IT'S TIME TO FREEZE UNQUALIFIED OWNERS OUT OF JUNIOR HOCKEY The only way to become a millionaire from owning a junior hockey team is to start out as a billionaire- Don Stone

What the North American Hockey League's Odessa Jackalopes owner said is funny, but also more than likely true. Operating a team, without losing more than $100,000 a year, should be considered successful. It’s an expensive hobby, but when are hobbies generally profitable?

There are a lot of reasons why an owner decides to acquire a team, but mostly it’s for the love of the game. Folks that purchase exotic cars, super yachts, country club memberships, or even private jets all should understand what it’s going to take to maintain their toys.

Unfortunately, there are operators in junior hockey that start to cut corners when the shine starts to wear off the new toy. Especially if the team was purchased for their own children to get the opportunity to play on team. The problem is the fact that such financial savings are coming at the expense of the developing hockey players.

The pre-draft and main camps have become little more than an acceptable form of fundraising for teams. Some operators go over the top and get 12 or more teams on the ice for these camps, while others take four teams and charge a fraction of what others cost. Some are about selecting a team while most others are about filling a bank account.

A few North American Hockey League teams are now charging for pre-season training camps, something that has never happened before the last few years.

The big question must be why.

Why do owners even get into the NAHL, while fully aware of the expectations and standards, then start to nickel and dime the players? Veteran, tendered, and drafted players should not even be paying for a main camp and nobody should be paying for training camp. This new practice is ridiculous.

Some teams have found other ways to cut costs. Player housing has been a huge problem in the east where players are often being stuffed into hockey houses or apartments. Substandard housing and meals is the equivalent of buying a Ferrari, parking it outside and then filling the tank with cheap gasoline.

Every league has their weak sisters that have a difficult time keeping up. The problems start to pile up when players no longer have faith in the league because the standards set for the level of play are not being met.

The easiest way to address the issue is to eliminate the draft completely and go to a straight card system. Allow teams to protect 24 players and up to eleven affiliates from high school, youth, or NA3HL teams. Force operators to attract players the same way college hockey programs do; by providing an attractive program.

Operators that simply can’t maintain standards should have to step aside. Every team in the league should have an account with a minimum of a $250,000 balance that the leagues have access to in the event of an operator default. Maybe reduce that number by $25,000 each year that the team proves they can maintain standards. When a default occurs, force the operator to reset balance to $250,000. If they can’t, the membership returns to the league for resale.

In the past, tier standards were never debatable, but in the last ten years, operators have been getting away with more and more baloney. Apparently, very few people care. It’s the reluctance from the NAHL to enforce standards, follow the Rights and Responsibilities contract addendum, or sometimes even selective enforcement of rules that reduces the actual value of each membership.

I’m not a lawyer, but is the behavior of the league actionable? Would an operator, that secures a membership and follows all the procedures, have grounds for a civil complaint against the league for allowing substandard operations from other teams in the league?

The leagues are always concerned when we raise questions that may not be looked upon favorably by the general public. Instead of worrying about what I’m saying, why not just publish a new set of standards and practices that families can see and know what to expect?

Wow, what a crazy concept.