2015 silly season well underway

BY JIM DEN HOLLANDER

MIDWEST HOCKEY EDITOR

It seems I spend every waking moment thinking about hockey, but that is not entirely true.

I sort of like auto racing as well — in particular the top open wheel series such as Formula 1, Indy Cars etc. Actually I don’t follow it as closely as I used to but I try to stay on top of who is leading each series and which race is next on the schedule.

The off season in racing is affectionately called the ‘Silly Season’ by race fans, meaning primarily it is the time when drivers change teams, team change sponsors, new teams are formed, old teams close shop…all of that kind of ‘silly’ stuff.

The same is basically true in hockey at all levels as it seems every level has some kind of changes during the short summer season. Well, the stories are already flying around — ranging from rumors to unsubstantiated or confirmed truth and out and out wishful thinking as well as several stories that are confirmed by the leagues themselves. One thing is certain…the landscape of hockey will be going through some changes through the off season and the Midwest Region will not be unaffected.

Here is what I have heard so far:

Pro 

NHL —Nothing is going to change at the top…at least for now as far as franchise movement. Right now the biggest off season change that could take place could affect overtime periods as the American Hockey League this season has been testing out an extended overtime that drops the players on ice total from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3.

Despite some negative words from Commissioner Gary Bettman, the change seems popular and it should get some discussion. Whether the change occurs in the season ahead is uncertain. Mark this writer down as in favor of the change. Anything that makes a shootout more of a rarity is good.  The shootout is less special now because it happens so often.

As for movement — that is at least a couple of seasons down the road and the only affect that could take place in the Midwest could possibly be the addition of a team in Kansas City, but that talk appears to have subsided in recent months. Current rumors and speculation on where teams could move or be added centers more on the west coast and in some cases central/eastern Canada.

Nothing is happening on this front until at least the 2016-17 season and even that is a longshot.

AHL — Plenty of movement here and while there are no Midwest based teams specifically backing up the moving vans, there are some changes that could affect some.

Most of the moves see east coast teams such as Adirondack, Worcester, Norfolk. St. Johns and Manchester moving to the left coast in an effort to be closer to the parent club.

However Oklahoma City is also moving to the west coast for the Oilers and Hamilton Bulldogs are taking over Winnipeg’s spot in Newfoundland.

These changes should mean some of the borderline teams that are currently located in the Western side — such as Utica and Rochester…maybe even Toronto…will move to the Eastern side and there could be some changes in which teams are in which Western divisions.

Of course this is all just speculation now. Suffice to say it will be another busy summer of announcements for the AHL.

ECHL– This league will have a drastically different look this fall I suspect as it catches up on a host of changes made during the season.

First, the league absorbed the CHL literally on the eve of the season, keeping all of those teams in one division for the regular season. Then, late in the year it was announced that several of the strongest West Coast markets such as Stockton, Bakersfield, Ontario and Las Vegas will be hosting NHL teams next season.

I expect a somewhat major restructuring of the league as the CHL had teams stretching from Texas to the Midwest and even including Brampton, a suburb of Toronto.

Junior

USHL — With two teams added this past season, there are no changes scheduled for this off season, but the Indiana Ice have already been approved to return to the league the following season. Ironically, the Ice sat out this season, making the announcement just a few short days after claiming the Clark Cup last spring.

I am not aware of any other changes in this league.

OHL— There are at least a couple of changes in the OHL but the one that affects the Midwest will see the Plymouth Whalers relocating in Flint. That will make up for the current NAHL team there moving to the east coast (see below).

NAHL — Here we grow again. It is already known that teams such as the Michigan and Keystone entries have made a commitment to move to the East Coast as the NAHL becomes a coast to coast junior circuit. There is also an unconfirmed rumor that the entry from the Soo is making the same trek and there will certainly be more new teams or moves announced in the off season. Also, the Topeka entry is scheduled to move closer to the bulk of its competition in the south division — it is currently the lone non-Texas based team in the division.

These moves have a direct effect on the Midwest based entries that occupied three different divisions this past season — However, those divisions also included teams from Pennsylvania and Alaska. Perhaps two more centralized Midwest Divisions — or even just one — will evolve out of these moves.

Tier III – It’s difficult to put these changes under a league as there are bulk moves already in the works as almost all of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League entries along with the entire Midwest Junior Hockey League have announced they will be moving into a new Midwest Division for the USPHL.

Left are just a few from the Minnesota League which could be granted entry into the NA3HL or perhaps a different league.

Major changes indeed at this level.

College – There have been plenty of D1 College moves in the past few seasons and I am not aware of any others taking place this summer. There are additions almost every season at the D3 and ACHA Club level and I expect this summer will be no different.

Admittedly, College is the landscape I know least about and that is something I hope to change in the near future.