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August has blasted off the 2012-2013 season with a thunderous roar of conflict, comedy, and anticipation. Like every August, almost every team feels that have a shot at winning a championship.
Today we are going to touch on a few interesting situations.
EASTERN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE It is amazing that so many coaches in this league agree 100% with what I have to say in regards to players putting their NCAA eligibility in jeopardy by accepting some type of extra financial benefit. These guys are telling me that players know the rules but continue to try and make the best deal for themselves, regardless of how such a deal could later effect them. "Players appear to have little regard to future consequences," said one current EJHL coach. "What they are asking for is completely out of line, and I have to wonder when I hear about the same player attaching themselves to another team in the league."
NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE What can I say, other than the mess with Steve Shannon doing his best impression of a coach in Port Huron, I have to give commissioner Mark Frankenfeld applause for keeping the rudder straight this summer.
There was that hiccup of a thought that the league could somehow throw together a group to replace the Central Hockey League's Rio Grande Valley team this season, but apparently somebody with a brain cell has stepped in to table that idea until 2013-2014. If that person was indeed Frankenfeld, I'm impressed.
There is that pesky rumor of the South and West divisions splitting off from the NAHL to do their own thing next season, possibly at the Tier I level. It is unclear at this time what side of that fence that Frankenfeld would be on.
NA3HL Somebody needs to put the Battle Creek Revolution out of their misery. The team has been an embarrassment to the game over the last two seasons, easily replacing the Danville-Indianapolis Inferno as the worst team in Junior hockey that is not coached by Stirling Wright. Speaking of Tropical Depression Stirling...
TROPICAL ELITE HOCKEY LEAGUE I expected some type of fallout from yesterday's Daily Dish but have yet to hear a peep. We did discover that the Kissimmee Vipers announced a logo that is a direct rip from a team that was in Australia. I guess that the $250 fee it could cost to get a logo designed was well outside of the team's operating budget.
ROSTER RAIDERS Every team in the system should brace for roster raiding season. Yes folks, it is time for the annual pillaging of rosters. As main camps and prospect's hearts break players are starting to trickle down, leaving players with concrete plans scrambling for a place. While all that is going on, other teams are feeling the crunch and will begin lowering their standards to fill out the bench. One team's fourth line d-man can quickly find himself as the center of attention for a lower level team.
GoPenasco.com The Daily Dish is brought to you by GoPenasco.com. Relax, unwind...enjoy! Visit http://GoPenasco.com Stephen Heisler resides in Puerto Penasco with his wife, Maria, and their two children, Sonia and Tomas. Friend him on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/stephen.heisler for more information and pictures from Mexico.
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