State of CCHL, junior hockey


By
January 20, 2017

It is a 12-team junior loop located in the Ottawa region and the Central Canada Hockey League has forged a good reputation for developing and advancing its players. In all, CCHL teams combine to advance more than 100 players annually. Kevin Abrams is the 56-year old commissioner of the CCHL and via this transcript, he and HockeyNewsNorth.com discuss the state of the league — and junior hockey in general.

HNN: You are the commissioner of the CCHL, which has a good reputation for developing players. In fact, the CCHL annually has players who make the National Hockey League central scouting list. Is there anything in particular that sets the CCHL apart from, for example, the Ontario Jr. Hockey League?

ABRAMS: I am not sure what other leagues do but in the CCHL player development and advancement has been a priority since the early 1980s when the leadership of the league decided to limit the number of final year players to 5 (it is now 6) at a time when other leagues had as many as 19 final year players, and restricting any 20 year old player who played major junior hockey at 19 from playing (we now allow CCHL graduates to return at 20 but seldom have any.) As a result we have more of an emphasis on players moving up. At one time we sent as many players to the OHL as we did the NCAA but Hockey Canada restrictions on disallowing 15 year olds (we have had dozens go on the OHL and NHL careers) to play, and limiting 16 year olds to 2 per team (we had championship teams with as many as 7) have really made that impossible. Now our primary focus is advancing players to combine school and hockey — mostly in the NCAA, either Division I or III, but also in the Canadian system.

HNN: You have a coaching and scouting past from a lengthy Ontario Hockey League association with the Sudbury Wolves, Ottawa 67’s, Kingston Frontenacs, Sarnia Sting and Belleville Bulls. You have also coached in the league that you are now commissioner of. Does that background help you in your position as CCHL commissioner?

ABRAMS: I like to think it does. I can appreciate the challenges of recruiting and running a program. I understand why coaches do certain things and certainly am available for any type of sounding board for all of them. Most of them feel comfortable sharing issues with me that might not fight directly into the job description but because of my background they might want an opinion, and all of that really improves communication and trust. I also was a general manager and owner at the Junior A level so understanding the financial challenges gives me additional insight. As the first league to implement player fees we too that step with months of research to make sure we added value to our programs with minimum standards years in advance of implementing the fees so as not to impact our player pool so dramatically.

HNN: Gloucester Rangers have a long history in your league. But Gloucester is relocating to Rockland for next season where the Nationals will be re-born. Your thoughts on this transfer?

ABRAMS: I think it is a very exciting time for the CCHL as well as the city of Rockland. For years there has been talk of Junior A returning and the 1976 national championship team coached by Bryan Murray is legendary. A new state of the art 3,000 seat arena in a community of 20,000 makes the move easy. Its always sad to see change but in the days since the M & W Rangers were founded, the demographics and landscape has changed like in many urban areas and the challenge of Junior A hockey in large cities is well known. It represents a change but often change is needed and is better in the long run.

HNN: Besides being a 12-team junior league, the CCHL also operates an under-18 program. Explain the purpose of the under-18 program and how it is panning out.

ABRAMS: We found that the system in midget hockey had been broken for decades and the objective was so slanted to the elite 5 per cent of AAA players who would play major junior that the 50-60 per cent of others who would become Junior A players were seen up for perceived failure in a system that so heavily emphasized where players were at developmentally at 15. At 16 players would scramble to land on any junior roster at any level and have no regard for whether it was in their best development interest and so often they felt that playing midget was a very last resort and a sign of failure for some reason. Many major midget teams were comprised of players who had never played AAA before. In the year prior to the U18 league, 37 players aged 16 chose to play lower category junior hockey than junior A instead of considering midget as an option. In the first year that number was 7 and this year it is 5, not by forcing anyone but by including elite 15 year olds in the midget program. It continued to attract scouts and those players got a second year of OHL exposure.

HNN: The Ontario Hockey League will hold its first-ever under-18 draft in April for 1999 and 2000 birth-year players who are playing midget hockey and who were bypassed at previous under-16 drafts. Your thoughts on this?

ABRAMS: It really is an OHL decision but these players were already eligible for the OHL draft as second year players. That said, any more opportunities for players is always good. I would have preferred to see it based on age and not where they play because the 16 year old in junior hockey would not be eligible. One concern would be having players participate in games without a contract and I read somewhere where that could happen to these players and we certainly think players and families should be sure about their path before playing games that jeopardize their NCAA status. I think the larger issue is to include the 15-16 year olds as midgets in one category and have one draft and perhaps limit the number of 15 year olds. 17 year old players should be junior players exclusively if 15 year old players are midget players exclusively.

HNN: You have a good relationship with Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League commissioner Robert Mazzuca. Is there a possibility that the NOJHL and CCHL could ever play an interlocking schedule of games or perhaps co-host a showcase tournament together?

ABRAMS: Rob is a good colleague and friend and has done an amazing job in the NOJHL. To see the growth and program improvement there is due primarily to his leadership. The challenge we all face is controlling costs and finding the balance between improving programs and providing good value to the participants. We currently have joint all-star events and that has been a great success.

HNN: Anything you would like to comment on regarding the general state of hockey development in Ontario?

ABRAMS: I think the next decade will be a real challenge for junior hockey leagues and operators. We have a tremendous product that often thrives in spite of so many roadblocks placed in our way. The player pool is shrinking primarily due to over regulation in the past ten years and unless we find ways to wind that back it will worsen. Limiting players and families rights when it comes to choosing where they play is causing elite players to make choices that impact their own development negatively as well as the junior programs they are prohibited from joining. We would really benefit from a level playing field with other levels and other programs.


What you think about “State of CCHL, junior hockey”

  1. The CCHL isn’t the same as it was 10 years ago. In my opinion, the league started to slide with the addition of the Kemptville 73’s.

    In the early 2000’s, the CJHL was better hockey to watch and teams were not struggling with attendance. The league had a lot of stability. There has also been some bad moves like the Smiths Falls Bears moving to Lanark and the league being convinced that they will draw fans, but it was the opposite and the owner was charged with stealing money to fund the team.

    Kanata has been trying to relocate for a few years, and I talked to the owner personally and he did mention Renfrew was the destination. I also found out through a friend (who’s boyfriend plays for the Ottawa Jr. Sens) that the Ottawa Jr. Sens are moving to Casselman, but will still be called the Ottawa Jr. Senators.

    Gloucester, Kanata, and Ottawa will eventually relocate their teams out of the city. Nothing on the Nepean Raiders on what they plan on doing and have a 3,000 seat arena, but can only fill 50-100 seats a game, and maybe more when Pembroke and other rural teams come to Nepean. Attendance usually climbs as high as 1,000 in the playoffs. I’ve seen crowds of 2,500 + during the all-star game.

    Kanata averaged less 50 fans per game in the past few seasons. Gloucester has lost a lot attendance, especially when they tried to move to Orleans and the league wouldn’t allow it to happen. Now, they were going to draw fans in Rockland. Ottawa has been drawing decent crowds to their games, and have seen less than 150 in the stands.

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