ORLANDO, FLA – The 58th annual NHL All-Star Game wasn’t the only event going on in Raleigh, North Carolina this past weekend as the SPHL held its Winter Meetings in amongst all of the hoopla. Although there wasn’t any earth-shattering news coming from the two days of discussions, fans will see some results via one change that will take effect immediately with possible alterations to another hot button topic put on the agenda for the annual meeting this summer.
The biggest talking point among players, coaches and fans was the Board of Governors choice to eliminate teams getting one point in the standings for an overtime or shootout loss. The intent was to make teams “play hard for 60 (or more) minutes” instead of being happy with taking a point for a regulation tie.
The alteration to the standings has drawn much criticism from fans and some coaches who have watched teams work hard for three periods – in some cases making huge comebacks – only to fall prey to a lucky bounce or some other calamity in the extra session.
Reached by phone, SPHL President Jim Combs said that the league has listened and will most likely revisit the subject at the off-season confab.
“We discussed it (no point for OTL loss) and how it’s going. We had feedback from fans, coaches and players,” he said. “I think we’re going to readdress it this summer and you may see a change.”
The lone change will be a subtle one. Over the summer, the league decided that teams could maintain an 18-man roster but only dress 17 on game night. The move was made to spur more competitive play within the individual teams. As of this week, if both teams have 18 players available to dress, they will be allowed to have all 18 in uniform.
Combs said that despite the fact that limiting the active roster did everything the league hoped it would, the number of injuries that teams have suffered warrants going back to the old number whenever possible.
“Fighting is actually up at this point. The excitement level I think is up. The guys are wanting to get into the lineup. Those parts are good,” Combs said. “We’re obviously concerned about injuries. We’ve still at this point have only been able to play 60 percent of our games at 17-on-17 where last year when we allowed 18 vs. 18, we played less than 40 percent of our games 18-on-18 up to this point last year.”
On the subject of injuries, the SPHL has seen an increase in situations such as concussions. In fact, Huntsville has had as many as seven players miss time due to mild concussions. In a separate incident. Mississippi’s Steve Weidlich was hit with a check by Augusta’s Aaron McGill with Weidlich coming out of the hit and resulting fall to the ice with a broken wrist. Combs said that the league did adopt a “head shot” rule much like the NHL as well as enforcing other rules but that injuries are an unfortunate part of the game.
“At the end of the day, the head shot rule is no different than any other rule that has been there forever. It’s charging, it’s elbowing, it’s whatever it is. A head shot is a head shot,” he said. “We have had injuries like the Weidlich thing but it was a legal body check. It was a hard, legal body check and the guy got hurt and it’s unfortunate. We don’t want any players to get hurt.”
Combs did say that the league has suggested that each team look into purchasing helmets from Cascade, a leader in the development of concussion-reducing helmet technology and a partner in “The Messier Project” with former NHL great Mark Messier.
“We did talk with all the governors about ordering I believe it’s called the Cascade helmet – the concussion helmet – to try to help fend those off,” Combs said. “I know Huntsville purchased those special helmets and they’ve had two guys sustain injuries but both of them ended up injured because they didn’t have their helmet at the time of the hit or at the time of whatever happened.”
Always a big topic, expansion did come up at the meetings like it has each of the past few years. In the past, the SPHL has said it would like to move toward a 12-14 team circuit. Combs said that there has been interest but that at this time, nothing is close to being ready to announce.
“We do have groups that are interested in putting teams in maybe as early as next season. The process isn’t as fast as all of us want it,” he said. “When groups are ready to go and they have a good business plan and a good vision for long term success, we’ll make that announcement.”
He said that the Board of Governors is trying to be absolutely sure that an ownership group is financially stable and on the right track before giving them a franchise.
“We want to make sure that we’re not just allowing anybody in, that the process is followed and they have the financial wherewithal to be part of a hockey league and not just avid hockey fans that have a little bit of money,” Combs said. “I spoke with a gentleman the other day that is all ready to go and he’s ready to put his team in except that he’s extremely under funded. That wouldn’t make sense for anybody to throw a team out there that isn’t going to be successful long term.”
Combs went on to say that the league is looking at possibly starting a week early in October of 2011 which would take a week off the end of the season but that more discussion will take place at the annual meeting prior to schedules being done.
In other league news, Combs said that it has indefinitely suspended Mississippi Surge forward Brandon Elliott for his part in an incident last Friday in Biloxi with Augusta’s McGill. Signed late last week by Head Coach Steffon Walby, Elliott played less than a minute in the first period before ringing up 30 minutes in penalties including a match penalty and a game misconduct when he took on McGill in what some thought was retaliation for McGill knocking three Surge players out of action.
“You will not be seeing the services of Mr. Elliott any longer,” Combs said. “You won’t be seeing him in a uniform in the SPHL.”
Combs added that Elliott would have to appeal to the Board of Governors for reinstatement should he wish to play in the SPHL and that the Surge and Coach Walby “have been addressed” with an undisclosed fine and notice that further three-game tryout signings by the Surge and other teams will be scrutinized more.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.