summer Pro League

[spider]

Would it be possible to start a summer pro hockey league using public ice rinks that have a rink big enough to accomadate hockey. I realize that thses rinks have limited seating but most of them would accomadate 1,000 - 2,500 people.
It would be a A-Puck league but there would be no hockey competition in the summer.
What do you think?

[whoopee23]

I think it is a reasonable idea. You would get a lot of guys looking to make money all year by playing hockey. Problem is could you market enough so the league wouldnt fail? I think Michigan, Wisconsin, Minny, other hockey hot beds are the only place it would work. Intresting to say the least.

[Jammer]

I dont think a summer pro league would work. Here in MN, probly the biggest hockey state in the country, wouldn't work. Hockey is a winter sport, and peoople wont accept it any other time of year.

[spider]

I remeber when they said that about football.

[Jammer]

Apples and oranges. I may be wrong, but, I really doubt this would work.

[BCRantzilla]

Apples and oranges. I may be wrong, but, I really doubt this would work.

It really depends on who's doing it and how it is packaged as well as where it is done. Winter baseball works in hot weather locations like the Carribean and Mexico but would die a quick death in America.

Summer pro basketball leagues have had varied levels of success and failure over the years but the outdoor Rucker Park style pro tournament/league format is the one that has had the most success. You saw matchups you would never see in the minors or the NBA in these leagues and it attracted a different kind of basketball fan. (Streetball is a different esthetic and a very unscripted style that is very fun to watch and even the scoring systems vary.)

For a summer pro hockey league to work you would need a locations in a very close proximity and/or a PGA/Skateboard tour style with tournament format. NARCh's inline hockey tourney series is a very good example of how this format works professionally. (Their pro circut is the closest thing to a pro roller hockey league currently.) Have smaller teams, shorter games and mess with the rules a bit and you could have a good niche but it would have to be marketed well and packaged just right to work. However, if done with a low budget it could work. You just need to find a way to niche market it.

[Jammer]

Someone was saying summer hockey could work stating thats what was said about spring football. Well, spring (outdoor) football hasn't worked.

[BCRantzilla]

Actually I was talking about basketball and if you read my posts you would see why I feel there is potential for a summer pro hockey league. I feel a different form of hockey catering to the street hockey crowd would have the best chance of having a decent niche.

Nobody said anything about summer hockey being a carbon copy of winter hockey. If it is identical to the regular game it would sink like a stone but tweek and mess with it a bit more and make it more like shinny or street hockey in feel and style and you may have something.

[Shootmaster_44]

Honestly, I think a legit summer league would work if two factors were considered. The first would be to make this league akin to the winter baseball leagues in Central America. What I mean is attract current stars from the NHL that have somewhat local ties to the teams and have them suppliment the local minor pro talent. I could see some of the lower end NHL free agents using this league as a way to attract better interest. If they can show they can play at a high level, the teams may be more interested in having those players signed. As well, if the NHL teams utilized the league as a summer league for draft picks like the NBA does, I could see the league take off as fans of a certain team would be inclined to check out their draftees.

Secondly, you need the right markets. Probably, the only place this would work well is in Canada. Since there is no summer basketball leagues or indoor football in Canada, most of the major arenas sit largely empty all summer. The initial post about making this league an "A Puck" league would instantly cause its demise. If the league was serious, it would target the NHL arenas and the larger CHL arenas. Given the right marketing I could see 5,000 to 10,000 fans attend games. I remember one of the selling points here in Saskatoon of the Saskatchewan Storm (of the WBL) over the Saskatoon Blades (of the WHL) is that people don't have to sit in freezing cars when the game is over. If proper marketing is done, I don't see how this league would fail.

The only roadblocks I can see this league running into is salary concerns. If they attract mid-range NHL players to the league, the salaries could become an issue as teams would need to charge higher ticket prices to accomodate the better players. However, without the better players, the league would probably die due to lack of attendance, so a balance would have to be determined.

[spider]

I was thinking more of a league here in the states. I would use rinks that operate year round. Wouldn't need to bring out the ice in order to play games.
I live in the Ozarks and there are rinks here that operate during the summer months.
It would be a chance for players in the CHL and other leagues to play hockey in the summer months.
I know that it would be possible to start a 4 team league next year here and see what happens.

[Shootmaster_44]

Honestly, I don't think anymore hockey in non-traditional markets is a good idea. I admire your confidence in trying to make the Southern US a hockey hot bed. But really, I think the market is tapped out. The only place summer hockey would work is likely in Canada and only with bigger name players. If you want a summer hockey league in the South, I'd say a good idea would be to start a roller hockey league.

You mentioned making it a place for CHL players to play in the off-season. I'm curious as to how many CHL players actually stay in those markets during the off-season. I'm willing to guess not very many are year round residents of CHL cities.

Lastly, I'm afraid using public skating rinks for teams isn't a good idea. Unless public skating rinks are much different than public skating rinks here in Saskatoon, they are not kept up well enough for professional sports to play there. Plus, they don't seat nearly enough to be able to make ends meet for a professional hockey team, let alone turn a profit.

[Raptorov]

Where would the players come from? The minor leagues wrap-up in May typically, and that really only allows three months before the training camps open. Not knowing how far players may get in the playoffs, might restrict who would be willing to sign up. Also many take the off season to heal, rest and work-out, so there might be many who would fear injury before the winter leagues begin.
College players might, however. When does that season end? Isnt the NCAA Frozen Four in February? It seems early.

[Shootmaster_44]

I figure initially this league could be a pre-draft camp for prospective juniors and the like. Still I figure the season should kick off early June to get in enough games. At this point in the year there are basically 4 teams still playing hockey (2 conference champs in each of the NHL and AHL). So there would be an abundance of players available.

[jayme2008]

First nhl players would not be permitted to take part in any summer league.Its right there in there contract they can not play for any other teams.They are permitted to play summer pick up hockey buts thats it.This applies to all nhl players and any other player under a deal with a nhl team if that player is in the ahl or echl etc.That leaves you with not many players to pick from.Second you would have to offer those players who can play a ton of money to play durring the summer $70,000 and up.

[Shootmaster_44]

First nhl players would not be permitted to take part in any summer league.Its right there in there contract they can not play for any other teams.They are permitted to play summer pick up hockey buts thats it.This applies to all nhl players and any other player under a deal with a nhl team if that player is in the ahl or echl etc.That leaves you with not many players to pick from.Second you would have to offer those players who can play a ton of money to play durring the summer $70,000 and up.

My idea was free agents though. All free agents wouldn't be restricted by that as they are not under contract to any NHL team as of July 1. Plus if they had consent of their NHL club, they could be allowed to play as they are in the IIHF World Championships, Olympics etc. I couldn't see why NHL teams wouldn't want their lower end players honing their skills in a summer league. This would be akin to the Caribbean Winter Leagues for baseball.

[jayme2008]

Unlike baseball players hockey players need time off to regroup and heel.There was a league that was like what your trying 5 years ago the nhl along with the nhlpa nixed it.The only way it would work if the league was in canada or in the states in the northeast.A league would never work any where else durring the summer.If you would do a short season 10-20 games and have the teams all in the same area you may be alright.You would not get any players if you dd a southern or western league players want to remain close to home.You would aslo have to pay the players $$$$ and pay for insurance etc your looking at 2 million budget for the first year.

[Shootmaster_44]

Unlike baseball players hockey players need time off to regroup and heel.There was a league that was like what your trying 5 years ago the nhl along with the nhlpa nixed it.The only way it would work if the league was in canada or in the states in the northeast.A league would never work any where else durring the summer.If you would do a short season 10-20 games and have the teams all in the same area you may be alright.You would not get any players if you dd a southern or western league players want to remain close to home.You would aslo have to pay the players $$$$ and pay for insurance etc your looking at 2 million budget for the first year.

Yeah no I would never do a league like this outside of Canada and maybe the Northern US. My idea was to use the larger CHL rinks (mainly from the WHL) and the NHL rinks which are vacant mostly during the summer months. Of course this is all theoretical since I don't have the money to bankroll one player let alone a league.