The Price of Doing Business

The Price of Doing Business

One would assume the prices are astronomical right now given the flood of players arriving in the CHL from other leagues. We all know in some leagues there’s a “standard” player transfer fee, but with everything happening at warp speed on this front one can only speculate how crazy things are. I’m no economist or financial analyst but that’s the price of doing business in the current climate.

The recent NCAA rule change has and will continue to change the landscape of the hockey world as we know it, but right now and perhaps always money talks. How are teams that are losing players that have committed to their programs going to handle the losses?

Well in the short term it might be personnel deficiencies, but their bank accounts and budgets will take a big surge.

The business side of the game in junior hockey has its share of traditional complexities, but the latest will no doubt create perhaps an insurmountable division or perhaps a massive bidding war when it comes to free agents or players wanting to take a jump to the CHL.

There’s so much to work out behind the scenes and there’s no question all of the parties involved will want their say and place at the table if and when they finally decide to meet and discuss this matter moving forward.  

In the meantime, things will get very interesting and already have with countless players signing on with CHL teams and signing with Division 1 schools for next season. How much would you pay to solidify your roster moving forward? How much would you pay to land a player that could possibly change the landscape of your organization? How much would you pay to acquire a player or players that could possibly make you a championship contender?

What about the “school” money that the CHL players have received, how’s that going to work?

What about schooling itself, CHL players aren’t just going to walk through the front door of US colleges, they have to take care of business on the “SAT” front as well.

The financial numbers for player transfers will never see the light of day in the junior hockey world and its cultural makeup, nevertheless, in saying that word always gets out somehow. The rich will get richer, but what about all of the “small market” franchises out there what’s going to happen to them? What about all those organizations that took swings in the late rounds and now have the rights to all these “high profile” or “elite” prospects?

Will they trade their newfound asset to better suit their positioning within junior hockey’s vicious cycle?

The organizations that didn’t hold an initial grudge or resentment towards the player and their family based on their decision/route or kept the lines of communication open and positive throughout the entire process will benefit greatly.

With so many players jumping to the CHL, there will be tons of movement in other leagues which will give some players an opportunity to showcase their talents at a higher level. Win/win? Well, one would speculate that it’s far too early to say that from a business perspective for all of the franchises involved.

In some cases, other CHL organizations haven’t had to do a ton of work and have sort of had players land in their lap.

The landscape of junior hockey is drastically changing before our eyes and like always money talks, but that’s the price of doing business.