Jason Deitsch Announces His Retirement

Here is the announcement on Jason Deitsch's retirement courtesy of the Allen Americans:

Jason Deitsch Retires - Photo by SceneByKimberly.com

Allen, Texas – Allen Americans Captain, Jason Deitsch announced his retirement, effective immediately to accept a position as Head Coach of the NA3HL Dallas Junior Stars.

Deitsch came to Allen two seasons ago from the Americans rival, the then Texas Brahmas of the CHL. He was named team captain midway through the season, leading the Americans to the playoffs for a third straight season. Deitsch opened the season with a 13 game point streak, the longest of the year.

  

“Jason Deitsch has had a hall of fame career,” said Allen Americans President Matt Canavan. “He will be missed and we wish him the best in his future endeavors as he begins his coaching career.”

Over his career, Deitsch won championships at the professional, junior and collegiate levels. His first pro cup came with Kalamazoo of the UHL, in 2005-2006, then with Cincinnati of the ECHL in 2007-2008 and completing the accomplishment of back to back titles in 2008-2009, with the Texas Brahmas of the CHL.  He won a Robertson Cup in 2000-2001 with the Texas Tornado, and three college championships, winning the Peters Cup at St. Norbert College of the NCHA.

"I’m very excited about this new opportunity and want to thank the fans in Allen for making my time there the best of my career, “ said Americans retiring captain Jason Deitsch. “I would also like to thank Owner, Doug Miller and President, Matt Canavan for working so hard to bring me to the Americans organization.  I’m happy that I could help bring the Presidents' Cup to the Allen and end my career that way.”

The Allen Americans will honor Jason Deitsch at a home game, to be determined, this upcoming season. The defending Presidents' Cup Champions will begin their fifth season in the CHL this October.

State Of the CHL - Interview With Missouri President Brent Thiessen

Here is an article written by Bill Althaus of the Examiner.net where he interviews Missouri Mavericks President Brent Thiessen. He covers Mavericks related topics but also some "state of the CHL" topics. One thing Thiessen emphasizes is that each team in the league owns an equal 10% of the CHL. Because Missouri and Wichita ownership each own two franchises they have a combined 40% ownership stake.

Thiessen: CHL remains healthy

By Bill Althaus - bill.althaus@examiner.net

The Examiner

Blue Springs, MO —

Missouri Mavericks president Brent Thiessen looked calm and refreshed Monday as he sat back in his office chair and stretched his arms behind his head.
One of the busiest men in the Central Hockey League had a rare moment to relax and talk about his team, the state of the Central Hockey League and Missouri’s newest entry into the CHL.
But first and foremost, Thiessen wants CHL fans to be assured that the league is as strong as ever and that it’s ready to enter its 22nd season this October.
“We're fired up and ready to go,” Thiessen said after returning from the 18th annual CHL Summer Conference in Phoenix, where the Mavericks took home six of the 16 awards announced, including the CHL Franchise of the Year for the third season in a row.
The Mavericks also won Group Ticket Sales Franchise of the Year for the third year in a row. Missouri brought home Corporate Partnerships and Ticket Sales Franchise honors for the second year in a row and Thiessen was again named the winner of the Brad Treliving Executive of the Year. Bob Rennison was named the Broadcaster of the Year.
“The league is strong,” Thiessen said. “We keep hearing rumors about this team leaving or that team leaving, but as of right now, we are starting the season with 10 teams, including the new Chill in St. Charles and the Beast in Brampton, Ontario (outside of Toronto).”
Both the Allen Americans, the defending league champion, and Wichita, which lost the championship to Allen, will be back in the CHL this season.
“Everyone was very positive at the meetings and we're looking forward to a very successful season here in Independence,” Thiessen said. “We are at the point where we can start bringing back the solid core players who helped us make the run to Game 7 of the semifinals the past two seasons.
“I know I don't need to say this, because our fans already know, but our only goal is to bring Eastern Jackson County a championship. We've come close the past two years, and this year, we hope to make that dream a reality.”
There will be an interesting scenario in the state this season as the ownership group of brothers Matt and Mark Adam and Mike Carper will not only own the fifth-year Mavericks, they also purchased the Chill from an ownership group that is no longer affiliated with the team.

Former Mavericks vice president of communications Patrick Armstrong is the executive vice president of the Chill and is running the day-to-day operations, coach Jamie Rivers is running the hockey side and Thiessen is serving as the team's president to oversee all operations.
“I'm serving as president to help get another hockey club up and going in our state,” Thiessen said. “With Patrick and Jamie on site all the time, the team is in great hands. And I can promise you, there is going to be quite a rivalry between the Chill and the Mavericks.
“The Chill are going to be like 'We're ready to take a piece of the action in Missouri,' and the Mavs are going to be like, 'We're here to show you how it's done.'”
There are certain rules both organizations must abide by, as the Mavs and Chill cannot make any player transactions or have any off-ice dealings to avoid a conflict of interest.
“Having one ownership group own two teams is not new to the CHL,” Thiessen said. “The same ownership group owns Tulsa and Wichita – although they are not in the same state, they are rivals in the same league. The league welcomed our ownership to come into St. Charles.”
The ownership groups of each team now own the CHL, which had been owned by Global Entertainment Corporation.
“I want to make another thing clear on the ownership,” Thiessen said. “Every team owns one-tenth of the league. There are rumors that the Mavericks and Thunder own the biggest part of the pie, and that's just not true. This is equal ownership among all the teams.”
Thiessen said the team is looking to sign more veteran players from last year's team and that coach Scott Hillman is on the lookout for two goalies to replace last year's successful rookies Mike Clemente and Mathieu Corbeil.
“We've had very successful goalies each season and we look to continue that streak in the upcoming season,” Thiessen said. “This is a very important season for this franchise. It's our fifth year and we want to make it the best yet.”
When asked about radio broadcasts for the upcoming season, Thiessen said that's an issue he is currently dealing with. Last season, the games were aired on KUDL (1660 AM), but its frequency did not carry well in Eastern Jackson County, meaning fans in the metro area could hear the games but fans in Independence, Blue Springs and Grain Valley had trouble picking up the broadcasts.
“We just don't know right now what we're going to do,” Thiessen said. “Our fans may be able to listen to games on their phone apps or computers, or we might work out a radio deal. I just can't give you an answer right now.”
But he can answer one question: How does this team continue to lead the league in sellouts (17 last season) and grow its season ticket base each season?
“That's an easy one,” Thiessen said, smiling. “We have the greatest staff in the league and the greatest fans. No team in North America has grown its season-ticket base the past five years – that's unheard of. We have people on our staff who love what they do and we have fans who love this team.”
ALIGNMENT, PLAYOFFS REMAIN SAME: The CHL announced Tuesday that it would keep the same alignment and the same playoff format as last season.
The CHL will again compete in one 10-team Berry Conference. The expansion Brampton Beast and St. Charles Chill will join the Mavericks, Allen Americans, Arizona Sundogs, Denver Cutthroats, Quad City Mallards, Rapid City Rush, Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder.
The playoff format will remain three best-of-seven rounds with eight teams advancing. Teams will be seeded Nos. 1-8 based on regular season points totals and will play the opening round, Berry Conference semifinals and the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals.
The CHL Board of Governors adopted two new rule changes. The CHL will eliminate the “attainable” pass rule, which allows for a linesman to waive off icing if it is determined that a pass was attainable. The board also voted to cut minor penalties in overtime to one minute instead of two and that on-ice officials have an emphasis to closely monitor diving infractions.

CHL Meeting Board Of Governors Decisions

Here is the press release from the CHL talking about decisions made at the meeting last week. Remember, decisions were made concerning the Collective Bargaining Agreement but they will be part of negotiations with the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA) and would obviously not be made public.

CHL Annual Board of Governors Meeting Concludes

CHL Annual Board of Governors Meeting Concludes
Playoff Format and Conference Alignment Determined

GLENDALE, AZ (July 23, 2013) – The Central Hockey League’s (CHL) Board of Governors met in Phoenix last week at the Arizona Biltmore Resort during the League’s annual “Summer Conference” and made several determination including conference alignment and playoff format.

For the second straight season, the CHL’s teams will compete in one 10-team conference, the Berry Conference.  Participating in the 2013-14 season are the Allen Americans, Arizona Sundogs, Denver Cutthroats, Missouri Mavericks, Quad City Mallards, Rapid City Rush, Tulsa Oilers, Wichita Thunder and the expansion Brampton Beast and St. Charles Chill.

The playoff format remains the same with eight teams qualifying for post-season play ranked one through eight based on regular season point totals.  The post-season will consist of three rounds with the Opening Round, the Berry Conference Semifinals and the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals and all series’ will be a best-of-7 format.

Also determined was that the CHL would adapt the rule change of eliminating the “attainable” pass rule which allows for a linesman to waive off icing if it was determined that a pass was attainable.

The Board of Governors also voted that the halving of minor penalties in overtime would continue meaning all minor infractions called in overtime would result in a 1:00 penalty and that an emphasis would be placed by the on-ice officials to monitor closely diving infractions.

Shocker: Brahmas Are Back: Part 2 - Texas Tornado Details

Here is another article about the demise of the Texas Tornado and their reemergence as the Texas Brahmas. A sad tale indeed for a great NAHL franchise which has many connections to the Allen Americans. Dwight Mullins coached the Tornado,  Americans owner Doug Miller (his son played for the Tornado) tried to buy the Tornado before getting the Americans franchise,  Americans President Matt Canavan worked for the Tornado as did Driector of Game Operations Tom Manning. Jason Deitsch, Trevor Ludwig, and Tyler Ludwig played for the Tornado. So you can see the connections run deep. Let's hope this storied franchise can be successful in spite of the obstacles placed in front of it detailed in the article below written by Kirk Estes of SI.com. It is also a great opportunity for the Allen Americans to reach out to the Texas Tornado fans and invite them to become part of the "Dread The Red" experience.

Say good-bye to the Texas Tornado by Kirk Estes

Gary Gelinas President of CSH International USA and his deep pocket Corporate Chairman Bill Yuill, CEO of the Monarch Corporation have driven the last nail in the Texas Tornado coffin. Reliable sources within the organization confirm that the Texas Tornado are being sold to a group headed by Salvatore and Frank Trazzera who will relocate the team to the NyTex Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, TX as the Texas Brahmas.
What was once considered by many to be the premier franchise in the history of the NAHL will face a daunting task to try to continue the streak of 13 straight playoff appearances due to the complete incompetence of CSH International and the way they have handled the sale of the team.
Despite the fact that the NAHL season ended over two months ago, players on the Tornado roster have been kept in the dark by CSH management. The only communication with players was a notice on the team’s website on June 24th that the main tryout camp had been cancelled. Following that announcement the entire front office staff, except for one individual was let go leading to even greater anxiety. Rumors began to swirl like wild-fire on various website and blogs focused on junior hockey. Players, fans and billet families were left to read of the team ceasing operation or moving to Laredo or NyTex, yet Gelinas and management remained silent. Players turned to Head Coach Tony Curtale looking for information, but there was not much he could provide as Gelinas and CSH stonewalled him as well.
Coach Curtale took the reigns of the Texas Tornado in their expansion season of 1999/00 and guided the team to the playoff every season he was behind the bench running up a record of 465-188-48. Tony had missed the 2007/08 season but returned to the team following their off-season as the Dr Pepper Arena was expanded.
When the Tornado opened the 2012/13 season as the defending National Champions Gelinas had nothing but the highest praise for the head coach. “We are the most successful sports team in North Texas,” stated the CSH President to NAHL.com. “Tony is a big part of that success.” Despite Curtale’s credentials and tremendous success including five Robertson Cup National Championships in 12 seasons, Gelinas and CSH quietly let the contract of the winningest coach in USA Hockey history at this level, expire on June 30^th.
CSH International finally broke their silence with the players on July 18^th as phone calls were made by the lone remaining staff member to players informing them that the team would be moving to North Richland Hills. Then on Friday July 19^th a letter from Tornado ownership was emailed to the players.
Gelinas opened the letter addressing the lack of communications. “First, on behalf of the CSH, owners of the Tornado, I want to acknowledge that there has been a communication gap over the past month due to the fact there was no concrete plan as to the near future of the team,” said Gelinas. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused while you were waiting to hear from the Tornado.” Really Gary, it has been more than two months since the players had any substantive communications from CSH and still no details.
The NAHL Board of Governors missed a major red flag when they approved CSH to purchase the Tornado franchise in May 2010. Just five weeks earlier the Central Hockey League had seized control of the Arizona Sundogs franchise from CSH who had purchased the team in Nov 2008. Bob Hoffman, CHL Director of Operations explained to Jeff Wendt of the Arizona Republic why the league had to take such drastic action. “CSH had not been living up to the terms of its operating and licensing agreement in both monetary and non-monetary ways, and thereby defaulted on its license.” Said Hoffman. A few days later Hoffman told the Daily Courier that CSH was “avoiding all their responsibilities where it comes to the license agreement,”
The year before CSH took ownership of the Sundogs, Arizona had won the Ray Miron President’s Cup as CHL league champions. Fans flocked to Tim’s Toyota Center to watch the franchise clinch their first league championship, averaging 4,310 per game. By the time the league took control of the team two years later, the Sundogs had set a record for losses in a season and attendance had fallen to fewer than 2700 per game.
Unfortunately, it appears that CSH has done everything possible to set the Texas Tornado up for much the same fate. By the time the sale and transfer are finalized the new ownership group and coaching staff will have roughly seven weeks to put a team on the ice. An ownership group and head coach coming from the Minor Pro model, with no ties to the Junior Hockey ranks will struggle to assemble a competitive roster despite the veterans who played last season.
Gelinas closed his letter to the players wishing them “nothing but success in the year ahead.” Yet due to his and CSH’s bumbling the Tornado veterans will be looking at an uphill battle to complete a successful season. Every other team in the league will have conducted multiple tryout camps and completed their main camp by August 6^th. It will be weeks before the Tornado could arrange even a rudimentary camp to piece meal a roster together around their talented veterans.
CSH had the Tornado front office pushing season ticket purchases following the end of the 2012/13 season with slick mailers to current season ticket holders and online marketing. Now people who have spent hard-earned money are resorting to requesting refunds on the Tornado Facebook page because the offices are dark. Those postings are immediately deleted. One has to wonder, just how long Gelinas and CSH will hold onto the money they have collected.
I wish the best to those players whose NAHL rights are held by the organization. They did not ask for any of this upheaval, they just want to play hockey and an opportunity to earn a coveted NCAA scholarship. It is unfortunate that poor management and business dealings could potentially impact their hard work. Hopefully the Trazzera brothers can right the ship, the young men on the roster and fans deserve nothing less.

CHL Roster Update by Team & Roster Discussion

Below is the most recent listing of current rosters around the CHL. I have been getting a lot of roster questions in the last week and while not an expert by any means, wanted to share some of my thoughts about rosters, player signing announcements, etc.

- The list below is current as of 7/18 but there are some omissions as you will notice Bootland is not included on the Allen list even though he has been formally announced. I assume there are omissions for other teams as well.

- There has been lots of traffic on social media about other player signings (Chris Doyle & Alex Bourret) so why aren't they listed. While I don't know the specifics of these two cases the normal process for a player signing has a least three signature steps. The player signs a contract and sends it to the front office. The contract gets signed by a representative of the team (President, General Manager, etc.). The contract then gets sent to the CHL headquarters for a signature.

- Until all of these signatures are completed you don't have a transaction and it is not a done deal. Sometimes what happens is a player or a player's agent says they are signed (usually on Twitter or Facebook) when the player signs the contract. My understanding is the standard players contract has a provision where players and player agents agree when they sign the contract to not publicize the signing until all signatures have been completed and the announcement is coordinated. Obviously, this provision is not always followed which creates confusion.

- The other thing that happens is players are signed but the formal announcements are delayed for marketing reasons. It is difficult to keep enthusiasm up during the lengthy hockey off season so teams deliberately space out player signings to help with sales and marketing. If you are the championship team like Allen it is a lot easier to keep enthusiasm up as you can market the championship mixed in with player signings.

- Another factor in player signings is the style of the coach. Some try and get players signed early while others typically wait until later in the summer. There are pros and cons to both approaches. Keep in mind some players are trying to find homes in other places (AHL, Europe and even the ECHL) so until they make a decision they won't consider signing in the CHL. I'm sure if we had a chance to spend time with the coaching staffs what seems like a quiet off season is very hectic behind the scene.

- With the CHL meeting having just taken place last week some roster related issues (roster size, veterans rules, etc.) may have been considered. I have heard second hand that changes were not made but we will have to wait and see when the CHL puts out a press release on what, if any, changes the Board of Governors made to hockey operations.


2013-14 CHL Off-Season Player Movement


Information provided as a courtesy to fans and media members. All information provided by CHL member clubs. Listed information should not be considered as official, pending approval from the CHL's Hockey Operations department.
Transactions for 2013-2014 season last updated 7/18/13

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Allen Americans

Transactions:
Tyler Ludwig (D) - re-signed
Trevor Ludwig (D) - re-signed
John Snowden (F) - signed
Phil Fox (F) -signed
Alex Lavoie (F) - signed
Garrett Clarke (D) - re-signed
Daniel Tetrault (D) - signed

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Arizona Sundogs

Transactions:
Named Kevin Colley Head Coach
Jason Morgan (F) - re-signed
Kevin Baker (F) - re-signed
Henric Hoglund (F) - signed
Ryan Gaucher (D) - signed

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Brampton Beast

Transactions:
Named Mark DeSantis Head Coach
Named Brent Hughes Assistant Coach
Brett Smith (F) - signed
Calin Wild (F) - signed
Jason Pitton (F) - signed

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Denver Cutthroats

Transactions:
Sean Zimmerman (D) - re-signed
T.J. Fox (F) - signed
Troy Schwab (F) - re-signed
J.P. Chabot (F) - re-signed
Matt Glasser (F) - signed

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Missouri Mavericks

Transactions:
John-Scott Dickson (F) - re-signed
David Pszenyczny (D) - re-signed
Sebastien Thinel (F) - re-signed
Andrew Courtney (F) - re-signed
Colt King (F) - re-signed
Evan Vossen (F) - re-signed

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Quad City Mallards

Transactions:
Darren McMillan (D) - re-signed
Jeff Lee (F) - signed
Matt Boyd (F) - re-signed
Mike Grace (D) - signed

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Rapid City Rush

Transactions:
Acquired rights to Gio Flamminio (D) from Tulsa in exchange for the rights to Dan Gendur (F) and Jordan Baker (F)
Konrad Reeder (F) - signed

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St. Charles Chill

Transactions:
Named Jamie Rivers Head Coach
Named Sean Ferrell Assistant Coach
Jordan Fox (F) - signed
Kyle Kraemer (F) - signed
Tony DeHart (D) - signed

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Tulsa Oilers

Transactions:
Acquired rights to Dan Gendur (F) and Jordan Baker (F) from Rapid City in exchange for the rights to Gio Flamminio (D)
Todd Robinson (F) - signed
Ben Gordon (F) - re-signed
Tomas Klempa (F) - signed
Drew Fisher (F) - re-signed
Shane Madolora (G) - re-signed

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Wichita Thunder

Transactions:
Jon Booras (F) - signed
Jesse Dudas (D) - signed

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The Great CHL Award Hoax, Come On Man

I have always taken pride in trying to write a blog that is fair and balanced. I have heard from many fans from other teams around the CHL they read my blog because I don't always take the "homer" position. I should also say I am not a conspiracy theorist. But I have to say the CHL Franchise Awards which concluded the league meetings last night are a joke. I am not taking away anything from those that were winners as I am sure they are deserving. But how on earth can you hand out 16 awards and the franchise that won both the regular season Governor's Cup and the playoffs Presidents' Cup get none of them. Could it possibly have anything to do with Allen trying to move to the ECHL? No, it couldn't have anything to do with the ECHL issues because Rapid City also tried to move to the ECHL. Oh, Rapid City didn't win any awards either.  How did the two teams that led the takeover of the CHL fare you ask? Missouri & Wichita just happened to win eleven of the sixteen awards.
COME ON MAN!!!!!

CHL Announces Franchise Awards

July 20, 2013 - Central Hockey League (CHL)

GLENDALE, AZ - The Central Hockey League's (CHL) 18th annual "˜Summer Conference" concluded on Friday night at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix with the league's awards banquet honoring the top front office executives and team achievements from the 2012-13 season.For the third straight season, the Missouri Mavericks earned the league's highest organizational honor by winning the CHL Franchise of the Year. The Mavs won five additional awards taking home the Group Ticket Sales, Ticket Sales and Corporate Partnership awards along with team President Brent Thiessen winning the Brad Treliving Executive of the Year and team broadcaster Bob Rennison winning the Broadcaster of the Year.
The Wichita Thunder finished right behind the Mavericks winning five awards including Thunder Co-Owner Rodney Steven winning the CHL Leadership Award. Two other Thunder staffers were honored with Luke Schuellein winning the Ticketing Executive of the Year and Jason Mals winning the Communications Executive of the Year. The Thunder also gained recognition in Game Operations and were named the Most Improved Franchise.
Denver Governor Greg Smith was named the winner of the Kozuback Award, named in recognition of former CHL President Rick Kozuback, which is "˜presented annually to the Central Hockey League owner, front office staff member, coach or player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, determination and commitment to the game, sport and business of hockey.' Smith helped the expansion Cutthroats get off to a solid start fighting their way to a playoff berth while battling a personal illness (cancer) that saw him fight a much different battle.
The Cutthroats also earned honors in New Media and Merchandising.
The Arizona Sundogs took home the evenings other two awards by being named the Community Relations Franchise of the Year and marketing executive Lew Rees winning the Ralph Backstrom Soul of Service award given for outstanding customer service.
The entire list of award winner is below:
Ralph Backstrom Soul of Service Award - Lew Rees, Arizona Sundogs
CHL Game Operations Franchise of the Year - Wichita Thunder
CHL Merchandising Franchise of the Year - Denver Cutthroats
CHL Community Relations Franchise of the Year - Arizona Sundogs
CHL New Media Franchise of the Year - Denver Cutthroats
CHL Broadcaster of the Year - Bob Rennison, Missouri Mavericks
CHL Communications Executive of the Year - Jason Mals, Wichita Thunder
CHL Corporate Partnership Team of the Year - Missouri Mavericks
CHL Group Sales Franchise of the Year - Missouri Mavericks
CHL Ticketing Executive of the Year - Luke Schuellein, Wichita Thunder
CHL Ticket Sales Franchise of the Year - Missouri Mavericks
Rick Kozuback Award - Greg Smith, Denver Cutthroats
CHL Leadership Award - Rodney Steven, Wichita Thunder
CHL Most Improved Franchise - Wichita Thunder
Brad Treliving CHL Executive of the Year - Brent Thiessen, Missouri Mavericks
CHL Franchise of the Year - Missouri Mavericks

Shocker: The Brahmas Are Back

Found this article written by Stephen Heisler of JuniorHockey.com which talks about the relocation of the Texas Tornado which has been rumored for some time. Sounds like Dan Wildfong and the Brahmas survive just not in the CHL.

Daily Dish: RIP Texas Tornado, here come the Brahmas - Junior Hockey News

Published: Friday, 19 Jul 2013

By: Stephen Heisler  |  Web site: JuniorHockey.com

The North American Hockey League is set to approve the sale and relocation of the Texas Tornado to the NYTEX Sports Center in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills. The name of the team will be changed to the Texas Brahmas, the same name used for the arena's former tenant from the Central Hockey League.

The Tornado joined the NAHL back in 1999 while initially be located at the same arena the team is moving back to. The Tornado captured five Robertson Cup championships while under the direction of head coach Tony Curtale. Eight different players have been able to move on from the Tornado to the National Hockey League.

The beginning of the end for the Tornado came in the form of the CHL's Allen Americans. The team owner Doug Miller offer to purchase the Tornado from the Schlegel Sports was rejected, forcing the CEO of EXCO Resources to focus his attention on the minor professional level of play. Meanwhile the Tornado went dark for a year while the Stars Center was being renovated. When the team returned attendance was a fraction of what it was (2004-05 Avg 3,709 per game) and the team never recovered with the Americans right up the road in Allen.

The league's full Board of Governors has to put their final stamp on the transaction and that should be little more than a formality. Ultimately this transaction becomes the final chapter of the league's most storied club.

Considering that the Tornado staff have been busy selling season tickets to gullible fans while management never had any intention of playing the 2013-2014 season at the Dr. Pepper Stars Center, I think it's rather ironic that somebody is quickly deleting Facebook inquires about getting refunds. In reality, the team should also be refunding the cost of the baloney try-out camps that were promoted with Curtlale's name and the hope of making the Tornado roster. I'm still trying to figure out if the gross deception was even legal.

Now that the Trazzera brothers have put up the cash, coaches around the south division must be extremely nervous about the immensely talented Dan Wildfong presence on the Brahmas' bench. Wildfong led the CHL Brahmas to six consecutive winning seasons, a league championship in 2008-2009, and a reputation as being one of the game's best coaches. The 37 year-old coach brings a lot of confidence and success to the division.

All joking aside, Wildfong is in for a rude awakening if he really believes that its going to be easy in the big south. Maybe the young coach should put a call into Paul Gillis and Brent Hughes before taking that thought process into the 2013-2014 season.

JuniorHockey.com is the premier website dedicated to delivering the latest news and developing stories from junior hockey across North America, as well as providing online tools for junior hockey players and prospects. With over one million views in the second quarter of 2013, Juniorhockey.com has emerged as the internet's leading source of junior hockey news and information.