The following is from the BHTL website. http://www.buckeyetravelhockey.com/ If you go to the site, there are links to the proposed team placement chart (tied to definition of association size and the limits on numbers of second year players) and the up-dated association classification (i.e., small, medium, large) chart.

Len has posted here before so he might see any comments left here, but for those of you who can't make the meeting I would encourage you to send along any thoughts that you might have on the changes. I am not specifically sure what the "double rostering issue" or proposal is, but maybe we can get some more detail here on how the league's official position will be modified or clarified.



There will be a meeting this Saturday, May 1, to go over proposed rule changes and/or clarifications for the upcoming season. We will be meeting at 10:00am in the HARA Conference Center; all interested parties are invited to attend. Use the entrance at the front of the building with the maroon canopy (it says HARA) over the door. The room is just inside the glass doors.

Some of the more significant items on the agenda include:

A revised "Team Placement Chart".
An updated "Association Size Classification" with a proposal to consider "Metro Areas" when sizing associations.
Some modifications to our rostering rules, including the Double Rostering issue.
Increase the number of mandatory game suspensions for multiple game misconducts.

If you have some thoughts on these (or any other) issues but cannot attend the meeting please send me an email ( Len@HoltgrevenScale.com ) and I'll make it available to those in attendance. Please indicate whether you're views represent the official position of an association or whether you're simply expressing a personal opinion.

I will be posting the proposed changes (as finalized in this meeting) on the website and we will vote to accept or decline these changes at our Annual Meeting which has been tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 22. If you'd like to get involved and have a voice in the shaping of your league, please plan to attend. We're always in need of additional volunteers and your help would be greatly appreciated.

Len

The site doesn't seem to provide a summary of who is going where, but it does appear that the "metro area" rule that looks at all associations in a metro area and groups them similarly has changed. CCYHA and Columbus Travel Hockey remain in the large group while Cardinal who is indicated as travel-only, but has plans to add house teams this year moves down to medium. However, TOYHA is still classified as large. In Indy, the Ice and Artic Blaze (new) are classified as medium while IYHA is large. The most interesting seems to be the Ice and TOYHA classifications. The prorated total for TOYHA is 490 and the prorated total for the Ice is 668, but the first is large and the second medium.

I think BTHL does as good a job as possible in trying to set these rules and it is a thankless job but I always thought trying to keep the metro area teams in the same boat made some sense. While travel-only organizations have fewer numbers of kids, they are pulling from the same talent pool size. Considering the Indy Ice and Columbus Cardinals to be medium associations seems to an obvious departure from what I previously understood to be the way the groupings were done--I freely admit that this could be just something I thought and was never a formal rule.

I believe that all associations should play at the highest level possible to challenge their kids and it is more about developing hockey players than winning titles. Being more familiar with the Cardinal folks I don't see them rostering their 93 team, for example, as an A team just because BTHL says they can, and like I said this is a thankless job, but I just find it curious and am pointing it out to see what thoughts others may have--board has been a little dead in the off-season.

To the best of my knowledge, TOYHA is a "travel only" association and the Indy Ice have a house program. That's the reason for their placement in the "Large" and "Medium" classifications respectively. The Cardinals are considerably smaller at this point and would be classified as "Small" based on the numbers, but since they're "travel only" they'be been bumped up one step to "Medium". I know the Cardinals are starting a house program but the numbers we have available to us do not include any of those skaters.

Note that this chart is not final and the reason it's on the website is to solicit opinion. I will forward any opinions expressed on this board to the meeting on Saturday so please make yourself heard.

Your right, this is a thankless job and I appreciate your recognition of that. I have no direct interest since my boys are in college and haven't actually participated in the league for over 6 years now. My goal has been to provide an unbiased viewpoint in an effort to grow a great sport in this area. My reward has been to watch the league grow and mature over the last 9 years.

Len,

Was there ever a rule/plan/consideration to group teams the same metro areas in the same classification? If anything, I think Cardinal is pushing to play at higher and higher levels so I don't think it is an issue for us here in Central Ohio, but I was just curious. In looking, you capture metro-area statistics so I was wondering how it is factored in. Theoretically a travel-only in the same metro area could have its first selected team play A against the second selected team from another organization in the same metro area both organizations pulling from the same talent pool. Given the associations in Central Ohio, this is more theoretical than an actual concern, but others may have this concern--don't know. For example first selected TOYHA team could slot into the same division as a seconded selected SMAHL team, again, all pulling from the same area.

To basically echo a comment from a earlier thread, I do like the way the rules are consistently applied and everyone knows the rules going in and generally in time for team selections. Congratulations to you and the BTHL for this and thanks for the work you do.

I'm very confused here. How can one organization that is drawing kids from the same geographical area as other organizations be considered "medium" while the others in the same area are considered "large"? That makes no sense to me.

For example - the Cardinal, Columbus Capitals, and CCYHA programs all draw from the central Ohio area. There are no geographical boundries on any of the programs, and yet, Cardinal is being classified different? I don't understand how this can happen.

Thanks
Mom

This is a relatively new concept and we're trying to sort things out, so bear with us.

It might help to look at other areas for a little insight. In Fort Wayne for example there are 2 associations; the Komets and River Rats. In most cases (but not all) players will try out for the Komets first and those that are cut will try out for the River Rats. This is an attempt to quantify that scenario; it seems obvious to me that it wouldn't be fair to consider them each on the same level. On the other hand, there needs to be some recognition that they pull from a larger pool than an isolated association of the same relative size. I think that same concept can be fairly applied to Indianapolis (Racers and Ice), Cincinnati (Cyclones and Norsemen), Toledo (Maple Leafs and TOYHA).

It could be that Columbus is different, but the point may be moot. It doesn't appear to me that they intend to take advantage of the rating since they seem to place their teams at the highest level they feel they can compete (and sometimes higher). You can look at last years' Squirt division for a good example of that.

Len,

I agree that it won't be an issue here in Central Ohio. I think it would cut against everything Cardinal is trying to do if they were to play a team down just to dominate and win a level. As you correctly point out, their Squirt AA #1 team had no problem last year and they will place their teams at the highest levels they can.

It does appear that things are a little different in Central Ohio than in the other locations. You won't find anyone from Cardinal; nor anyone in Central Ohio (I think) that would indicate that they are a "second choice" organization. I know you don't mean that and I am just clarifying that for the Board. I don't believe, at this time, there is a clear #1 organization that generally is each players first choice. Over time, each will get a good group of kids at a certain level/birth year and kids from other organizations might tryout there to be part of that team, but this varies by birth year by organization.

With a new organization coming on in Indy (and Toledo too, but not sure where that organization will play) and the discussion in another thread about the shifting of kids across organizations I can only believe that maybe next year there will be another tweek to take a closer look at those situations. As you have stated, this is always a work in progress.

The sad part, to some extent, of all of this is that if each organization would honestly and truthfully assess the players on each of their teams with the goal to have them play at the highest level where they could be competitive (note that the word is competitive--not dominate and win banners) then much of this would be unnecessary. And, if I could just win the Mega Millions lottery . . . oh wait, I must have drifted off into a dream--sorry.

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Originally posted by CBJHockeyNut:

With a new organization coming on in Indy (and Toledo too, but not sure where that organization will play)

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It is my understanding that the "new" Toledo organization (Ice Diggers) is going to be "ranked" teams that will play in the L.C.A.H.L. But I think this will effect the B.T.H.L. for this area because I don't know if their will be enough (92's anyway) to field a 92 team.

quote:

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And, if I could just win the Mega Millions lottery . . . oh wait, I must have drifted off into a dream--sorry.

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Hey that is my dream get out of it.....!