The NHL and Relegation, Contingent on One Little Thing, Can Succeed

By Dan Marley

It's an issue that has been circulating across the hockey community for many years: teams tanking for better draft positioning.

Hockey writers and social media enthusiasts have been adamant about finding ways to prevent teams from purposely losing to increase their chances at selecting a top prospect like Connor McDavid or  Jack Eichel.   For any hockey fan, it is an embarrassment to root for your team to lose for the hopes of grabbing someone in the draft who may or may not make a future impact in the NHL. 

Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid
Courtesy of The Hockey News

Lately, some writers and bloggers have been talking about implementing relegation to punish teams from tanking and forcing each team to remain competitive all year round.  Originally, the idea seemed ludicrous.  The more research I put into the thought while examining the global state of hockey, the more I believe in relegation and its success in North America.

There is one small catch, however, that involves the abrupt end of the second-best hockey league worldwide in order for this idea to come to fruition.  The Kontinental Hockey League may soon go under, for both financial and political reasons.

Recently, reports circulated around teams like HC Sochi that have not been paying their players in an appropriate time frame, or at all.  Rumors also chirp about how some players have been asked to take pay cuts in exchange for "investing in the future of the organization," but the validity of this rumor is highly questionable.

Prior to this season, HC Donbass Dontesk of the KHL had to withdraw from competition due to the rising political conflicts in the Ukraine and Russia.  The Dontesk Region of Ukraine is now considered a major fighting zone during the dispute between the two countries over the past few years, and most organizations do not want to subject their players to that kind of hostile exposure.

If the KHL falls, then there are hockey players that will be in need of jobs.  Relegation will need more teams to work, and these players can come together to make new competitive teams in the United States and Canada. 

Courtesy of SportsLogos.net

Rebirth of the International Hockey League and the New Expansion Teams

It is important to note that relegation could spell doom for a couple of current NHL franchises, especially the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes.  Before we address the new league, these two franchises need to move to a market that will provide better fan support, regardless of league status.  The choices for where they should end up are very obvious and are in no need of explanation:

• The Arizona Coyotes relocate to Las Vegas, Nevada and are renamed the Las Vegas Vipers.
• The Florida Panthers relocate to Quebec City, Quebec, Canada and are renamed the Quebec Nordiques.

The name for the new relegation league should provide fans with more of a competitive feel and not one of consolation.  Some bloggers like the idea of calling their versions of NHL relegation "NHL2."  This is not an attractive name.  Instead of a name with a number attached to the end, I propose a rebirth of the International Hockey League as the new relegation league for the NHL.

Prior to its demise, the IHL competed neck-and-neck with NHL and minor league organizations for hockey supremacy in North America.  Some teams like the Detroit Vipers (defunct) and Chicago Wolves (now AHL) at one point outdrew their NHL counterparts.  Instead of the leagues becoming rivals, the two will work together to further strengthen hockey across the continent and allow the teams and not personal politics to dictate the action on the ice. 

To make relegation work successfully, in cooperation with the contingency above, the NHL umbrella will expand to 10 cities and hold an expansion draft to fill roster spots.  Here, participants will be players from the European Leagues and North American professional hockey free agents.  These 10 cities were chosen based on market size, availability of arenas that exceed 15,000 spectators, and popularity of the sport in each region.  The below are also given tentative names.

• Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Barons
• Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: Hamilton Bulldogs
• Houston, Texas: Houston Aeros
• Kansas City, Missouri: Kansas City Scouts
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Milwaukee Admirals
• Orlando, Florida: Orlando Solar Bears
• Portland, Oregon: Portland Eagles
• San Antonio, Texas: San Antonio Rampage
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada: Saskatoon Blades
• Seattle, Washington: Seattle Totems

The first questionable city on this list is Orlando, Florida.  Despite having moved the Panthers out of the state, hockey does seem to thrive in Orlando.  The ECHL's Solar Bears do have a strong following in the Orlando Metropolitan Area.  Orlando has been top-five in attendance in both the regular season and post season since joining the ECHL in 2012, and that is with half of the Amway Center's seating arrangements closed off to the fans.  Another option would have been the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, but I wanted to try to avoid over-saturating media markets with multiple major professional hockey teams.  If it was up to me, the New York Metropolitan Area will only have one team. 

In order to make relegation easier and prevent the challenges with reconfiguring the divisions every year, all 40 teams will be zoned into four geographical quadrants.  This will be imperative with how each teams get promoted and demoted in this proposal.

North Zone: Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Hamilton, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Saskatoon, Toronto, Winnipeg

East Zone: Boston, Montreal, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Quebec, Washington

South Zone: Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, St. Louis, Tampa Bay

West Zone: Anaheim, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver

How My Relegation Will Work

The new relegated league will be structured in a way that will make both leagues competitive, reward winners, punish losers, and generate fan interest across both the NHL and IHL.

• The NHL and IHL will feature 20 teams in each league.  Each division will be set up based on the geographical zones created above.  In the inaugural season, the new expansion clubs will be placed in the IHL.  The remaining 10 teams in the IHL will be determined based on regular season record in the NHL; worst records get relegated until there are five teams in each IHL division.
• The NHL and IHL seasons will be 80 games long: five games against the division and two versus each team in the rest of the league.  
• The salary cap will be regulated differently at each level.  The NHL will have no salary floor but a strict salary cap; and the IHL will have a strict salary floor and no salary cap.
• For the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the top two teams in each division will make the playoffs and play a seven game series in each round.  In the NHL, the North and East Zones will make up the Campbell Conference and the South and West Zones will make up the Wales Conference.  In the IHL, the North and East will be the National Conference and the South and West will make up the American Conference.   
• There will be no interleague trading.  Once a player gets promoted or relegated to another league by season's end, that player is now "property" of that league.  The only way a player can get out of a contract to avoid being relegated with his team is if he becomes a free agent.  Once a player becomes a free agent, he can sign with either a NHL or IHL club.   
• In the regular season, the last place team in each NHL division will face the possibility of relegation.  Of these four teams, one is guaranteed to be relegated.  This is determined by the winner of the IHL's Marley Cup, tentativelty named after me.
• The IHL Playoffs will feature the league's division winners and will play each other in a best-of-seven series.  The winner of the Marley Cup will automatically be promoted to the NHL, while the last place NHL team in said team's respected zone gets automatically demoted.  
• The remaining three clubs will play their last-place NHL zone team for the chance to be promoted.  Instead of a best-of-seven series, the match ups will only be one game; the winners of these games stay in or get promoted to the NHL while the losing teams remain/drop down to the IHL.

There are some concerns from the above that need to be addressed.

The 80-game schedule requires a lot of traveling and the geographical quadrants span across different time zones.  As much as this will tire the players, the schedules will be constructed to accommodate any traveling concerns, i.e. longer home stands or geographically sound road trips. 

Imagine a team like Boston or Edmonton being demoted? 
Courtesy of Edmonton Journal

There is no interleague trading.  In fact, the players can only change leagues if their team gets promoted or demoted or if they become free agents.  This is done to ensure accountability and that the competition and interest at each level remains somewhat even. 

Hockey is a team effort, not an individual one. The team will not only be at risk of relegating; the players may end up losing their right to play in the NHL as well.  This could encourage players to play to their potential every night and not shine any superiority complex.  The players should have nothing to fear, since they are still technically under the NHL umbrella if they do end up in the IHL.

The idea on how to regulate team salaries are based on maintaining competitiveness and preventing "cheapness" of owners.  The NHL will have a strict salary cap to prevent top clubs from hogging up all the elite talent, as seen in today's NHL.  The elimination of the salary floor at the top level will help alleviate potential financial concerns for a team that could face financial issues due to relegation.  The strict salary floor in the IHL is to encourage owners to spend money on their teams to remain competitive and maintain fan interest; no one wants to watch a sluggish relegated team play at next-to-nothing in terms of hockey dollars.

The idea of one team guaranteed to be promoted is to encourage NHL fans to watch the IHL playoffs and championship, especially the fans of the last place teams that could be losing their place in the NHL.  These games will be played in the off days leading up to the Stanley Cup Finals.  

NHL/IHL Entry Draft and Minor Leagues

The NHL/IHL Draft will be seeded based on the following:

• The winner of the IHL Marley Cup gets the first overall pick. 
• The NHL team that was relegated to the IHL as a result of the Marley Cup winner gets the second overall pick.
• Picks three, four, and five will be based on the teams that won the relegation games, from worst record to best out of the three.
• Picks six, seven, and eight will be based on the teams that lost the relegation games, from worst record to best.
• Picks nine to 20 will consist of the remaining IHL teams that did not make the playoffs or the relegation games, from worst record to best.
• Picks 21 to 32 will consist of the remaining NHL teams that did not make the playoffs or the relegation games, from worst record to best.
• Picks 33 to 38 will consist of the NHL teams that made the playoffs but did not make the Stanley Cup Finals.
• Pick 39 will be the Stanley Cup runner up.
• Pick 40 will be the Stanley Cup Champion.

Because of the addition of 10 teams in the draft, the order will be reversed every round (snake draft) and last five rounds.  There will be a total of 200 players selected in the draft.

The American Hockey League will become the sole minor league for both the NHL and IHL.  Unlike the parent leagues, the AHL will be 40-teams large and divided into two separate conferences.  In cooperation with the NHL owners' desire to move their minor league operations closer to their operations, the new AHL will feature teams from other leagues (both current and defunct) like the ECHL and major juniors. 

Here is a sample set of affiliation agreements for the South Zone franchises:

• Carolina Hurricanes --> Charlotte Checkers (Charlotte, NC)
• Columbus Blue Jackets --> Cincinnati Cyclones (Cincinnati, OH)
• Dallas Stars --> Texas Stars (Austin, Texas)
• Houston Aeros --> Tulsa Oilers (Tulsa, OK)
• Kansas City Scouts --> Missouri Mavericks (Independence, MO)
• Nashville Predators --> Gwinnett Gladiators (Duluth, GA)
• Orlando Solar Bears --> Pensacola Ice Flyers (Pensacola, FL)
• San Antonio Rampage --> Oklahoma City Blazers (Oklahoma City, OK)
• St. Louis Blues --> Evansville Ice Men (Evansville, IN)
• Tampa Bay Lightning --> Florida Everblades (Estero, FL)

What are your thoughts?  Comment below.

Seniors Turned Juniors: The Minor League Teams That Should Embrace the Junior Hockey Scene

By Dan Marley
 
      The hockey landscape in North America is changing at an interesting rate.  Already, we are seeing new-look minor leagues with new markets joining the American Hockey League and ECHL.  
      Some teams are excited about the future state of professional hockey in America, while others are concerned that they may not be around for much longer because of these changes.  Some of these franchises are worried that with change, they may not be able to properly accommodate the players and staff, which could lead to their potential demise.
       Some of these markets can levy their concerns with a change in scenery, from the minor pro to the junior hockey circuits. Looking at the possibility of drastically shifting gears may seem whimsical, but already there are current junior hockey franchises that are having better success at the junior level than they have had at the pro ranks.



Courtesy of JuniorHockey.com

Embracing the Junior Hockey Scene: Present Success of Junior Hockey in Past Minor Hockey Markets
       In recent years, the Johnstown Tomahawks have revitalized hockey in central Pennsylvania. 
       The city was losing interest in hockey at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena leading up to the 2010 season, and that lack of interest led to the loss of a professional hockey franchise. In 2012, the Tomahawks organization came to Johnstown all the way from Alaska to reignite a spark that is now a proud city tradition.  Some fans will probably never trade this team for the world.
       These Tomahawks are not affiliated with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, or any other NHL franchise.  These players aren't even eligible to play hockey at the professional level... yet.  They are a proud member of the USA junior hockey's North American Hockey League.
       The Tomahawks took over for the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL a few years ago.  For over 20 years, the Chiefs graced the War Memorial Arena with competitive hockey and guys like former NHL goaltender Arturs Irbe donning the Chiefs crest.  Now playing in Greenville, South Carolina and the NAHL in town, the locals do not miss the Chiefs as much as they appreciate Tomahawks hockey.  Since coming to the NAHL, the Tomahawks have been top-5 in attendance and have an indirect influence for NAHL expansion and relocation into current minor league hockey markets in the Midwest.
       Another city that is now embracing a junior hockey presence is Lewiston, Maine, the city once occupied by the former Lewiston MAINEiacs of the Quebec Mjaor Junior Hockey League. 
        Back in 2011, the Androscoggin Bank Colisée denied a request from the Single-A Federal Hockey League to place a franchise in the Lewiston-Auburn area,  in hopes that the Tier-1 United States Hockey League would expand eastward and establish operations in the area.  Now, the city is eagerly awaiting to see the North American 3 East Hockey League's Lewiston-Auburn Fighting Spirit to play in the Colisée.
        There are other teams that have entered the junior hockey game with stronger success than their appearance in the minor leagues, including the El Paso Rhinos of the Tier-3 Western States Hockey League and the Texas-based clubs in the NAHL.
        Some cities that are looking to attract a junior hockey team are Dickinson, North Dakota; and Dayton, Ohio.
         In my opinion, junior hockey in most parts of the country should be the premier option over Double-A and Single-A leagues like the ECHL, Southern Professional Hockey League, and FHL. Fans can watch young athletes shine on their journey to the professional and collegiate ranks, whereas leagues like the ECHL, SPHL, and FHL promise fans players that may have had little experience at the high-level ranks and are mostly playing for a pay check.
Across North America, there are a plethora of minor league markets that should get younger and give junior hockey a chance to shine. 

Courtesy of NewsTimes.com

Junior Hockey Thriving in Current Federal Hockey League Markets
    From the looks of an apparent lawsuit over an injured eye, it looks like the FHL may soon come to an end.  Allegations of poor management and player safety, consistent use of travel teams to replace defunct franchises mid-season, and shadiness call for an end to this league and Commissioner Don Kirnan to be punished under several federal laws.  The teams, however, should not fade away into hockey oblivion, as they are within the right location of several junior hockey markets. 
     The Danbury Whalers and Berkshire Battalion are in a prime location for many Atlantic junior hockey possibilities.  There are rumors circulating about both the USHL and NAHL expanding to the east coast, and these two markets can support either league.  If true, given their arena size and attendance figures, both would probably work well under the NAHL umbrella.     Realistically, the Whalers and Battalion will be better off joining the NA3EHL.  This move will allow both clubs to alleviate extensive travel and generate rivalries with former FHL-considered and FHL-once-was markets like the New York Aviators, Fighting Spirit, and Cape Cod Islanders.
        The Watertown Wolves can fit into three leagues given its geographical location and level of fan support: Ontario Junior Hockey League, NAHL, and NA3HL.  The OJHL will expand Western New York's presence in the Canadian Junior Hockey League and generate a quick rivalry with the nearby Buffalo Jr. Sabres.  In addition, this could intrigue the OJHL to add clubs near the United States-Ontario border.  The NAHL will strengthen the league's easternmost footprint and provide closer divisional rivals for the Tomahawks and Keystone Ice Miners (if they stick around).  The NA3HL will do the same as the NAHL, except for the Southern Tier Xpress and Pittsburgh Vengeance. 
        The Steel City Warriors (Belle Vernon, PA) and new Port Huron franchise could succeed in the NAHL.  Port Huron was once home to the Fighting Falcons of the same league, and as we continue to see the NAHL's demise in the Wolverine State, the Port Huron area might not fully welcome a return of Tier-2 hockey at the McMorran Place.  With Belle Vernon having to recover with what is so far another failed FHL experiment, these two teams might need to lay low for a while until considering joining a junior (or any level of organized) hockey league.
        The Danville Dashers and Dayton Demonz are ideal targets for USHL and NAHL expansion.  Danville used to be home to the Danville Wings of the USHL and NAHL and posted better attendance figures than the current city's hockey tenant, 900-plus per game to be exact.  Dayton is looking at both leagues to occupy the Hara Arena and there is a Facebook group advocating for the presence of a better hockey fate for the city, as well as the demise of the FHL.  For Danville, the NAHL makes the most sense, and for Dayton, the USHL is optimal. 

Courtesy of TVASports.ca

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey and Junior Hockey in the Quebec Province
       The LNAH is the other Minor pro league in North America that most hockey fans fail to acknowledge.  The league, like the FHL, has been identified as a goon league comprised of players from Quebec and former QMJHL players.  For some hockey fans in Quebec, this league is a little relief from a province saturated with QMJHL and LJHQ AAA clubs.  But with an overabundance of gooniness in the league, it's time for a change.
        Also, interesting footnote, a couple of the teams in the LNAH are named after a business or corporate sponsor.  One is named after a radio station (Saint-Georges Cool 103.5 FM) and another after a door, hardware, and furnishing company (Thetford Mines Isothermic).  The junior hockey scene too has clubs named after corporations, including Team Comcast and Victory Honda in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League.
        Given their location in the Quebec province, for all but two, the QMJHL is the most ideal destination for the member clubs in this league.  The two clubs that should see a different fate are the Laval Predators and Cornwall River Kings.
        The Laval Predators are in a city awaiting a new 10,000-seat arena, which will most likely be home to the AHL Canadiens.  If anything, the team could be a member of the LHJQ AAA as a way of competing with the AHL financially, since the LHJQ AAA is a pay-to-play league.
        The Cornwall River Kings should be graced with an Ontario Hockey League presence.  Historically, the Eastern Ontario city mostly associates with its Québécois neighbors, sporting a QMJHL franchise in the past.  The other junior team in the city might have a problem with it, the Cornwall Colts of the Central Canada Hockey League, but fair competition could dictate who stays and who goes elsewhere.

Courtesy of WheelingNailers.com

Wheeling Nailers, The Center of Opportunity for USA Tier I and II Junior Hockey 
        In one forum post on JuniorHockey.com, a junior hockey fan suggested that a Wheeling, West Virginia (home to the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers) news team should send a camera crew out to Johnstown to do a piece on why junior hockey is a better option than Double-A hockey.  Seeing the success of Johnstown in the NAHL, this fan probably wishes the Nailers the same success for Nailers hockey, an organization that has seen a steady decline in attendance in recent years.
        There was one moment in recent history where the franchise was expected to move to Savannah, Georgia or drop down to a Single-A hockey league.  In addition, a writer for Mile High Hockey (SB Nation Blog for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche) called for the removal of the Nailers from a proposed AHL-ECHL realignment because of concerns of minor league interests.  That doesn't mean that junior hockey will not work here.
        The Nailers have two choices for junior hockey: the USHL and the NAHL.  Both make perfect sense for Wheeling.  The USHL will provide the club automatically with two regional opponents: the Youngstown Phantoms and USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.  The same goes for the NAHL, except with the Tomahawks and Keystone Ice Miners. 
        There are other teams that could benefit from a "change of pace," including the AHL's Toronto Marlies and ECHL's Brampton Beast and Elmira Jackals.  Toronto and Brampton could join the city of Hamilton, Ontario in the addition of larger markets to the OHL and Elmira could be an integral piece in eastward expansion for both the USHL and NAHL.  

Looking Ahead at the Potential Opportunities of Minor Pro Markets in the Junior Scene
        The presence of these franchises in the junior ranks could have a profound impact on the future look of junior hockey in the United States and Canada.  Some possibilities that can occur include:

• A promotion of the Tomahawks to the USHL if Wheeling and Dayton join the USHL or demotion of Youngstown to the NAHL if Wheeling and Dayton join the NAHL.
• A possible split of the QMJHL after the addition of the LNAH franchises, where the Eastern Quebec and Maritimes teams could form their own major junior league under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella.
• A promotion of the NA3HL's Suthern Tier Express (Jamestown, NY) to NAHL if Watertown joins the NAHL.
• A merger of the Eastern Hockey League and NA3EHL under the NA3EHL name to compete with the USPHL for Tier-3 supremacy in the country, especially after the USPHL expanded its footprint to the Midwest during the 2014/15 regular season. 

        The possibilities with these teams and leagues are endless.  With hockey now changing its footprint at each level, the prime concern here is what league will benefit each market and their surrounding hockey neighbors.