Last Allan Cup for Newfoundland?

[Hockey Eyes]

I think I do. As the Corner Brook rep said in a TV interview ....it is a chance to see your neighbour or son or boss or employee represent the community. It is community hockey. If it is just high skill level ... then that's not the place. I go to Jack Byrne every Friday night to watch commuinity hockey... Players from the community playing for the North East Eagles. Its great.

[Wayner]

If you ever travel out west go watch a game of the wcshl. It is TERRIBLE hockey. Games that are won 12-9 with people who clearly can't play hockey anymore who just fight. I have no idea how they are getting 12 - 1500 fans.

I tend to agree and wonder how long this league will last. I love the idea of community hockey and wonder if it will sustain over the long term. The reason why I say this is that when you look at the population(s) in the four communities and the lack of community hockey development, will there not be enough quality hockey players to sustain a decent level of hockey to continue to draw fans. PAB has a very small population base compared to CB. PAB has a small number of minor players and very few playing midget. So where will the players come from? I believe CB won the championship game against (not sure who) by a score of 12-4. I hope the league does prosper but highly doubt it.

[top cheese]

I think the crowds have been present because there has been no hockey in these communities and because of FIGHTING. and we all know how traditional senior hockey fans love fighting.

I find it hard to believe that this league under the current conditions are sustainable. 1) its low end rec hockey with hitting 2) it was a 12 game schedule and 3) if they want to play for the herder there going to have to spend the money there earning at the gate and thinks will eventually become status quo again.

AESHL is not a community league the Torbay team is not full of Torbay native players

[Hockey Eyes]

With great respect ..the Northeast Eagles is essentially a community team with junior graduates from the Celtics who became in the last year the Eagles. Jeremy Kavanagn and Matthew Walsh is from Torbay so is Tyler Walsh and both Cadigans are from the area. So is Rodgers and Mooney and Matt Horan and Sean Wadden and Myers are all ex Celtics and the Eagles are very much a community team. You get to be on the Eagles by virtue of geography , or draft or trade. Lots of good players from draft and trade for sure but this is a Torbay area team. In general terms your sentence that the Torbay team is not fill of Torbay players is just not correct. There is probably a dozen Eagles players that are from the North east. That isn't an accident. It is a community league.

[thelionsden]

Hockey eyes....it's very easy to have a community league with a population of 200+ thousand people and many young players who are born outside the overpass now living on the avolan working or in school.

A "community" based team means different things to different people. My definition of community based is simple. It's is a team that is supported by its people who live in the community. All fundraising is supported by it people and businesses. That families of the players are friends with many people in the community. There is a connection with the Cataracts players and the people of the community.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY TEAM.

[Hockey Eyes]

Lionsden "community " based certainly does as you say mean different things to different people. I was specifically referencing a sentence from Top Cheese who said
" AESHL is not a community league the Torbay team is not full of Torbay native players". Which is essentially untrue.
Good luck in whichever the league the Cataracts skate next year.

[Seniorfan]

Hockey eyes....it's very easy to have a community league with a population of 200+ thousand people and many young players who are born outside the overpass now living on the avolan working or in school.

A "community" based team means different things to different people. My definition of community based is simple. It's is a team that is supported by its people who live in the community. All fundraising is supported by it people and businesses. That families of the players are friends with many people in the community. There is a connection with the Cataracts players and the people of the community.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY TEAM.

Well said Lionsden. The Cataracts definitely are part of and belong to the COMMUNITY.

[Hockey Eyes]

Under the definition you use the Cataracts are most certainly a part of the community in the same way the Ice Caps are part of the St. John's community or the Red Wings are part of the Detroit community.
The Cataracts team that played in the Allan Cup would still be a community team under that definition even if some of the players never set foot in Grand Falls Windsor.
The Northeast Eagles are part of the community in that the players are from the area and get a game of competitive hockey. The Eagles don't have fan support like the Cataracts but they also don't have the bills that have to be paid. They don't need to beat the bushes and suck every fundraising dollar out of the areas. They are fine the way they are.
It is a different system that has served the teams well for half a century ,. There have been down turns and currently there are upturns as more skilled players come to the league.

[Seniorfan]

Under the definition you use the Cataracts are most certainly a part of the community in the same way the Ice Caps are part of the St. John's community or the Red Wings are part of the Detroit community.
The Cataracts team that played in the Allan Cup would still be a community team under that definition even if some of the players never set foot in Grand Falls Windsor.
The Northeast Eagles are part of the community in that the players are from the area and get a game of competitive hockey. The Eagles don't have fan support like the Cataracts but they also don't have the bills that have to be paid. They don't need to beat the bushes and suck every fundraising dollar out of the areas. They are fine the way they are.
It is a different system that has served the teams well for half a century ,. There have been down turns and currently there are upturns as more skilled players come to the league.

I don't believe you're actually too stupid to understand Lionsden's description therefore I'm left to reach the only other possible conclusion that your only purpose here is to insult and demean all the people who have worked so hard to bring quality hockey to fans off the Avalon. They've done so without the benefit of having half the province's population living next door to each other. Your model works there but can't work here. Not anymore. Your posts just get more and more condescending and frankly sickening.

[thelionsden]

Hey Seniorfan...don't waste your time with him. Remember he's the one who said no players are paid on the east coast and he also believes in the Easter Bunny. Let see what happens next season if the influx of player's return to the AESHL "IF" there is no Hockey in central. These players will demand $$$ and rightfully deserve it. It will become a **** show where some teams will pay and some won't be able too. CB'S will dish out MORE cash and some teams will have to follow suit. Watch the crazy trades that Bell Island will do to get some cash back to help pay for equipment.

To get back on topic here...is it possible that if there is no league in Central...can the Cataracts register as a AAA team and just play in the Allan Cup every yr?. Is that possible I wonder?