If you were to listen to the fans and management of the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts, the sky is falling.  There will be no hockey in central Newfoundland next season, this is the end of the Cataracts organization and sponsors will drop the team like a hot potato.

Is this the end of the newly formed Newfoundland Senior Hockey League (NLSHL)?  Are the teams in the league so fragile that this decision will cause the whole thing to topple like a house of cards?

Poll the fans across the island and we’re pretty confident everyone will sympathize with the plight felt by the Cataracts organization, its fans and its sponsors.  Who wouldn’t want to bring such a high profile hockey game into their backyard especially if you are a small town team where hockey is the big ticket?

HNL made its decision not to stick it to the Cataracts but to raise the profile of the game and to hopefully add some stability to the senior hockey scene.  It wasn’t meant to stick it to the Cataracts or to any of the teams for that matter.  It was a decision to support the game we all love and to showcase the great product that steps onto the ice each weekend for our entertainment.

Does the whole future of the NLSHL rest on the Cataracts hosting the Herder?  Is the league that fragile?

History has shown us that Newfoundland senior hockey is vulnerable.  It imploded in the 1980s when teams brought in high paid imports, ran large deficits and eventually buckled under the financial pressures.

The Cataracts have indicated their future is uncertain given HNL’s decision.  Fans have called for a boycott of the Herder games and some suggested should the Cats make it to the Herder finals, the team itself should send a message and boycott the coveted championship.

What would this prove other than driving a final nail in a fragile league?

When senior hockey disappeared from the province 20 years ago, it was a sad day.  No one wants to go back there and hearing the doom-and-gloom statements coming from some senior teams is disheartening.

The revival of senior hockey in the province was a Godsend to the many hockey fans.  Teams such as the Corner Brook Royals, Deer Lake Red Wings and Grand Falls Cataracts brought the game back to local rinks.  Volunteers resurrected the Phoenix from the ashes and nurtured their fragile teams into contenders.  They worked long and hard and succeeded when many doubted what they were attempting to do.

With Deer Lake withdrawing from the old West Coast Senior Hockey League before the start of this current season, many around thought this was once again the end of another hockey era.  Once again, volunteers and dedicated organizations stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun.

They gave us the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League, embraced the concept that had been tossed around for years and expanded to incorporate teams from the east.

It was a good day for hockey in this province.

Still, as a hockey fan, a loyal supporter of the game we all love, one can’t help but feel vulnerable after watching the month-long drama over the Herder venues playing out in the realm of public opinion.

It showed a dirty side of the game, one that is about business, about making money and about doing everything that can be done to give individual teams an advantage over their competition financially.

The loyalty shown to their local fans and sponsors by the Cataracts organization cannot be questioned.  They’ve done nothing but great things for their organization and have built a winner when many had them written off just a few short years ago.

We can question their motives that resulted in drama that unfolded in the wake of HNL’s decision.  They have exposed the league, its fans and sponsors to the darker side of the game, one that should have been left in the boardrooms.

Some of the volunteers have been vilified and ridiculed.  People have questioned their character and their loyalty to their respective towns and organizations when it’s been those same volunteers that fought for years to bring the game back for the fans.

There’s no questioning the reason behind all the fuss.  All the fallout was for one thing and one thing only.  It had nothing to do with the fans.  This was a fight over money.  It’s that simple.

Is senior hockey here in Newfoundland as fragile as people want us to believe?  Most definitely!

HNL’s decision is a move in the right direction.  It is at least an attempt to share the wealth throughout the entire league, not just the teams that make it to the Herder.

In the off-season it is important both the league and HNL work to improve communications and to promote the league.  Hockey doesn’t stop because the ice is gone off the rink.

It lives on in the hearts of the players and in the dreams of the fans, something that many involved with today’s senior league have forgotten.

When we broke the story, we were criticized and people indicated this could never happen.  It was up to the individual teams to decide where they would play the games.

Fast forward 14 months and we are here now in one of the biggest controversies of the season.  Reality has sunk in and one team in particular, the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts are taking exception to HNL’s decision.  The team sees this as a slap in the face to the team, its fans, the town and every sponsor/supporter that stepped up over the years to build the Cats into the great organization they have.

Why did HNL make this decision?

From what we have ascertained, this decision is meant to help spread the wealth, an attempt to introduce “revenue sharing” to assist struggling teams and perhaps “save” senior hockey in the province.

The Cats don’t see it that way and they see this as a money grab by HNL and they have been criticized the governing body for making the decision.

HNL has fired back indicating the decision is good for the senior hockey and it would not reverse its decision.

Newfoundland Hockey Talk can sympathize with the Cats position.  We also understand where HNL is coming from with its stand.

However, what we do think, there’s something else happening behind the scenes that we are all not hearing.

If everyone thinks this is just about the Herder venue, they are truly mistaken.  There are more things happening behind the scenes than HNL or NLSHL probably wants to even comment on.

The league has issues that include HNL’s Herder venue decision but ask why the other teams have been pretty much silent.  One would think if this was such a major issue for the teams, their owners and representatives would be on this like white on rice.

Truly, this sucks for the Cats organization, its fan and the team supporters.  Is this the signs the league is about to crumble?

If senior hockey is to survive here in Newfoundland, something has to change and there has to be a new approach taken to attract fans and change the impressions of the game.  Teams must somehow make the game more entertaining off the ice and improve the product that’s on the ice.

Drop your thoughts about this on the Newfoundland Hockey Talk Discussion Forum.

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This year is a bit of an odd year.

With the Deer Lake Red Wings taking a year to rebuild their organization, many of the Deer Lake players such as the Robinsons and the Langdons have suited up in the red-white-and-blue.  It’s a bit of different dynamic given the rich history and rivalry these two teams had on the ice.

That’s where the rivalry stops … on the ice.

Talking to the fans, many are impressed with what the Royals are doing this year.  They are playing some of their best hockey and could have easily won every game.  Sure, they had some bad luck and couldn’t put the puck in the net at times and were unable to finish some great scoring opportunities … but you have to look at the situation as it was unfolding.

The Corner Brook Royals once again had a new coach.  He may have had experience and some successes behind the bench in minor hockey but this is much different.  Fitzgerald needed time to get his footing, feel out his players and understand the dynamics of the game.    Some of his inexperience has shown through at times, quite evident in his lines and his on-ice match-ups but he has adjusted and is doing a fine job.

The players needed some time to also gel, to find their legs and to get a feel for how their new line mates played.  It has taken some time and over the course of 10 games, the Royals have started to find their stride.  Their passing has improved, they’ve finished their checks, have shown so much emotion and heart as of late, they have started to turn heads in this league.

Many had written the Royals off after their first weekend.

Big mistake.

This is a team that is filled with competitors.  Contrary to popular beliefs, there is no animosity in the dressing room, just a bunch of guys having fun and wanting to win.

For the fans who have decided to stay away from the game this year … you’re really missing a treat.

The new Corner Brook Royals is a great team.  The organization is keeping true to its plan to rebuild this great organization.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government was asked to provide a subsidy to the tune of $500,000 but quickly decided to not get involved with pro hockey.  To save the deal, Williams went another route and worked with Mile One Entertainment to provide alternate funding for the team.

Williams inked a 3-year deal for the franchise and it’s likely this will be Newfoundland’s last chance to keep a pro hockey team in its capital.  The St. John’s Maple Leafs pulled out after 10 years and the Fog Devils had a short stint in the capital.

While Newfoundland Hockey Talk is happy to see pro hockey return to the province, one must ask the question if there will be enough support to keep the team in the city.  Initial indications are this is a long term commitment by both Williams and the league and early ticket sales and marketing measures show the team is headed in the right direction.

The name of the team has yet to be announced.

Photo Courtesy cbc.ca

Boston Bruins Michael Ryder has reached the pinnacle of what many hockey players dream about.  He can now call himself a Stanley Cup champion and take his place in the history books.

The Bonavista native became the second Newfoundlander to raise the Stanley Cup after the Bruins stunned the hockey world and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in game seven.

Many people had written the Bruins off after Vancouver jumped out to a 2-0 series league but the Beantown heroes battled back at home to even the series at 2 games a piece.  The teams traded home wins again, setting the stage for game 7 in Vancouver and there were those who thought the Bruins could go all the way, especially the fans in Ryder’s hometown.

In dramatic fashion, the Bruins did the unthinkable, upsetting the number one seed in the playoffs and put the game away with a decisive 4-0 victory.

It was unlike anything Ryder had ever experienced and he had described it as being “Almost like a dream.”

Ryder played a key role throughout the playoffs, contributing goals and points when needed as the Bruins continued through team after team in post-season.

The Stanley Cup will be making another trip to Newfoundland sometime this summer and Bonavista is sure to celebrate!

In 2008, Dan Cleary became the first Newfoundlander to have his name engraved on the cup and to bring Lord Stanley’s trophy to the island.  Unfortunately, Cleary and his Wings were eliminated in a nail biter last night when eliminated by the San Jose Sharks but that’s not the end of Newfoundlander’s fighting for the cup.

San Jose has Ryan Clowe in the lineup and he has proven to be a force in the playoffs.  The Sharks’ leading scorer in the playoffs is well positioned with only 4 teams remaining.

We can’t forget Michael Ryder of the Bruins.  He’s once again caught up in the thick of things as the Bruins will now square off against Tampa Bay and another Newfoundlander in Teddy Purcell in what’s looking to be a great series.

The Vancouver Canucks also have a Newfoundland connection but not on the ice.  Darrell Williams is their video coach and he hails from St. John’s.  Playing a pivotal role in the organization, Williams has the opportunity of a lifetime as the Presidents Cup winning Canucks continues its quest to Lord Stanley!

Exciting times for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Who do you have picked as the favourite?

Fans are in for a treat as we have the Wings, experienced and seasoned, looking to regain the elusive championship and the Cataracts, full of youth and looking to establish themselves as the best in the league.

With seasoned veterans such as Mark Robinson, Chris Peach and Darren Langdon, the Wings definitely have the experience edge.  These players have all been there before, know how to win and have the heart to step up during the big game.  The Cats have youth on their side, with the best 1-2 punch in goaltending with Yetman and Jewer.

The Cataracts pretty much owned the Wings throughout the regular season.  However, this isn’t the regular season.

The Wings knocked off the defending champions in the Clarenville Caribous, taking the series in 6 games.  The Bous play a similar style of hockey as the Cataracts and this may give Deer Lake a slight edge.  Their game plan will be very similar and this may prove a major advantage in this series.

The Cats on come off a relatively easy series win over the Corner Brook Royals.  Solid goaltending and a never-say-quit attitude showed what this team is capable off.  Even while being down and all but out late in a few games, the Cataracts just kept coming and pulled off big wins.

While the outcome is yet to be determined, what is known, hockey fans are in for a treat.

After battling the Clarenville Caribous all seasons for top spot, the Cats took a single point on Saturday, February 5 to clinch the first place position and waited for the results from the Corner Brook Royals and Deer Lake Red Wings to see who their opponents would be in the first round of the playoffs.

That f ate was decided on Sunday when the Deer Lake Red Wings picked up a 5-4 shoot-out win over the Royals after dropping 8-1 to the Royals on Saturday night.

The Wings shoot-out win means the Cataracts will face Corner Brook in round one of the playoffs.