OHL may lower drafting age....

[shmuck]

http://www.tsn.ca/chl/news_story.asp?id=119211&hubname=chl

Kinda seems like a bad idea to me. Let the 14 year olds play with the 14 year olds. Crosby, Lindros, etc, are all exceptions but if you get a 14 year old up against a 19 year old, one word, SPLAT!

If it keeps the kids careers alive then let them go to another league, its not like there is a real shortage of players in the OHL anyway.

[LeftClickHere]

Thats too young and I'm surprised they'd do that considering a year or two ago I think they were thinking of raising the age limit. The only way I think it could be good would be if they could be drafted at that age but weren't allowed to play in the OHL till they were at least 15, making them play another year of minor hockey. But that really wouldn't make sense.


Having said that,


the Oshawa Generals are on the clock!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[shmuck]

Yeah I think thats the only way that it would work, being able to draft them and wait for them to turn a certain age. Kinda like the NHLs minor team.....

We really need hockey to start up to get us some more people on these hockey boards, seems to me that we're almost the only people whoever check them.

[Hey Look Its Chase Utley!]

Why not draft a bunch of 8 year old orphans and train them like the Soviets used to.

[LeftClickHere]

Yeah I think thats the only way that it would work, being able to draft them and wait for them to turn a certain age. Kinda like the NHLs minor team.....

We really need hockey to start up to get us some more people on these hockey boards, seems to me that we're almost the only people whoever check them.


It seems like theres only 3 regulars here: 1957, shmuck and myself. Pagal is a hockey fan and a Mod here I believe, but I haven't hardly seen him here since I came over. Others come over to post ever once in awhile. Hopefully the hockey boards get better here.

[Roy Munson]

Why not draft a bunch of 8 year old orphans and train them like the Soviets used to.
WAAAAAAAAAY ahead of you...

[Roy Munson]

It seems like theres only 3 regulars here: 1957, shmuck and myself. Pagal is a hockey fan and a Mod here I believe, but I haven't hardly seen him here since I came over. Others come over to post ever once in awhile. Hopefully the hockey boards get better here.
hockey season = hockey board posting.

[LeftClickHere]

hockey season = hockey board posting.


Oh yeah, I totally agree Roy. Especially since there are lots of posters on this board who are fans of good and popular teams, ie Philly, Detroit, etc. I just meant that there's really only 3 hardcore posters that post even when there is no season. I look forward to when the NHL starts back up and seeing plenty of posters here.

[shmuck]

Oh yeah, I totally agree Roy. Especially since there are lots of posters on this board who are fans of good and popular teams, ie Philly, Detroit, etc. I just meant that there's really only 3 hardcore posters that post even when there is no season. I look forward to when the NHL starts back up and seeing plenty of posters here.
Too bad none of the old ESPN regs ever come over here. I've tried before but they always seem to not like the idea of change. I cant wait to experience the playoffs without trolls or any other garbage that goes on there, it'll be nice.

[LeftClickHere]

Too bad none of the old ESPN regs ever come over here. I've tried before but they always seem to not like the idea of change. I cant wait to experience the playoffs without trolls or any other garbage that goes on there, it'll be nice.

Yeah I've tried to get espn regs here. When I post something over there I don't get any response at all. I'd like it atleast if they told me to fuck off! lol

Anyways I can't blame them in a way. I hate change and it took me a long time to get over here, but since I have I haven't gone back to espn at all. Hopefully they'll eventually put up boards for all NHL teams and after time there will be a lot of posters here on the NHL boards.

[shmuck]

Yeah I've tried to get espn regs here. When I post something over there I don't get any response at all. I'd like it atleast if they told me to fuck off! lol

Anyways I can't blame them in a way. I hate change and it took me a long time to get over here, but since I have I haven't gone back to espn at all. Hopefully they'll eventually put up boards for all NHL teams and after time there will be a lot of posters here on the NHL boards.
Usually the trolls just call me a troll and the regs just ignore. Let me try it and I'll tell you how it goes.

[Hey Look Its Chase Utley!]

Yeah I've tried to get espn regs here. When I post something over there I don't get any response at all. I'd like it atleast if they told me to fuck off! lol

Anyways I can't blame them in a way. I hate change and it took me a long time to get over here, but since I have I haven't gone back to espn at all. Hopefully they'll eventually put up boards for all NHL teams and after time there will be a lot of posters here on the NHL boards.
Be patient. I have seen great growth on the baseball boards since I came over. I suspect if their was a season, you would have guys willing to come over.

[MrTippet]

I would be posting if they had a season. I'm a Stars and Wild fan and without a season it all just seems a little depressing.

[LeftClickHere]

Be patient. I have seen great growth on the baseball boards since I came over. I suspect if their was a season, you would have guys willing to come over.

Yeah I hope you're right.

[shmuck]

Hmmm, the regs havent even been to the Wings board in over a week, maybe they've given up there too.

I'm sure as soon as the lockout ends, people will come here.

[LeftClickHere]

Hmmm, the regs havent even been to the Wings board in over a week, maybe they've given up there too.

I'm sure as soon as the lockout ends, people will come here.

Do you have the same name at espn as you have here Shmuck?

[shmuck]

Do you have the same name at espn as you have here Shmuck?
Yup, I've been pretty lucky with this name, its available almost everywhere except for fucking Yahoo.

Makes me feel all special inside.

[1957 & Waiting]

Hmmm, the regs havent even been to the Wings board in over a week, maybe they've given up there too.

I'm sure as soon as the lockout ends, people will come here.
A lot went to LetsGoWings.com i believe. Higgyfan4 still posts on the ESPN Tigers board still. I believe she is registered here too, but doesn't post. Where the hell did Bloodwingz go?

[LeftClickHere]

A lot went to LetsGoWings.com i believe. Higgyfan4 still posts on the ESPN Tigers board still. I believe she is registered here too, but doesn't post. Where the hell did Bloodwingz go?

I chatted with Bloodwingz a few times on espn. It would be cool to see him here. He seemed like a very knowledgable, good fan and above all else a good person.

[LeftClickHere]

Here is an article from todays Toronto Sun. The reason why they're for this is because they're worried that they'll lose players to other leagues like the USHL. The only reason I was against the OHL doing this before was because I thought that 14 is too young to have a child move away from home. While I still believe that, if they're going to move away anyway at 14 why not have them stay in the OHL? I'm for this idea now.

Wed, March 23, 2005



OHL to vote on younger draft



By TERRY KOSHAN AND MIKE KOREEN, TORONTO SUN


JOHN TAVARES is excited about the possibility of one day playing in the Ontario Hockey League but for now is keeping all of his hockey doors open. Even though that OHL door could open a lot sooner than he expected it would.

The league's board of governors today will vote on whether to allow the drafting of players born in 1990. If the rule passes, the drafting of 14-year-old players would be restricted to the four teams that did not make the playoffs -- in this case, in order, the Oshawa Generals, Sarnia Sting, Saginaw Spirit and Kingston Frontenacs -- with the first four picks of the OHL priority selection on May 7.

OPPORTUNITY

"It's another option and a great opportunity for me (if the rule passes)," Tavares, who will be 15 in September, said. "It's a good possibility to end up (in the OHL) one day. I'm still deciding (what he will do next season)."

An OHL source said last night there was no guarantee the rule would be passed. Fifteen of the 20 teams have to vote in favour for the rule to pass.

A member of the Toronto Marlies minor midgets, Tavares, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound centre, also had 23 points in 16 regular-season games for the tier-II Milton Icehawks this season.

Apparently, there is not much Tavares can't do within the confines of a hockey rink.

He is more highly regarded for the draft than the crop of players born in 1989.

So why is the league looking at this rule, which has major controversy written all over it?

The OHL, which presently does not allow the drafting of players under the age of 15, does not want to risk losing a player of Tavares' calibre to a league such as the United States Hockey League. Tavares said the Indiana Ice of the USHL has expressed interest and he attended an Ice game this season.

"We (major junior) have made a commitment to reduce 16-year-olds to two and to reduce the number of imports (Europeans), but there is also a provision in place to deal with the exceptional player (such as Tavares)," OHL commissioner David Branch told The Fan 590, referring to the committee's recommendations that will be put before Hockey Canada at its annual general meeting in May.

"We're trying to work with Hockey Canada so we can see some sanity brought back into the development system. We are not bringing this in just because of John Tavares. This is a by-product of this committee."

Oshawa general manager Brad Selwood said the situation was intriguing.

"If they pass this rule, I will think about taking him," Selwood said.

"But I won't think about it until we get the go-ahead."

[LeftClickHere]

Well its all for not. The OHL has ruled against it and will keep its regular draft rules in place.

[LeftClickHere]

I can't find a link but on The Score today they reported the OHL is likely to let John Tavares enter this weekends OHL entry draft.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but I don't know why they reveresed their decision. If they do go through with it I can only guess that Tavares' camp must have pressured the O into it by threatining to have Tavares skip the O to play in another league. Thats all I can think of.

btw any clips that they show of him on tv he looks kind of slow and heavy footed. They never show him doing anything incredible from what I've seen.