Whether Brad Clark wanted to be closer to home or simply was more comfortable at home, the fact is the Temiscaming Royals captain and leading scorer left the team for the Deseronto Storm of the Greater Metro Hockey League.
Clark, who led the NOJHL’s Royals in scoring with 29 points in 30 games, left the NOJHL team to deal with a family situation before Christmas. This past weekend, he suited up for Deseronto and scored four goals in his season debut.
Because Clark has dressed for Deseronto, and because Hockey Canada has imposed sanctions against players who play in the GMHL, the Royals have lost their captain and leading scorer and won’t be able to get anything in return.
This comes at a time when the Royals have lost eight straight and played their last few games with a dozen skaters due to injuries, suspensions and a couple others who are missing in action.
As the Royals seek warm bodies to fill out their roster, the nearby Nipissing Alouettes, also of the GMHL, recently added two former high school players — top defenceman Jean Benoit and forward Joe Turner— as well as former North Bay Trappers defenceman Pat Seguin
And coaches of local high school teams should beware — the Royals may just be looking for contact information for some current high school players.
The NOJHL roster deadline is Jan. 10, this Saturday. The North Bay Skyhawks aren’t faring much better, having iced a lineup with 15 or 16 skaters for much of the past three weeks. One player, Andrew Glasser, left the team in December. But the Skyhawks still have their captain, all their leading scorers and nobody has jumped ship for the outlaw league.
Maybe Hockey Canada will rethink those sanctions. There are certainly players on the Alouettes who can help either the Royals or Skyhawks the rest of this season.
hey ken, any chance you could score an interview with clark…find out more of why he chose to do this? the ‘hometown’ thing is there, but lots of rumours are going around about the state of the locker room in temiskaming. i dont want to repeat them, since i can’t verify the accuracy of them, but you’ve probably heard the same stories…it could be worth some investigating? as for the hawks, hopefully glasser thinks twice…still waiting to hear the word on tront too…there’s 2 major holes in a lineup!
ok, one last question: what’s your thoughts on the fighting debate?
The sanctions intended to strengthen Hockey Canada’s stonghold on players may actually hurt the recruitment ability in the NOJHL as it seemd based on your post that the GMHL is doing a great job in recruiting and signing players in the North. The change in policy is imminent and will only occur faster if pressured by their own membership (the competition bureau is reviewing this policy).
Curious who on the Alouettes can potentially help the Skyhawks or Royals in your opinion?
Deejay BJ,
The do-gooders who are taking this opportunity to call for the banishment of fighting in hockey are not involved in the game. Although Pierre McGuire supports a one-fight rule at the NHL level to maybe squeeze the one-dimensional goons off the roster, nobody is calling for complete banishment of fighting.
Many people are citing the excitement and quick pace of the world junior tournament as reason that fighting is not required. But in the New Year’s Eve Canada-U.S. game, the hit-from-behind by DiDomenico on the U.S. player was an example of what can happen when reckless play and careless stickwork is left unchecked. If the score was 4-0 at the time, instead of 3-2, there might have been a brouhaha, a good old-fashioned donnybrook.
The point is, today’s game is so much faster, the players so much stronger, that players are at more risk of danger than ever before (as evidenced by growing number of concussions). The name of the game is to win, and if fighting is taken out of the game, then teams can benefit simply by loading up with knuckleheads whose intent is to run around with no concern about injuring others, not having to worry about having to defend themselves and “answer the bell.”
So taking the fighting out of the game has a reverse effect — the game becomes even more dangerous for the skilled players. Problem is, in my opinion, I think some of the do-gooder public watchdogs taking the anti-fighting stance in their columns haven’t spent enough time in a dressing room or as part of a team. I could be wrong.
Arenamom,
I’ve seen many of the Alouettes play in high school and midget, but I don’t want to name names and pick favourites (although Justin Huycke is a solid second-liner on our summer ball hockey team and Pat Beaudry is a solid catcher in senior baseball).
The point is, the Royals are so desperate for bodies, they wouldn’t rule out anyone. But even the players with OJHL junior ‘A’ experience such as Matt Thompson and Josh Tass are not eligible to play because of the sanctions.
As long as the NHL permits fighting not much will change in other leagues. Tie Domi has often been quoted as saying that someone on an NHL club will have to die before any change might develop. My opinion has zero influence but I’ve never bought the idea of fighting as a ‘relief valve’ for an emotional game. Why is punching a guy in the head ok inside an arena but in an emotional situation outside an arena, like say an incident of road rage, is it not acceptable for a couple of drivers to duke it out on the side of the road?
I admit, I’ve only taken in one GMHL with the Oro-Medonte 77’s starting up near Orillia this past year, but it appears to me to be a HUGE step down from the OJHL. And the argument that I’ve heard about that league, is that because they allow an unlimited number of 16-year-olds, along of younger players who aren’t ready to play against 20-year-olds end up getting injured.
So what exactly are the sanctions against the players who play in that league?
Hey Matt,
A player dressing for one game is ineligible to play OJHL (Hockey Canada) for three months. A player who plays six games is ineligible for sanctioned junior ‘A’ for six months (basically the rest of that season).
Play more than 10 games and not allowed to play junior ‘A’ for a full year.
Also, Hockey Canada is supposed to not sanction tournaments and/or branch championships in towns that support GMHL.
GMHL also has basically an unlimited import rule, which allows the Bradford club to charge big bucks to run a hockey academy for European players and ice a lineup mostly of Euros. I could be mistaken.
So the game between Canada and Russia would have been better with a couple of punch-ups? I don’t think so.
Canada-Russia was two elite, high-skilled teams going at it. However, Canada-Russia is an all-star game, the country’s best against the country’s best. That happens a few times a year in certain tournaments. That’s not everyday hockey. That’s not Pittsburgh (three stars and 15 players) against Tampa Bay (three stars and 15 players).
When all the players return to their club teams, some weaker teams can neutralize the Cody Hodgson and John Tavares type superstars by running them from behind or two-handing them on the wrist, maybe a coach thinks it’s worth risking a five-minute major to take them out of the game. That’s why fighting still exists.
same punches are allowed in boxing , etc.., its an added element.
the penalty’s are there to make sure the hockey remains in the game and things don’t get carried away , which they hardly do any more.
All the on ice deaths could have been prevented over the years, its called play something else.
Thats the reality of this sometimes dangerous sport , regardless of fighting.
Ken,
I hate to compare hockey to other sports, but hockey is the only sport where people would conclude that the best way to protect players is to let them fight with each other. It’s absurd.
I’m not saying that physical retribution is be a bad thing. Robyn Regher was on After Hours on CBC the other day. He said that Ales Hemsky cross checked him in the throat last season, and every game since then, he has laid him out with a solid bodycheck.
And are you saying that coaches would be willing to take five-minute majors and suspensions to send out their goons to intentionally injure the Hodgson and Tavares types, but don’t do it because their goons might have to fight?
Five minute majors and suspensions will always be far bigger deterrents than having to fight.
Interesting comment by Kevyn Adams, former Toronto Maple Leafs/NHL journeyman forward and former U.S. college hockey player, on TSN’s Off The Record Tuesday.
Fights receive an automatic game misconduct and at least a game suspension in U.S. college hockey, from what I understand.
But Adams said it was the dirtiest level of hockey he’s played in, in regards to stick work, etc.
Just food for thought.
Good point Jordo,
jaydee said it best in another post. Maybe hockey should take out fighting and put more emphasis on hitting from behind. Take out fighting and win by two-handing the other team’s star on the wrists. Make sure it’s a good baseball swing. Like Adam Graves taking Mario Lemieux out of the 1992 playoffs.
Maybe Claude Lemieux and Ryan Hollwegg can open their own hockey school. By the way, Claude Lemieux had one of the worst hits from behind of all time against Draper. He sat two games and then skated around the rink with the Stanley Cup. The two-game suspension wasn’t a deterrent. It was having to “answer the bell” from McCarty or Kocur everytime he lined up in Detroit. Lemieux never hit from behind again.
I’ll agree that the two-game suspension wasn’t a deterrent and it was a crime that he didn’t get a stiffer penalty. I think if Claude makes it back to the NHL and does something like that again, he would be getting somewhere around 10 games.
That said, I don’t think for a guy like Claude Lemieux that having to fight Kocur or McCarty was much of a deterrent either.
Some interesting info fighting: http://www.hockeyfights.com/stats/
I have watched a lot of D1 hockey across the St. Mary’s River at Lake Superior State University and the stick work is pretty nasty. The full face shields might have something to do with it.
yes
but Everything , is supoosed to “SAve Lives”
from face masks, to no fighting , to whatever.
as i said before the only way for sure you won’t die from playing any type of hockey , is by staying on the couch.
even pick up has risk. Its a dangerous sport people, its a tough sport.
Boxing is a dangerous tough sport , MMA as well, lacross ( same as hockey, concrete not ice). Car Racing , VERY DANGEROUS, Way more dangerous than hockey.
terrible things happen daily in the world, the odd time on the ice, field, court etc..,
if its not one thing, its another thing
Coaches, referees and hockey executives are already in the best positions to correct unwanted and unnecessarily dangerous hockey behaviour.
Coaches can recruit and reward smarter goons who can play on the so-called “energy” lines. Only bone-crunching legal checks should be acceptable; two-handers and back-checkers should be sent packing for the team’s honour.
And the coaches can teach the players to not turn their backs and put themselves in dangerous positions in the first place. A body of mine who played competitive hockey said they never used to do that and learned how to safely take checks against the boards.
Referees have to recognize the dirty stick work and back checkers and take these guys out whatever way possible. Intent to injure add-ons and instigator penalties can be useful tools that could be expanded for this purpose.
Executives have to back up the coaches and referees to rid their leagues of the bush league reputations. People want to watch tough, skilled players score goals or make amazing saves while they keep an eye peeled for the big checks. And when they get hit hard, they should limp off like a good sport and their teammates should retaliate only with another stiff, clean hit.
I like a good fight, but the bare-knuckle stuff with some guys wearing visors and some guys wearing cages just doesn’t cut it for me. Did you see Brad May’s hand after hitting one of the Habs wearing a visor. Kinda spoils the moment.
With all due respect, Kenny, leaving it to the players to enforce the rules is a little out of touch with modern times and not fair to the professional or aspiring athletes.
Coaches, referees and hockey executives are already in the best positions to correct unwanted and unnecessarily dangerous hockey behaviour.
Coaches can recruit and reward smarter goons who can play on the so-called “energy” lines. Only bone-crunching legal checks should be acceptable; two-handers and back-checkers should be sent packing for the team’s honour.
And the coaches can teach the players to not turn their backs and put themselves in dangerous positions in the first place. A buddy of mine who played competitive hockey said they never used to do that and learned how to safely take checks against the boards.
Referees have to recognize the dirty stick work and back checkers and take these guys out whatever way possible. Intent to injure add-ons and instigator penalties can be useful tools that could be expanded for this purpose.
Executives have to back up the coaches and referees to rid their leagues of the bush league reputations. People want to watch tough, skilled players score goals or make amazing saves while they keep an eye peeled for the big checks. And when they get hit hard, they should limp off like a good sport and their teammates should retaliate only with another stiff, clean hit.
I like a good fight, but the bare-knuckle stuff with some guys wearing visors and some guys wearing cages just doesn’t cut it for me. Did you see Brad May’s hand after hitting one of the Habs wearing a visor. Kinda spoils the moment.
With all due respect, Kenny, leaving it to the players to enforce the rules is a little out of touch with modern times and not fair to the professional or aspiring athletes.
Question or clarification for those in the know – some US and International players in the GMHL have been lead to believe that the Hockey Canada sanctions do not pertain to them as their minor hockey development did not take place under the auspice of Hockey Canada. Some have been approached for next season and been led to believe that is the case – any comments or interpretations would be welcome?