UHL CEO/President Richard Brosal just finished an hour-long teleconference with the meeting that was very informative. Among the highlights:
* The league is not going to leave Elmira out there on an island. The UHL is currently looking into several potential expansion sites, including Williamsport and the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area again. Other potential cities include Traverse City, Mich., Mishawaka and another unnamed Indiana, St. Charles, Mo., Akron, Oh., and some other areas in Illinois. He said they hope to make an announcement about another Indiana city by January. That means they could ICE a team next season. The league is determined to stay in its geographic footprint, going no further West than Iowa, no further East than Elmira.
* As for the hard salary cap, the first offense is a $25,000 fine and Brosal has the option of suspending the coach and general manager for as long as he likes. The second offense is another $25,000 fine and the suspensions carry on to coach and GMs and carry over to players. Ownership is also involved. The third offense carries a $50.000 fine and the coach and GM will be suspended for the rest of the season, those suspensions could carry over to the next season and any playoff position is forfeited.
To enforce the new hard cap, UHL officials have free access to question players, their wives, any team personnel and any other businesses the team may be affiliated with. Audits will be unannounced. If a team is caught on an initial violation, it has 72 hours to report any other potential violations or it's an automatic second violation if the league finds anything else, even the smallest item.
* If a player leaves an existing UHL contract to go to Europe, such as Robin Bouchard did last week from Muskegon, he is prohibited from returning to this league for this season and next season, even if he wants to return to his former team. Colin Chaulk would be eligible to return because he did not sign his contract, but the Komets retain his rights. Players are not eligible to go to the CHL or the ECHL, either, because those leagues have recipriocal agreements with the UHL.
MORE TO COME
Comments
Blake, T or F. Mr Brosal called the teams that folded or went dark "Dead Weight"?
It really sounds like they mean business with the first offense costing $25,000. That severe of a penalty is simply not worth the risk....not only would that hurt a team financially, but the risk of ruining your reputation.
Yes, which is also true. How many times does a place like Adirondack or Roanoke get? They were dead weight because they weren't getting any better. They were holding everyone else back. If that ticks off all those fans, the same thing could have been said about the Komets in the IHL.
It's also about time the board of governors gave him some weapons to use on enforcing the cap. He said in the past the guilty party would go to the board which would vote to soften the penalty. Not much he could do in that case.
Great to see that Mr. Brosal has some actual rules in place this season...the question is still to this date...is he the correct Man to be enforcing those rules and can his somewhat questionable past be trusted not to show favoritism to certain franchises and individuals who might be of some influence whether that be financially or by personal past dealings?
I know that Mr. Sebring doesn't like Brosal being questioned...but I think he (Brosal) needs to earn the fan's and this league's respect as I feel he let everyone down last year. Can we trust that he will do things by the book this year, or will he fold under pressure once again?
The only reason I asked is because I saw it on Justin's blog and wondered if you heard the same thing. I'm a little disappointed (although not suprised) that Mr. Brosal would publically call the teams that folded "dead weight". While I agree with him that they are, I feel that he should of phrased it much better. If I were living in one of the towns that lost a franchise, I would take it as a slap to the face. I would think Mr. Brosal would have more class than that.
I'll be interested to see if he follows through on the punishment for any team that violates the cap. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for an interview with a players spouse, what could the questions be about.
It will be interesting to see about how the expansion goes as well.
Again, it's just like referees, are there any commissioners you have liked? It's too easy to just rip away. Seriously think about it, is there any commissioner whose work you liked at the time? It's a totally thankless job.
I don't believe he folded. He's not the President who can start a war with no one checking on his facts. He's only allowed to enforce the rules that he is given by the board of governors. If they don't want them enforced, there's not much he can do about it. Now he can, and we'll see.
I'll say this about Richard. I've been with him when some idiot chooses that time to start calling him names using a ton of profanity, and I've seen him on the radio when the same thing has happened, and he's always handled it very profesionally. I don't know why anyone would ever want that job, and I've told him that. It's totally thankless. You are basically the punching bag for the fans with both hands tied behind your back if the owners don't help you.
Yeah, but Greg, isn't the point that there weren't enough fans in those places that really cared? The truth hurts sometimes.
The Galante issue comes to mind...which we don't have to get deep into because we all heard the FBI tapes on the internet. The beat writer in Port Huron during last season (whether you like him or not) uncovered some interesting items during trade deadlines and applying for Visa's that seemed to show favoritism to certain teams in being able to sign players secretly in some instances. I admit I don't know all of the facts, but there are quite a few loose-ends that he were left open last year that sort of were ignored and disappeared into thin air. I just hope that he will stand by his rules and enforce them ehis year, FAIRLY....that's all.
But if I'm one of those fans, why would I know care to be in the UHL anylonger after the so called leader slaps us around. I just think he could have addressed the situation better in a more positive light.
Funny that one of those teams is in the very city that the league office stands.
Actually, that wasn't a problem with the fans but a problem with the building. It's owned by the county, and they gave the River Otters only 17 Friday and Saturday dates. As an example, the Komets have 26.
It's all apples and oranges anyway.
So give me a commissioner you have liked over the years.
I can't say Bud Selig, he is a bigger idiot
LOL!!!!
Paul Taglia-something or other. NFL...he was huge in that he brought an even playing field to all the franchises to have a chance to compete each and every year. That is and should be the model.
To play devil's advocate, isn't that what Brosal has just done? He's been trying to convince the owners to go to a hard cap for eight years.
I credit that decision and effort, after last year's mess...what choice was left for him and the league? My only point is...can he be effective enough in enforcing what he has laid out before the owners and the league? His he the guy to do it? Can he be trusted? I don't know the answers to this...as I am sure no one at this point can know for sure. If he wasn't all ready on the hot seat after last season, then I would bet that this is going to be a very crucial year for him and this league.
If he can get Indy into this league, I will ease up on him just a little...LOL I would love to have the ICE to beat around next year and beyond.
Is not His...sorry
We'll see. There's a lot of options floating around. Who knows if Indy is even a legitimate one?
Brosal serves at the pleasure of the owners.
If they don't want him, they can get rid of him.
Regarding the cap..forget these fines. Games should be forfeit anytime a team is in violation of the cap at the time the game is played.
That would be fun for the fans....Sorry everyone...go home...the Ice Hogs have to Forfeit tonight because they are $50 dollars over the salary cap tonight...Doubt that would work well.
Well....you wouldn't think the Icehogs would want to piss of their fan base, right? It would make them think twice about cooking the books.
Is it possible though that the idiots in the Elite Professional Hockey League office can add correctly let alone enforce their own rules properly. They didn't do a good job of that last season. Alot of inconsistant rulings on player's suspensions and making rules up as they go. Not to mention the old "pretend there isn't a problem in Danbury" thing last year. That should have been enough to have cleaned house in the UHL offices.
Again, it all depends on what the owners want and allow them to do. We'll see. The owners won't fire him because he takes the blame for them a lot of times. It's just like the IHL, do you think theleague office pushed to go into some of these cities, or the owners who wanted the expansion money? A lot of times he has to make the big moves to take the heat off their idiocy.
Blake,
When the UHL announces the addition of Indianapolis in January, will they go back to the Indianapolis Ice, stick with the current Indiana Ice (Which I'd hope not), or will they be have a new team name all together?
I have no idea Brandon. It's a pure guess that it's Indy, but I'm not hearing any rumors out of anywhere else. It sure will be fun to wait and see.
I've had this story in my back pocket for seven years now of me giving the pregame speech to the Komets before their next first game against a team for Indianapolis, telling the current players what the rivalry means. Who knows if I ever get to use it?
But Blake, you arent a fan..remember?
I hope just because there might be a UHL team in Indy they do not lose the Junior team.
Never said I was, but I've definitely heard enough from them over the years to be able to give their perspective.
If they do get the UHL team and keep the junior team, who gets Priority over scheduling dates?
This is about 10 years too soon to even be thinking about this. There are no answers folks. We just have to wait and see. Even if there is anything going on, it could all fall apart tomorrow. That's happened about three times since Indy left the I. Right now, for all we know this could only be coming from the U and there might not be any interest at all from Indy.