right there on a public website. If you host a tournament, all revenues and expenses clearly identified. Yes, Hockey Canada drives some of the decisions .. however, the G is making sure their leagues are balanced, diverse and consistent experience across 'like' ability players and age groups. People on here don't have a balanced perspective.

He's been there for too long. They need to set a 4 year maximum term for his job. As well as an outside independent board member.

Good point around change and term for a job like this one. However, don't underestimate the work the Oakman has done in making the G more competitive and teams more balanced, driving diversity to all Association Boards that represent G teams, removing unnecessary costs and corruption that existed prior to his term and most importantly stabilizing participation rates in this great game. Thank you, Oakman!

This must be written by someone at the G office or by SO's wife.
This league is twice the cost of any other league in the province. The corruption is still as rampant today as it ever was. The coaches, orgs and league have just gotten better at hiding it.
In our loop alone this year, one AAA coach (that I know of) got caught playing a suspended player in a tournament with another kids jersey on. G didn't even suspend him because it was an 'accident'.
Recently, a coach was caught fighting with parents from another team and a gun was involved. The G suspended him the rest of the season, but the league and the Org are letting him come back next year to be the head coach again.
I can name at least 4 AAA teams in the loop that have one or two parents running the team, the coach is nothing but a figurehead.
And only 6 of the 14 teams (if that many) in this AAA age group are viable AAA teams, the rest are AA teams charging AAA rates and losing lots of games.
The G has now become the NYHL, a bloated, corrupt, shadow of its former self where money talks louder than the kids who want to play the game. The G is a business, pure and simple, they have no interest in making the game better or making the league better because money is the motivator for the coaches, orgs and the league.
They are simply following the Hockey Canada model that has been so successful.

I can add to your list of coaches being owned by parents. He doesn't pick the players, the parents do. The same parents who've threatened the livelihood of skills trainers if they don't invite junior to their sessions. People forget how small the hockey world is and people talk when they have had enough. We also know of a coach who was suspended for assaulting a player and got right back behind the bench for the start of the next season. A documented assault. Coaches who hurl racist and disgusting language at the players both on and off the ice. Not to mention the locker room antics that are out of control because no officials remain in the room per the rules. Add in that very few managers run a proper team budget with proper supporting documents. In fact, our manager didn't even know they needed to have another parent as a signatory on the account let alone provide parents with updated budgets and receipts. It's time our Minister of Sport and HC step in and force the G to follow its own rules. More independent board members without their hands in the cookie jar would be a start along with ousting Oakman. Trim the fat as they say

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 2:43 pm Because it’s such a small world is exactly why (unfortunately) the government needs to step in and take over. Hockey CANADA down have failed their customers - the hard-working kids and parent sponsors. Fortunately HC & the leagues are recipients of taxpayer $$$ and that opens the door wider for intervention. Many parents are writing to the provincial and federal committees. Another one was recently announced. An anti-trust lawsuit against the CHL was filed in New York about a week ago.
The old boys club isn’t going to like all the noise but then they’re not the customer are they?

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2024 4:12 pm Here is my beef with SO and the GTHL. Our team is facing it right now. The G has taken away the Founders as well as the Clancy Tournament. That is fine, as long as you create playoffs for all teams. Why on earth in a 9 team division only 6 qualify??? What happens to the other 3 teams that don't qualify? Yes, team starts to fold, not show for practice, no interest in one of the weak March tourneys. If you take away Clancy .. then expand playoffs to 8 teams. Have a consolation playdown? The reality is that all teams pay the same G Fees so should have close to the same games, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS. This is now happened back to back years. I have written to the G, written to Oakman and only heard 'under advisement'. Nothing has happened. Thoughts?

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2024 8:07 pm Where do you begin with SO and the G? If you’re looking for innovation or creativity you’re barking up the wrong tree. He hides behind the rules, whether they’re applicable or make sense. I guess we shouldn’t expect anything else from a former referee. Thinking outside the box is not part of his vocabulary and he carries an incredible arrogant, dismissive attitude toward anyone who questions him. Great qualities for a leader eh!

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2024 4:12 pm Here is my beef with SO and the GTHL. Our team is facing it right now. The G has taken away the Founders as well as the Clancy Tournament. That is fine, as long as you create playoffs for all teams. Why on earth in a 9 team division only 6 qualify??? What happens to the other 3 teams that don't qualify? Yes, team starts to fold, not show for practice, no interest in one of the weak March tourneys. If you take away Clancy .. then expand playoffs to 8 teams. Have a consolation playdown? The reality is that all teams pay the same G Fees so should have close to the same games, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS. This is now happened back to back years. I have written to the G, written to Oakman and only heard 'under advisement'. Nothing has happened. Thoughts?

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2024 8:07 pm Where do you begin with SO and the G? If you’re looking for innovation or creativity you’re barking up the wrong tree. He hides behind the rules, whether they’re applicable or make sense. I guess we shouldn’t expect anything else from a former referee. Thinking outside the box is not part of his vocabulary and he carries an incredible arrogant, dismissive attitude toward anyone who questions him. Great qualities for a leader eh!

Guest wrote: ↑Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:21 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2024 4:12 pm Here is my beef with SO and the GTHL. Our team is facing it right now. The G has taken away the Founders as well as the Clancy Tournament. That is fine, as long as you create playoffs for all teams. Why on earth in a 9 team division only 6 qualify??? What happens to the other 3 teams that don't qualify? Yes, team starts to fold, not show for practice, no interest in one of the weak March tourneys. If you take away Clancy .. then expand playoffs to 8 teams. Have a consolation playdown? The reality is that all teams pay the same G Fees so should have close to the same games, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS. This is now happened back to back years. I have written to the G, written to Oakman and only heard 'under advisement'. Nothing has happened. Thoughts?

Kinda see some of your point. Some age groups do have 8 is the playoffs. All depends on level of play and number of overall teams in the division.
Same argument about game numbers could be made by those divisions with 6 teams, and 1 & 2 get a bye first round of playoffs. Maybe those parents would rather have kids playing to get what they paid for?

Tourneys were dropped both from a $$$ and from history, where many teams elected not to play. Basically out of the playoffs, everyone is too busy trying to find that last remaining spot of a better team. No one cares about the current team anymore, thus G would have to cancel divisions anyway due to the lack of entry. I'm guessing a big headache.

Simple things like AA tiering need to stop. If you have some many teams you need to tier a division, that means what you need to do is start relegating teams. Drop all the AA tier 2 teams into the A division. Models like that will have the teams quickly figure out they need to win or go away.

If your overall argument is everyone should get the same number of games, then find a good house league program. They keep it even.
It will never be fair when some teams win and advance into further playoff rounds, just the way it is.
G will tell you how many games you will get for your entry fee. There is no guarantee that you will get bonus games come playoff time.

G & Oakman never respond to anything. Under advisement is the standard go away answer.