New "AHL" Concept

Alright guys it is no secret that the current AHL system is quite flawed. It is pretty tough to get 12 guys together for games regardless if the game is scheduled or not. Another problem is that not everyone seems to have a dedicated goalie on their team. Here is something I was toying around with earlier, just wanted to get the league opinion. Also feel free to discuss and share your opinions (so long as it is a mature discussion and not a bitch-fest).


As it is now we have 12 AHL teams (obviously the affiliates of the NHL teams). This allows the NHL guys to call up/send down players as they see fit. I feel that 12 AHL teams is WAY to many. Sure on paper there is a lot of bodies, but how many are active?


Teams: Scrap the 12 AHL teams and make 8 teams. Have 4 teams members of the CHL and the other 4 teams members of a foreign league. This would eliminate 4 teams and ensure that more active players are disbursed in the minors THUS creating a more competitive league. The winner of the CHL could face of against the winner of the other division for the "championship".

Call Up: Since there would be no more AHL affiliates obviously the NHL team wouldn't be able to call up players if need be. Instead at the beginning of each season AND at the midway point of the season there could be an entry draft. Each team could pick up X amount of players as their team deems necessarily, but not to go over a roster limit. You don't get drafted, you continue to play in the minors.

Owner/GM: Each minor league team would have an Owner/GM assigned. These individuals (and these only) could be allowed to be on an NHL roster as well as a minor league roster. It is important to have PERMANENT leadership on the minor league teams to ensure operations run smoothly. They also would handle all the things a normal Owner/GM would.


The main thing is to get smaller. Just because you have a ton of people registered and signed up does not mean everyone should be able to be on a team roster. To many people I see on rosters right now with 0-10 forum posts and no league activity. Why do they deserve a roster spot? Because they clicked a button? I'm not knocking the sign-up feature, it is nice. But maybe instead of throwing them on a team it could put them on a "Free Agent" roster and their stats could be their forum activity. This would give owners a good feel of who is going to be active and who is going to sign up and become a ghost.

The smaller the league, the more tight knit it becomes. You begin to avoid the scheduling issues and the talent is more potent. Activity wouldn't be an issue because you will always have a pool of free agents to pick up and you will be able to see who the active guys are. I hope this makes sense to people and it isn't just me throwing nonsense around. Feel free to chime in.

 

Good in theory, I'm not sure what they plan to do, but he AHL this season was kind of thrown together just to get games in, and a lot more people signed up midseason. Next season the AHL will be functional, I'm sure of it. Tris can make anything happen

 

League needs to fill nhl teams then expand to ahl

 

I agree that the AHL should have fewer teams. But rather than have teams be unaffiliated with the NHL teams, why not have them "share" players? e.g. Have 6 (or 8 or however many distributes the players appropriately) teams each made up of the minor leaguers of 2 NHL teams. This is even done in real life - NHL teams occasionally share an AHL farm team. I've seen it work in other 6v6 leagues.

About forum activity - Post count is not a good way to determine if a player is active. With the one-click signups, a player can fulfill all of his/her responsibilities without ever posting in the forums. Those people could be the most reliable and most talkative in the party, for all you know.

Just a couple thoughts.

 

good 9000th post

 

i had the same idea as ball saddle ...get 6 teams send in 2 NHL teams prospects and then the games get filled just need 6 AHL gms that are gonna be on top of things and maybe even be full time AHL playersi think that if people were less concerned about moving up to the NHL and felt the AHL was more competitive it would be alot better ..... when i was here years ago at the beggining of the league i spent quite a bit of time in the AHL before i made it up ... and the games and AHL itself were competitive. that being said in my idea i would gladly stay in the AHL as a GM and i think that it can work just need a few people from different point of views to spitball and get things hammered out

 

i like the idea besides "These individuals (and these only) could be allowed to be on an NHL roster as well as a minor league roster". i like playing 6v6 and play in the NHL, and try to make every AHL game too, besides the 8pm games. i don't know how other teams are run, but the AHL games i have played there has been 2-3 NHL guys. so if you take out the NHL guys you would cut the active AHL pool in half right there, and might have the same problem as now. plus it might lead people looking to play 6s in a league to go to other sites so they can play more then 3 games a week

 

We could do like the d-league in basketball, have 6 ahl teams for 12 nhl teams. Nhl drafts the rights to players, and ahl teams are split based on two teams, preferably from diff conferences. So say the redwings and bruins shared an ahl affiliate. Or make the "ahl" and "juniors league and not have an ahl but use chl teams to avoid confusing prexisting affliations

 

Sorry i just reread ball saddles post, i thought he was talking about pooling the prospects into the ahl, so basically in short i agree with him!

 

100% agree.(for what that is worth)

 

i think you should have 8 players on each lvl team so you get more games a week.... and just keep the same number of teams in the ahl and make the same amout of teams in the chl..... different lvls and you would play every night almost i think this is a way better system then we got right now i wouldnt be in any other leagues if this system was in place i hate not playing like every night so yeah that my view !

 

too stress full would be easier if the same players would play every night and build chemistry better haha i dunno i hate not playing alot more then we do now

 

I'd like to make a few points here and hopefully people understand more because apparently the message isn't getting out.

This is the last week of the regular season, there is no need to restructure anything. The AHL was created to allow people to join the league and see our tools by playing instead of sitting on a waiting list. We had no intention of having an AHL this season but it will and always has been a plan for next season with full structure and schedule. People who are in it won't have the option of not playing and will be removed for being inactive.

Now that being said,
After opening the AHL it was stated and being planned that players will need to get "x" amount of games in to by-pass mandatory scouting and be eligible for the NHL draft and/or be eligible to be used/called up/play in the NHL next season. We don't have it written up but here are some bullets of what will be happening. So for those who think they are "too good" to play in the AHL will have double the work to avoid playing in the AHL next season.

Being eligible for Season 15 draft:
1. AHL games will continue til the end of the playoffs in which at that time there will be a short scouting period.
2. Sign ups (season 14) will close after week 1 of playoffs and Season 15 sign ups will open.
3. Players with a minimum 12 games played (AHL/NHL) will be automatically eligible for Season 15 draft (voluntary scouting only)
4. Any player not signing up and getting into the AHL will be required to have mandatory scouting by 8 teams (this is not negotiable)
5. Owners are not required to do scouting or have to kill themselves trying to get people scouted, making the #4 a bit more difficult for players and more reasons why a player will have to be committed to showing up for scouting games when they are going on.

Call Up/Send Downs:
1. Any "returning" player (12 games of AHL/NHL or more) will be able to be called up or sent down with no restrictions (subject to change)
2. "Returning" players that go undrafted to the NHL are eligible to be called up at an owners discretion or if a roster spot opens up.
3. Players who fulfill mandatory scouting, but go undrafted will not be eligible to be called up to the NHL and will have to play a full season in the AHL and can only be used as an ECU (see rules for better description "ECU")
4. Players who fulfill mandatory scouting and are drafted will be eligible to be sent down (undecided if it will be a two way deal or if they will not be able to be called back up)
5. "Returning" players (12 games or more from Season 14) either signed up for the draft or as a late sign up will be eligible to be called up/sent down
6. Late sign ups, "new" players will have to play a full season in the AHL before becoming eligible to play in the NHL

Now I hope people can see how important it is to get games in. We'd like to move past any mandatory scouting but not just having players come in without our owners being able to evaluate them with our stats system. This is a general concept and structure of what you will be looking out going into next season.

With the season ending we should see more NHL guys being able to help with filling AHL lines and helping people get their games in.

 

It can and will be.

If you experienced this once I would assume you'd take the care and put them in yourself or wait and see a couple minutes. Anyone in the game can enter stats.

 

Correction, I have played 5 yet only show I have played 4. The Icecaps are rather lazy in entering stats it seems. And it isn't the point of anyone can enter stats, I get that. But the rules state the winning team does them. You have to have accountability. Players shouldn't have to stick around after a loss (especially a blow out) and record stats because they know the winning team wont do them. Hopefully for the second season of the AHL there is more enforcement of rules and regulations.

 

I agree, but in the same sense why hasn't these things been reported? At least we would be able to collect the names in the game.

 

They have been reported, however, it has been well noted that the AHL was just thrown together and it more of a "loose" league until the new season in which it will be more organized. I think most people are just ready for a fresh season where a full season can be played.

 

I suggest you put this in your AHL/NHL locker room

 

I partially Agree. I think 8 is way too low. But a number around 12 per NHL team. Would allow for more NHL teams to be introduced while also giving the AHL guys who are both active and knowledgeable. Activity would be the biggest asset for NHL players, and would likely force some 'WTF' send downs, but i think it would be a healthy way to give the active AHL dudes making names for themselves a shot at the big show. I like having a bigger roster for the AHL since it has so many unproven players, it would definitely make the NHL substantially more Elite.

 

Also i think this needs to be said:
The AHL, thus far, has been a f*cking joke,
So to the AHLers, that honestly put in the effort and showed up to those ghost town Lobbies at game time, It may not be an Official LG apology but on behalf of me i want to say SORRY, But more than that, We will make this succeed (with your help).

Bottom line, If you are serious about your 6v6 you will want to be a part of the LGHL Season 15.