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Post by netyme on Apr 9, 2015 6:20:02 GMT -6
I've started a thread for suggestions on how to make the Sjhl an even better league than it is. Both for players and fans.
I think one thing that needs to be addressed is webcasts, some are horrific and some are top notch. If parents are going to encourage their kids to play here, it would be nice for them to know that they can watch their son without any difficulties on the Internet. This one is huge, there should be a standard software teams should have to use. Not trying to be a homer but I really like how Melfort has the time, score, pelenties and replays on their webcast.
Another thing is the league should make it mandatory for all teams to make a short and sweet highlight reel of each game. Doesn't have to be tsn quality but anything would be great. I think it would help fans that are on the fence about coming to games each night get more into this league.
Anavet cup, not going into detail about this one, it's been beaten to death and seems like everyone is on the same page
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Post by oldtimer on Apr 9, 2015 7:45:57 GMT -6
Netyme In a perfect world this would be an ideal situation. Melfort happens to have a guru for video and streaming that most clubs don't have access to.This is his passion.Yes he does a great job.What happens when quits? Volunteers in all SJHL teams are at a premium,for most teams paid techs are out of the question as are volunteers with that particular skill set.Have you ever put together a quick little highlite reel for one game of any quality let alone the
Whole season.It is a far tougher job than you think. Do you add audio or do the viewers just guess who is on screen? Im not trying to be a donny doubter,but realistic! Theres an old saying ,unless you do it right its not worth doing. For some teams,yes.The majority NO! At one time we used to be able to get CTV & CBC crews to come out to our small towns and take video clips of the odd game.Now even those are few and far between
Now it is a minor story like Melfort making it to the finals after 20 years.
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Post by left4deadinflfl on Apr 9, 2015 8:48:32 GMT -6
I think to make the SJ a better league it has to be sustainable....meaning the current direction is not IMO. The current budgets are running around 700K for some teams. Attendance is shrinking....expenses continue to rise. that is not sustainable. Get the map out and create divisions that make sense geographically, ie, it will never make sense that OCN and Flin Flon cant play each other during the reg season. Just cant afford this anymore...Yorkton maybe play Swan River and Dauphin...inter lock these leagues, including AJ if it makes sense. I think this would be the staring point. Second thing I would explore would be replacing these NCAA scholarships with CIS incentives for Jr A players. Keep Canadian players in Canada, keep American kids in the USA...and finally free beer at all SJ games or giant TV screens at games which constantly run reality TV shows....like Honey Boo Boo. (hahaha)
L4D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2015 12:09:19 GMT -6
Netyme In a perfect world this would be an ideal situation. Melfort happens to have a guru for video and streaming that most clubs don't have access to.This is his passion.Yes he does a great job.What happens when quits? Volunteers in all SJHL teams are at a premium,for most teams paid techs are out of the question as are volunteers with that particular skill set.Have you ever put together a quick little highlite reel for one game of any quality let alone the Whole season.It is a far tougher job than you think. Do you add audio or do the viewers just guess who is on screen? Im not trying to be a donny doubter,but realistic! Theres an old saying ,unless you do it right its not worth doing. For some teams,yes.The majority NO! At one time we used to be able to get CTV & CBC crews to come out to our small towns and take video clips of the odd game.Now even those are few and far between Now it is a minor story like Melfort making it to the finals after 20 years. At very least have a proper camera, Hawks use a camcorder the same as or worse than the average family uses |
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Post by hockeygawd on Apr 9, 2015 14:14:38 GMT -6
Netyme In a perfect world this would be an ideal situation. Melfort happens to have a guru for video and streaming that most clubs don't have access to.This is his passion.Yes he does a great job.What happens when quits? Volunteers in all SJHL teams are at a premium,for most teams paid techs are out of the question as are volunteers with that particular skill set.Have you ever put together a quick little highlite reel for one game of any quality let alone the Whole season.It is a far tougher job than you think. Do you add audio or do the viewers just guess who is on screen? Im not trying to be a donny doubter,but realistic! Theres an old saying ,unless you do it right its not worth doing. For some teams,yes.The majority NO! At one time we used to be able to get CTV & CBC crews to come out to our small towns and take video clips of the odd game.Now even those are few and far between Now it is a minor story like Melfort making it to the finals after 20 years. At very least have a proper camera, Hawks use a camcorder the same as or worse than the average family uses The only reason he's not liking the ideas is because they came from melfort. |
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Post by oldtimer on Apr 9, 2015 14:34:07 GMT -6
Left for dead thanks for weighing in on a very complex and fragile league.I know the league management is trying their best.Sometimes it works and sometimes not.It takes the best and the passionate few to keep these teams afloat.Thank god for those volunteers who each year manufacture an almost insurmountable mountain of cash to match each teams budget!
Left for Dead has been around the block has some innovative ideas and some sarcastic quips,LOL.AT least he has some thought about potential league changes,rather than how good someones camera is.Cause reality is no one in the league is TSN quality.Which is what casual viewers now want and expect.LFDIFF Thanks for your look at the big picture rather than home movies.
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Post by flinflon123 on Apr 9, 2015 15:01:32 GMT -6
I have an entire thread devoted to realignment with MB AB and SK. I love the idea of CIS incentives, and keeping the Canadian players here, and leaving the American players in America.... However, it wouldn't be good for the game. I would like to see top quality players every game, and if it is a mix of USA and CDN, the so be it.
Back to the realignment, OCN-FF, Yorkton-Swan River, Nipawin-OCN, Kindersley-Drumheller, Battleford-Llyod........... Really how are we able to figure this out, and the league reps cannot? The attendance would go up in all leagues, just off of the opposing teams fans travelling....
Figure it out
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Post by oldtimer on Apr 9, 2015 15:26:32 GMT -6
Left for Dead I haven't seen your thread on realignment.This much more interesting than Melfort's cameras.Have you presented this to the league board? Where can I find it?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2015 15:43:49 GMT -6
Media- I know it's not likely to have highlights every game.... But video features about players and teams, also plays of the week could be done similar to the Dub
- Twitter, Facebook, Intagram... Most teams now have this but it is a great way to reach out to fans.
Teenagers- It is the difference in attendance... Look at Weyburn, Humboldt... You don't see many teenagers anymore. Maybe have a 2-1 deal for them or something to get more high schoolers going to the rink.
Website- it's not as bad as it once was but let's have new "news" atleast more then once a week it's not hard
Equipment- many people consider this minor but kids just simply aren't "exited" by using Sherwood sticks especially T90's
Marketing/ Attendance have event days.... Sometimes you have to make money to spend money....
Sponsors- Key Sponsors like Subway and Co-op, maybe they can give little "deals" for cheaper gas and meals.
Schedule- Have More rivalry games to allow for less miles put on the ol bus and allow road fans to come to games
Playoffs- have less team make the playoffs which makes each and every game more meaningful... Which makes fans more into their team throughout the regular season
Main Idea For League- this one grinds my gears... I know it's a development league but why do we credit players who go to the dub... I know it's a higher level... But it's not really the focus point of the league it should be to get a scholarship in my mind... Look at BC
Just my more then 2 Cents
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Post by stars123 on Apr 9, 2015 16:42:16 GMT -6
I can't see focusing on CIS scholarships as a drawing card..Major junior has CIS scholarships.. How many guys from CIS have moved on to the NHL? The only guy I can think of is Joel Ward. The NCAA route is far better.. I think it would be going down a step.. The Sjhl just has to promote there players better.. It's a fantastic league, just needs more exposure.. Have the showcase how it is but also ,why not have a tournament like the Macs tournament over Christmas with junior A teams? Maybe a player was sick/injured or maybe a player wasn't chosen for the September showcase.. Have it in Calgary where there is already Midget AAA teams there, and Mark my word the number of scholarships would go up.. The scouts are there already.. I don't know about anyone else, but I want to see the best hockey I can, having Americans makes that happen.. It's also a drawing card because scouts come to watch American players because they are already American citizans and they don't have to pay the out of country tuition, and almost every single American player writes there ACT or SAT while still in highschool.
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Post by stupendousman on Apr 9, 2015 20:32:04 GMT -6
I would really like the SJHL to adopt what some professional sports leagues are doing and admit when mistakes are made during games. The refs get all kinds of abuse during the game, they should have thick enough skins to handle the occasional public reprimand. I don't buy the theory that refs would leave in droves. Players are identified for the mistakes they make (suspensions), officials shouldn't be given immunity. I bet this would eventually lead to less fan frustration directed towards the league and its officials.
I get the sense that the SJHL doesn't have a full-time communications person, and that it's shared on a volunteer or part-time basis. Maybe less suspensions/trades would fall through the cracks if the league invested in a full-time position.
I wouldn't mind seeing teams fined for not meeting minimum standards on game days or other things related to the fans', players' or other teams' experience. This is less about webcasts and more about the in-game product that some clubs might have a tendency to let slip. It would just be a way for the league or other teams to encourage each other to strive for excellence.
I've heard at least one SJHL coach say he believes the western Junior A leagues will band together and leave Hockey Canada within the next decade over the new fighting rules. I would say let's get on that and get back a league that resembles western Canadian values regarding players being held accountable for their actions.
I completely agree with the earlier post about shelving the 10-team playoff format for the old 8-team format. Let's choose credibility and integrity over the cash.
And while I'm on the theme of the "good old days", let's abandon the loser point and truly make overtime "sudden death". Play until someone wins and award them the only two points up for grabs. I'm sure fans would rave about it, and other leagues would seriously look at copying this instead of contemplating awarding three points for a win.
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Post by flinflon123 on Apr 10, 2015 7:15:04 GMT -6
You overtime/shootout theory is interesting. I think fans would much rather see 5 mins of 4/4, then 5 mins of 3/3. It would be interesting to see 2/2, and 1/1 if no scorers were found....
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Post by left4deadinflfl on Apr 10, 2015 8:59:51 GMT -6
I don't see the NCAA increasing the # of Canadian players in their scholarship programs, as per my first comments, I am talking about sustainability. At the risk of repeating myself..if there is one truth, it is the NCAA route WILL disappear soon enough. Why: hockey is growing quickly in the states, the development of the Jr A leagues in the states...they play good hockey ..Based on population their talent pool is 10 times what it is in Canada...they will not want or need Canadian born hockey players in the near future. NCAA is for a vehicle for American kids, CIS is for Canadian kids...I cant choke down the concept to further a Canadian player's hockey career they go to the USA. My comment was about changing that...I would have to think if all the players on scholarships in NCAA were playing CIS, well you could see it would be an improvement TO THE CANADIAN program. And we are Canadians...produce the best players in the world...mostly through our CHL program. that is sustainable, we just have to tweek our Jr A programs to fit that concept.
L4D
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Post by moondoggy on Apr 13, 2015 6:02:10 GMT -6
and what cis teams will they go to when rosters are 99% teir 1 (chl) players.
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Post by flinflon123 on Apr 13, 2015 7:50:56 GMT -6
This is interesting, I believe there is a basketball program (one of the UofBC schools, not sure which one) that is considering switching to NCAA. They figure that they have the size, talent, and funding that they may be able to do this.
So why would the CIS men's hockey not consider doing the same? We certainly have the talent, most university's have a rink capable of holding the big games, and the funding will be no issue for hockey.
If it is broken, it must be fixed. The question being asked is if 99% of the rosters are filled with CHL players, then the minor professional system will get an influx of CHL players. It is a two headed sword. An interesting two headed sword. You play in the CHL to attempt at going pro right out of Junior. The schooling would still be paid for, but would they be able to play hockey while going to school is a different question?
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Post by Administrator on Apr 13, 2015 8:11:52 GMT -6
I believe Simon Fraser - (SFU) is trying to get another team into NCAA
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Post by SJfan15 on Apr 13, 2015 9:35:09 GMT -6
I think to make the SJ a better league it has to be sustainable....meaning the current direction is not IMO. The current budgets are running around 700K for some teams. Attendance is shrinking....expenses continue to rise. that is not sustainable. Get the map out and create divisions that make sense geographically, ie, it will never make sense that OCN and Flin Flon cant play each other during the reg season. Just cant afford this anymore...Yorkton maybe play Swan River and Dauphin...inter lock these leagues, including AJ if it makes sense. I think this would be the staring point. Second thing I would explore would be replacing these NCAA scholarships with CIS incentives for Jr A players. Keep Canadian players in Canada, keep American kids in the USA...and finally free beer at all SJ games or giant TV screens at games which constantly run reality TV shows....like Honey Boo Boo. (hahaha) L4D Just on this quick, the NCAA scholarship program is the biggest incentive for kids to play in the SJ over pursuing a WHL or CHL route. Many American kids come up here to play in our league (or the CJHL in general) if they already have a scholarship to a school and don't want to ruin that. I think to take that away would hurt the league more than help it. It's not like CIS hockey is struggling. They get all the CHL players who don't go pro. They're ok. |
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Post by stars123 on Apr 13, 2015 9:48:52 GMT -6
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Post by allanmontgomery on Apr 13, 2015 11:19:03 GMT -6
I just came back to say hello, and to comment on anything to do with the webcasts.
I know when Blevins and Dwight are recruiting they do show parents the webcast and it does make a difference to parents to be able to watch their son play if they are in Alaska, Texas, BC, ON or farther away. Those parents do keep in touch and say it is a great thing to know they will be able to watch their son play.
Is it a deal breaker, I doubt it. But it does help.
There are better things on the horizon for all Teams. Let's hope patience has paid off.
It also helps your League look a little more respectable if you can produce something in line with the other leagues.
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stars4265
Atom Player
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What is your connection to the SJHL: A Fan
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Post by stars4265 on Apr 13, 2015 11:50:41 GMT -6
Updating the website period!!! Look at the suspensions tab....half of them never even make it there. |
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Post by swkot on Apr 13, 2015 13:30:51 GMT -6
I'm of the belief that Junior A hockey should work on building partnerships within the communities to give the kids exposure to trades. Maybe even go as far as apprenticeship type situations. They wouldn't build a ton of hours over the course of 3 years, but even if they had their first year apprenticeship when they are done hockey it gives them a good chance of being hired on and continuing the apprenticeship elsewhere once they are out into the real world. Scholarships are put on a pedestal, but post secondary isn't in the cards for many players and I would imagine at the majority end up going the trades or skilled labour routes.
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Post by left4deadinflfl on Apr 13, 2015 14:44:32 GMT -6
Good point Skwot, I was wonderin to myself, who tied education and hockey together, are hockey players generally well educated or are the well educated generally hockey players...maybe neither....maybe that's the parents compromise...education and hockey. But I was thinkin...the money it costs to have children playing at the highest level, the best training camps, the best hockey schools, the best triple A programs...these cost a lot of money...probably an education in comparison. parents are willing to sow seed into a child's hockey development, but suddenly at 20 the education funds dry up and the kid needs a scholarship to go to school. As you say Skwot...a lot of Jr A players wind up in trades... or ...farming...mining...oil patch...that is the reality of it. Senior leagues are full of great Jr A players.....I would like to see more great SJ players playing CIS rather than watching a maybe a handful who get to compete in the Frozen four Finals. But I have beat to death now....
L4D
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Post by milsfan on Apr 13, 2015 20:11:43 GMT -6
A lot of how the League can improve depends on the people willing to put forward the work. Obviously in an ideal world, there would updated websites, articles, previews, videos, graphics/play-by-play on all webcasts, etc., but all of this takes work and cannot be done by one person. One person in each organization maybe. I would start with every team taking a look at how they can improve their fan experience with the resources they have. Maybe there are things that can be taken from each club.
For the organizations themselves, a geographically realigned league would be great, but that would have be considered across the entire west as it would affect almost every league. Possible...yes, likely...not a chance. Teams will stick to their traditional leagues and respective provinces.
For players, it would be the ability to draw attention from scouts. That isn't as likely when it's already hard/costly to fly into Saskatoon or Regina. Yorkton winning the RBC Cup you would think would draw more attention and maybe it has...but it doesn't appear so in scholarships thus far. Really, it comes down to contacts teams have with scouts and vice versa.
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Post by outsider on Apr 14, 2015 14:38:23 GMT -6
So if the Fans could: hire and fire coaches, pick refs, decide what players play, decide which teams should be in the league, run the league website, hire and fire the boards, tell certain fans where to sit, decide how much to charge at the gate, decide whether kids get scholarships and where, give free beer to all, would this be a Better league?
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Post by left4deadinflfl on Apr 15, 2015 9:07:10 GMT -6
Yeah, see my comments on the Jr A Entitled League, where parents call the coach to discuss the playing minutes and role of their son on the team. It the same league where players only report to three different teams, where players approve all trades and where parents are welcome in the dressing rooms between periods to correct all the mistakes the coach is making. Its the same league where EVERY players gets an NCAA Div 1 scholarship cause that is the FAIR thing to do. Its a heck of a league....they have free beer as well.
L4D
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Post by outsider on Apr 15, 2015 10:31:26 GMT -6
I have noticed the "free beer" seems to work in all the senarios.
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madman
Midget AAA Player
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Post by madman on Apr 15, 2015 10:45:45 GMT -6
Posting News and updates on the Website. That is key in promoting your league. In today's world of social media and the interweb people want updates and news.
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Post by left4deadinflfl on Apr 17, 2015 7:04:15 GMT -6
Free beer.....I played in a band called "Free Beer"....we played bars....folks wud line up to get in...hahaha! Shud work with Jr. hockey as well.
L4D
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Post by backcheck on Apr 22, 2015 6:43:27 GMT -6
Maybe they'd rather ignore commitments because? juniorhockeytruth.com "Scholarships Awarded According to the BCHL website, there were 152 players with college commitments during the 2012-13 season. Of these scholarships, 124 were to division I schools, 17 were to division III schools, 4 were to CIS school and 7 to Canadian Senior Colleges" "Scholarships Awarded According to the AJHL website, there were 70 players with college commitments during the 2012-13 season. Of these scholarships, 29 were to division I schools, 10 were to division III schools, 12 were to CIS school and 15 to Canadian Senior Colleges" "Scholarships Awarded According to the SJHL website, there were 36 players with college commitments during the 2012-13 season. Of these scholarships, 5 were to division I schools, 8 were to division III schools and other American tier III colleges, 8 were to CIS school and 15 to Canadian Senior Colleges" |
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Post by left4deadinflfl on Apr 22, 2015 13:03:31 GMT -6
Backcheck: your point is not wasted on myself...clearly 3 or 4 more names to the commitments from the SJ would hardly impress anybody. So...I am gonna say..NCAA Div 1 scholarships are the "Holy Grail" of the SJ. A few get them...but in comparison...you wanna go to the BCHL. I suppose the interesting stat out of BC would be how many of the Div 1 scholarships are going to American players.
So back to the drawing board...cause posting all the commitments won't make the SJ a better league. If it was ony that easy!!! Somebody posted the CIS teams were full of CHL grads...ands there was no room for Jr A players in the CIS. I am of the opinion that those kids who played Jr A and are currently NCAA Div 1...can and would make about any roster on a CIS team, now if you took the 258 Div 1 players, assuming they are all Canadian, and put them on CSI rosters..then there could well be 258 less CHL players in CSI hockey programs. So maybe the CIS scholarships are no longer based on "I spent 4 years in the CHL"...but rather based on merit/talent. somewhat like the NCAA scholarships. A little tweeking, but can be done. IMO
L4D
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