CCHL Bonus Money Thoughts

 Hello everyone and welcome to another rousing edition of Commissioner's Corner featuring yours truly, the league commissioner and fearless leader.  

I hope everyone enjoyed the CCHL draft lottery this week and a big congratulations goes out to the Calgary Chinook who has managed to win the lottery twice a year.  Who would have thunk that Calgary would be the lottery winner, as that usually goes to the other city in Alberta.  

In reviewing the bonus money payouts for the last regular season, the first thing that comes to mind is that whoever has Kirill Kaprizov should easily take top prize next year in the rookie category.  

The reality here is that CCHL teams barely play rookies, as evidenced by the fact a team got some bonus money in the category for a guy that barely played and had 11 points.  Not ideal and perhaps we need to find a way to change that category to something more impactful than what we have right now.  The design was to encourage people to play rookies but that simply isn't happening.  

On the encouraging front, the bonus money for invalid lineups has gone up 2.2% this season.  That means that teams were paid 2.2% more than a year ago.  

It's a nice reflection of the trend as looking at the level we were at as a league two seasons ago, the bonus is now paying at 7.5% more than it was back then.  People are making sure their lineups are valid and that is a good thing.  

Next up, in terms of total lineups received this year, we were the fourth highest in the history of the CCHL.  It's a nice number but also a bit disappointing from a personal standpoint because we were on track to shatter the previous records.  

Two things happened this year to slow that down.  Lineup submissions dropped off dramatically from seven/eight per day to three/four per day after the trade deadline.  

The other thing impacting it is that we had four teams that were over 10 invalid lineups each, which impacted the totals significantly.  Those four teams also left money on the table as they did not qualify for one penny of bonus money for lineups.  

In any event, that's all for this blog about the bonus money.  Once we have all the Twitter and blog submissions in the middle of April (following the last playoff game) we'll add the money to everyone's account and post the list on the site.  

CCHL Draft Lottery this week

 Well, it's hard to believe we are staring the end of another season in the face but that's where we find ourselves this week.  Crazy, isn't it?  

It's been a busy week at the CCHL offices with the expansion draft vote being underway and later this week the annual draft lottery.  

I'm not going to lie to you, I'm a bit let down by the draft lottery this season.  No, it's not because Fort Erie isn't in the running for a top pick but rather because I had a plan to change our visual presentation that won't happen because our season ends one day later than needed.  

As many of you know, I do a sports television show on a local cable channel in Canada.  This station also does a bingo show on Sunday nights and I was planning on using it to our advantage. 

My show runs live Wednesday nights but our season ends on Thursday which makes the dream for this year completely impossible.  

I had planned to try to use the studio and the bingo machine to do our random CCHL draft lottery - how great would that have been for a visual?  All of the balls flying around in the machine and coming out to determine the fates of our lottery teams?  

Alas, not everything is meant to be but it still made me think - how can we do it differently than just having the numbers come up on the random.org website?

That's when the idea hit me!  Now I'm not going to give it away right now but it'll be a much better visual experience for our lottery and potential divisional draws should expansion pass for the 22-23 season.  

In any event, look for the annual Draft Lottery video to go up Friday or Saturday of next week!  Oh and don't forget to vote as we still have seven teams to not cast their votes on expansion and more!  

Sudbury Miners Prospect Report: Spring 2021

 CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

With the CCHL regular season quickly coming to an end, and with spring just around the corner, there is no time like the present to see which players may be plying their trade in the Nickel City in the very near future. 

To be considered a prospect for this report, the player is not currently on the CCHL active roster and/or has not played one full CCHL season.

 

Below are the Sudbury Miners top-10 CCHL prospects for Spring 2021

 

1. Cole Perfetti – C.  Along with Kirby Dach, Perfetti looks like he’ll be a future face of the Sudbury Miners. He is a creative, intelligent pivot who owns an elite release and can control the game in a number of ways.  Has the talent to be a star.

 

2. Spencer Knight – G.  One of the top goaltending prospects was on full display with his gold medal winning performance in the 2021 World Junior Championship for the United States.  He is an athletic netminder with exceptional reflexes and good size. Franchise goaltender potential.

 

3. Peyton Krebs – C/W.  Krebs is a well-rounded prospect that brings an offensive flair to his game and is known as a leader. He’s a great playmaker and skater. A big selling point in Krebs’ game is his defensive skill. There aren’t many players at the same age that are as sound in their own zone as he is.

 

4. Nick Robertson - W.  One could argue that no prospects stock has soared quite as high since his draft year as Robertson’s has.  He tore up the Ontario Hockey League last season, and is projected as an elite goal-scoring winger with all-star potential

 

5. Victor Soderstrom – D.  Soderstrom is a smart, two-way defenseman who projects to possibly become a top-pairing blueliner.  He is a great puck-mover, good skater, and possesses an excellent shot.  He also likes to be physical and throw his weight around.

 

6. Dominik Bokk – W.   Talented, shifty winger with good upside.  His game is built on speed, his hands and his ability to elude defenders in the attacking zone.  He can score goals and set up his linemates equally well.  He must avoid playing on the periphery and also needs to get physically stronger.

 

7. J.J. Petreka – W.  Petreka is an offensive winger with great speed and quickness. Very good puck-handling skills and passing skills. Has a pretty good shot as well.  He will need to improve his all-around game and consistency.

 

8. Lassi Thomson - D.  Thomson is seen as an offensive, right-handed shot defenseman with top-four upside. He is a very good skater with excellent compete level. Has a great shot from the blue line, but he eeds to work on his overall defensive game.

 

9. Braden Schneider – D.  Schneider is a mobile two-way blueliner that makes good decisions and skates well. He makes a good first pass and understands when to join the rush.  He likes to dish the big hit and does not get out of position when doing so.  While he has upside as a top pairing defender, he will never be a big point producer and may be more suited to a top-four role.

 

10. Daniil Tarasov – G.  Tarasov is an athletic 6-foot-3 goalie who can make the tough stop but is also controlled in the net and consistently squares up pucks.  Scouts see him as a smart, but slightly unrefined, goalie. He’s lost development time, but he has all the tools you want in a goalie prospect.

The CCHL Draft and the NHL

 Well, we're another week through the season and the NHL continues to forge its way through the decision of what to do with the 2021 Entry Draft.  

There are some GMs that want to move it until just before the draft in 2022, while there are so many CBA-related issues that would make that idea a challenge to complete in theory.  

I'm not a huge fan of delaying the CCHL draft a year because it would create issues with those picks.  Would 2021 picks still be able to be traded in the 21-22 CCHL season?  Why?  Why not?  

If the NHL moves the draft we would likely continue to do our draft this summer at the normal time so we can avoid the issue.  

The most ideal scenario for us is that the NHL does the draft in July and then we start ours after theirs is complete.  I think this is the most beneficial scenario even though it doesn't allow the league the usual July/August shutdown period.  

I really do think if the NHL does it in July that we should follow that draft rather than just completing ours in June as we normally do.  I think the pandemic has shown us last year just how unpredictable the draft is and with the massively shortened seasons in the CHL, European players we know little about will likely be at the forefront again for the 2021 draft.  

I do think that the next two-years will be fun because we will see a record number of overage signings from the CHL because teams will have just missed on so many players.  I can't blame the scouts because you can't scout what isn't playing hockey but when the CHL resumes a full season (hopefully in September) there will likely be scouts really surprised with the improvements of many players because of their off-ice and off-season training.  

These are certainly some wild times in history so whatever we decide to do, it isn't going to be perfect this year at all.  I guess we shouldn't be surprised given the last year but we'll do our best to navigate the draft this year before hopefully getting back to normal for what looks to be a solid 2022 group of prospects!  

The Nickel Report – Evaluating the 2020-21 Sudbury Miners: Volume 9

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

 

Up to games ending on March 6, 2021

Miners 10 Game (Dime) Record:  8 wins, 1 loss, 1 OT loss.

Miners League Standing:  52 wins, 17 losses, 9 OT Loss = 113 points total.  Currently sit in 2nd place in the Canosa Conference, 2nd overall in the CCHL.

Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 23.5% (3rd); Penalty Kill – 82.9% (1st)

Miners Scoring Leader:  Winger Johnny Gaudreau (33G – 55A = 88 pts; 9th Overall in the CCHL)

 

“We are ready for the next challenge…..the playoffs!”

That is sediment being echoed by the players and coaching staff within the Sudbury Miners locker rooms as the season winds down.  Having clinched 2^nd place in the Canosa Conference, and with a small shot still at finishing first, the Miners appear focused and ready to the next challenge ahead.

“We are a confident group right now”, stated Coach Derek Sutton.  “It seems like we have found the right combinations and the guys are have developed some chemistry, which has been reflected in our record the last third of the season”.

As things stand now, all signs point to the Miners battling the Long Island Express in the first round this year of the CCHL playoffs.  In 6 games this year, the Miners sport a 3-2-1 record vs. the Express.

“Our focus since the start of the last off-season with all of the moves we made this season, was for this time of year in mind.  Now that we are here, there is pressure to perform for both the fans and management.  But, I can speak for every guy in the room by saying that we want that pressure”, stated Miners center Auston Matthews.

“We are ready!”

 

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  J.T. Compher

Compher is a versatile player, who skates very well and has plenty of two-way upside.  He can play either wing or center, and he has a great work ethic and leadership qualities. That adds a lot of value to his overall package.  Compher isn’t an overly big player but that is less important in today’s game.  He will never be an elite scorer, but he should be able to easily carve out a good career as a responsible two-way forward and valuable penalty killer.

 

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Lassi Thomson

When scouts talk about Thomson, they see him as an offensive-minded, big-shooting defenseman with upside.  He moves the puck well and owns a cannon of a slap shot (making him a very good option on the power play) and is also a very good passer of the puck.  He does lack the ideal size for the CCHL, but this is becoming less of an issue in today’s game.  He also needs to become a more consistent defender in order to fully realize his potential.  Projected CCHL arrival:  2023-24.

 

Le Magasine des Comètes d'Amos

 Currently sitting at 3^rd place in the CANOSA conference, I can affirm that the GM is very satisfied of the very first season of the Amos Comets. After a fast start, Amos kept going with Ws and many OT-L.

 

But then, February 5^th came. It felt like a very rough day for GM Quesnel as he just learned that Couture was injured for several weeks. Having a strong motivation of finding a 2^nd line winger in mind, he attacked the day with many calls and propositions. The fact is that the conference and the league, in general, have a really good parity between teams. It makes trade even harder as most of the teams are pushing in the same direction. So, with the feeling of failing the team, the trade deadline gave a sour taste in the GM’s mouth.. The next days following went really hard. Back-to-back blowout vs Springfield and another L against Sudbury stroke the confidence of the team badly.

 

Fortunately, Couture came back fast. As expected, his presence and his leadership came at the right moment to stop the slide. The team rallies all together, lines & combinations seem to finally work. Players like Saad & Huberdeau are slowly finding their place as important pieces in every victory. Since Couture's return, the team is now 5-2 in the last seven games. Still sitting in 3^rd place with 4 points over Springfield plus one game in hand at the moment I am writing the article. It will be very interesting to follow the evolution game by game until the end of the season between Amos & Springfield.

 

 

In a recent interview after they clinched their playoffs spot, Mr. Quesnel said that he was very enthusiastic about the upcoming playoffs and very satisfied of the way his 3 lines were able to produce so far. He has complete confidence for Andrei in the net to keep them competitive until the end.

 

As mentioned before, this season's mentality was: Win now, cry later!

Simon Goaltending Stats - Mr. Commissioner Why Does My Goaltending Stink?

 Good day everyone!  Now you've probably gathered based on the title this will be a blog about goaltending stats and why they are quite frankly so low in our league.  

I've had several people over the last year or two ask me why the Simon simulator hates their goaltenders.  It's a funny thing because I've asked myself that same question.  Is it the settings?  Why are they all vastly underperforming despite having superior ratings to those of the skaters?  

It's an issue as old as time since we adopted the Simon T simulator just under three seasons ago.  It's one I've never had an answer to until this week!  

What's that you say?  You're probably sitting there and adjusting your glasses to make sure you've read it right.  He has an answer?  Tell me he just said that!  

Relax, I do indeed actually have an answer but you might not like it.  In fact, you may throw something at your screen when I get into a potential fix or improvement shall I say.

The reason why our goalies collectively underperform is the CCHL itself.  Nope, it's not a setting in the simulator but rather our league itself.  

I recently (starting in January) joined a 31 team league that runs off of Simon and the goalies on the disk they are using have vastly lower ratings than those in the CCHL.  Despite the weaker ratings, the goaltenders are performing all at NHL league averages or above if they are an upper-echelon goaltender.  

How can that be is likely what you find yourself saying right now and well, I'm here to say that it's the 22 team league vs. the 31 team league.  

In the 22 team league, you have guys that are playing on our second or third lines in the case of deep teams where those players on are the first line.  In the bottom-six forward group, you have guys in the lineups in a 31 team league that are sitting in our free-agent pool.  

Looking at my team in that league, I have four forwards playing in my bottom six that aren't even signed in the CCHL.  My defence core has 3 guys in it that are number six defenders in the CCHL and one that isn't even able to get into the lineup in Fort Erie in Justin Holl.  Now before you think man that team must suck - it leads its division and is second in the conference.  

Obviously, there are different rules to that league but at the core, the depth issue becomes significant when the goaltenders are facing skaters on the third and fourth lines that aren't nearly as talented as what most CCHL teams are marching out daily.  

Prior to this, with the NHL growing, I've had a concern for a while now that our rosters are becoming too deep and expensive because there are more players getting an opportunity now and seizing that opportunity.  Look at Vegas alone and something tells me Seattle will end up doing alright for itself as well upon their inception.  It has, honestly, had me thinking about expansion a lot to try to thin out things a little more across the league.  

After doing the review over the past month and really digging into it this week, I've also thought that we might have to go to 24 teams to try to make our goaltending more relevant as well.  

Have you thrown something at your computer yet?  I think we're at that part of the blog but again I ask that you relax before getting angry at expansion without seeing the process.  

It's something that we've been discussing at the executive level for almost two weeks now; a proposal that benefits our teams and does not cause them to lose anyone significant off of their roster.  It'll be unveiled in the coming week as a vote.  We promise there is a lot to like about it for our existing members so don't blast out a message to the league complaining about it the idea until you've seen it. We aren't talking a Vegas scenario here at all.   

One of the questions might be a concern about General Managers but this acts two-fold in that we will be offering a league incentive program for our existing GM's to help in the search and my extensive research shows that leagues have a much easier time finding somebody to take over a new franchise than clean up another person's mess.  

In any event, more details will be forthcoming but we as an executive believe that this proposal benefits the CCHL on a number of levels.  We hope and anticipate that you, as a group, will feel the same.  

Peace and pucks,

Matt