Сanadian Hockey Leagues

[phil333]

Покопался кое-где (места надо знать!) в Инете и нашел еще весьма любопытные материалы насчет драфтов CHL.Точнее ,драфтов QMJHL .
Итак ,вот здесь все выборы лиги в нынешнем драфте ,прошедшем в Бэ-Комо (северо-восточный Квебек):
http://www.lhjmq.qc.ca/lang_fr/index.ph ... 868ef82c6f


Кстати ,Хабс на НХЛ-драфте в этом году выбрали из местной команды QMJHL «Драккар» пару игроков –вратаря Лоика Лакасса и защитника Алекса Дюлака-Лемлена. Да, но возвратимся к юниорам.


15 раундов, всего выбрано 233 игрока.
1-ая пятерка выглядит так :
1. форвард Джеймс Шеппард
2. защитник Алекс Ламонтань
3. защитник Джейсон Лего
4. центр Бенжамен Бро
5. центр Пьер-Александр Пулен

Из вратарей наиболее высокий номер получил Джонатан Бернье.(№8) .Ну что ж, посмотрим продолжит ли он славное дело Патрика Руа,Мартена Бродёра ,Жозе Теодора,Феликса Потвена,Жана-Себастьяна Жигера ,Марка Дени ,Роберто Люонго и многих других его земляков. Но если мы с вами это и увидим ,то не раньше ,чем лет этак через 7-8.


Идем дальше.

http://www.lhjmq.qc.ca/lang_en/index.php?page=24397035

здесь ,в частности, описаны правила драфта Лиги.Еще там есть табличка ,которая показывает ,откедова приходят игруны. Итак ,каждый год Квебекская Юниорская Лига пополняется примерно 140 игроками ,из которых бол-во- 70 - выходят из Midget AAA de Quebec (как я и говорил ранее ), 15-из других лиг Квебека ,33- из Атлантических провинций ,4-из Штатов ,11-из Европы. Правда ,сейчас кол-во янки ,желающих играть в Q увеличивается и их постепенно становится больше.


У каждой команды есть по 7-8 скаутов , разъезжающих по регионам ,где Q имеет права драфта ,т.е. по всему Квебеку ,Атлантич. провинциям (4 провинции) и Новой Англии (6 штатов) , выискивающих таланты.

Scouting in each team

It is mainly with the selection of the most promising players from the midget level that a team can rebuild itself year after year in order to reach or maintain a level of excellence. The QMJHL, through its rules, grants the right to each of its sixteen teams to select, in turns, 15 players aged fifteen or sixteen, coming from Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and New-England.(!!!) This draft session takes place yearly in June. The event is a major one and the scouting manager of each team usually hires up to seven or eight scouts who will cross the East of Canada and the North-West of the United States to spot the most promising players, observe them several times and try to forecast until what point they will be «good» in the major junior league, and then, convince them to choose the major junior hockey. At the time of selection at the end of the season, the team must be ready to announce the name of the player who will help them the most to win for the coming years; an obvious mistake, especially in the first rounds of selection, can greatly influence the results of a team.
From the fifteen (15) selected players as well as a few free agent players invited by a team, only four or five will be able to go through alignment the following Fall; the others, most of the time, will be players selected the year before. Those who will not have succeeded in graduating will have to carry on their development in an inferior circuit to keep all their chances to join the major junior twelve months later.


Кроме того ,существует еще и т.н. Сentral Scouting самой Лиги (15 скаутов),который обеспечивает информацией об игроках клубы QMJHL и составляет в конце сезона список перспективных ребят (в Апреле- предварительный «оценочный список» ,и окончательная версия его -в Мае) ,которые будут выбраны на июньском драфте.
Здесь же (по этой ссылке) можно прочитать по каким именно критериям и характеристикам оцениваются хоккеисты и их шансы заиграть в Q- довольно интересно.



Central Scouting

The QMJHL has a central scouting which is responsible to provide its sixteen teams with quality means favouring the work of the scouts, concerning the spotting, the evaluation and the scouting of the most promising players through Quebec, the four Atlantic provinces and the six American states of New-England. The Central Scouting, with its fitthen scouts, pass on to the teams lots of information from different sources concerning the players from the elite leagues, the game calendars, the schedules for the tournaments, etc. The Central Scouting also provides, for the benefit of the teams, a certain evaluation of what each player could become in the major junior, the role he could play. This evaluation is a list which is released only at the end of the season, on April 1st and the final version is published on May 1st.
The work realized by the Central Scouting is a support to the work, much more important, made by the scouts of the sixteen teams in the league. The evaluations of the Central Scouting are produced as an indication. When a team announces the name of a player during the selection session in June, it means that the scouts of this team, after several observations and long discussions, see in that player various qualities which should allow the player, if he puts in a lot of enthusiasm and conviction, to play sooner or later in the major junior.

[phil333]

Бывший вратарь Ойлерс Билл Рэнфорд стал тренером вратарей в "Ванкувер Джантс" , WHL.
http://www.whl.ca/headlines/?id=2183

Мне посчастливилось видеть его игру на КК-91 и ЧМ-94 . Те турниры надолго запомнились. Сказать ,что Рэнфорд был важной частью победы на этих турнирах -значит не сказать ничего. Кубок Канады -91 вообще был его бенефисом ,ИМХО.Его игра была просто фантастической.Также можно вспомнить ,как он тащил на себе "Эдмонтон" ,когда там распродали всех звезд и наступили трудные времена. А его игра в ПО-90???Этого нельзя забыть.

Теперь же он будет учить уму-разуму вратарскую молодежь в родной Западной Канаде , включая ,кстати ,и звезду нынешнего драфта "второго Гашека" Марека Шварца ,который со след. сезона будет там играть.

Мы помним игру Рэнфорда.Это была игра настоящего КанАтца.We remember. Удачи ему на новом месте.

[phil333]

Оказалось ,что на официалках все-таки можно найти ценную инфу по вопросу ,откедова приходят игруны в CHL и еще кучу интересного.
Вот здесь FAQ насчет WHL-

1. Where do the players come from?
The Western Hockey League has teams in four Provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia) and two States (Washington and Oregon). Players who reside in Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are protected for the WHL and are eligible to be listed by WHL clubs through regular WHL listing procedures. Top level players will develop through the various age groups of hockey and in the year of their 16th birthday, become eligible to play in the Western Hockey League. Players can begin playing, and continue to play in the WHL until the year of their 20th birthday, after which they graduate from the Major Junior ranks.

2. Is the Western Hockey League a professional league?
The WHL in an amateur league working in conjunction with the Canadian Hockey League and the Hockey Canada. Players do receive a very modest monthly stipend while playing in the WHL, which provides them with spending money that they cannot earn in part-time jobs due to the time commitments of school and hockey.

3. How does a player get the opportunity to play in the Western Hockey League?
Each of the member teams in the WHL has a 50 player protected list that includes current roster players as well as players projected to be able to play for the team in the future. Once placed on the list of a member team, a player must play with that team if he wishes to play at the Major Junior level. The first opportunity to list players is in the year of their 15th birthday. The WHL conducts a draft of 15 year old players where teams can first add players to their lists. Any players who are not listed at that time, can be added to a team's list until the year of their 20th birthday. The team simply contacts the WHL Office and can add any player who does not appear on the list of another Major Junior team. If the team's list is filled with 50 players and they wish to add a player, they must first release a player from their protected list. Players released from a protected list are free to be added by any other WHL team after a seven day waiting period. Players must appear on a team's list in order to play a WHL regular season or playoff game.

4. How does a player know when he has been listed or has been released from a list?
WHL teams notify the player when he is listed and when he is removed from a list.

5. Can players that are not listed attend training camps?
Yes. Training camps are open to players by invitation. Players who are not listed may still be invited to training camps and are free to choose which training camp they attend if they are invited to more than one.

6. How does a player get drafted in the Bantam Draft?
The bantam draft mirrors the National Hockey League Entry Draft in that all the teams attend a one day meeting and select players in inverse order of the previous season's standings. Teams now have extensive scouting staffs that watch bantam and midget hockey across Western Canada and the Western United States. They identify talent and rank potential and when they get to the draft, they select the players that they think will one day play for their club in the WHL. The bantam draft has become vital in building a winning program and teams spend considerable amounts of time on preparation.

7. How does participation in the Western Hockey League affect university/college eligibility?
The NCAA in the United States rules that if a player plays a game in the WHL or signs a Standard Player Agreement, he forfeits his eligibility to earn a scholarship and play hockey at a college in the United States. However, universities and colleges in Canada utilize WHL graduates extensively. Players in the WHL earn financial aid for post-secondary education while they are playing. In addition to that assistance, players remain eligible for scholarships available at Canadian institutions. If a WHL player wishes to, he can attend university or college in Canada, continue playing hockey at a high level of competition, and utilize academic and athletic scholarships in addition to education assistance earned during his WHL career.

8. How does the WHL Scholarship work?
Players go to school while playing in the WHL, with their team paying for any expenses incurred. Many older players start their post-secondary programs. When a player joins the WHL, he signs a Standard Player Agreement through which he earns financial aid for every year that he plays in the WHL. Basically, a player receives one year of tuition and books for each year he plays in the WHL.

9. Where do the players live?
Players are billeted with families in the cities in which they play. Billets and players tend to bond very quickly with the billets becoming extended families that are very important to the players creating lifelong friendships.

10. How does the league schedule its games?
The interdivisional games are scheduled by the WHL Office. The balance of the schedule is finalized during meetings of team personnel. The Eastern Conference and the Western Conference hold schedule meetings, where the teams work together to schedule games. Factors that affect when games are played included, school schedules of the players, arena availability and preferred dates.

11. Can players be traded?
Players can be traded within the WHL up until a deadline that is usually early to mid-January. All trades must be submitted and approved by the WHL Office.

12. Why do all the players wear the same equipment?
The WHL has sponsorship agreements with various equipment suppliers through the Canadian Hockey League. The Hockey Company is a major sponsor and supplies all jerseys, pants, helmets, gloves and socks for all players in the WHL. The most visible suppliers who have been invaluable to the operation of Major Junior Hockey for many years include: The Hockey Company, Bauer / Nike Hockey, Easton, Itech, Graf, Lousiville, Sherwood and Vaughn. These suppliers also provide padding and equipment worn underneath the outer uniforms. WHL teams supply the equipment to the players to wear during the season.

13. Is there a WHL rulebook?
The Western Hockey League uses the NHL rulebook with some minor variations that are established by the CHL.

14. Where do the referees come from?
The on-ice officials develop through the provincial amateur associations, just as the players do. Because the Western Hockey League is a developmental league for the NHL, younger officials with professional potential are utilized. Most of the on-ice officials join the League after gaining experience in top midget leagues in their respective provinces. The on-ice officials are constantly under evaluation and receive training by the WHL staff and supervisors.

15. How many Europeans can play in the WHL?
Each WHL team is allowed up to a maximum of two non-North American players. These import players must be drafted through the Canadian Hockey League Import draft held during the summer in order to play in the WHL.

16. How many 20 year olds can a team use?
WHL teams are allowed a maximum of three overage players. Teams having more than three overage players to start the season may continue to rotate them in and out of the lineup until October 16th at which time they must select determine the three that they will keep. Other 20-year-olds become free agents for the other teams in the League. From October 16th until February 10th, teams may bring in an overage player, but, if they have three already, then they have to release one. February 10 of each year is the roster deadline and all players who are with a team on that date are there for the duration of the season.

17. Where did the Western Hockey League start?
There was a professional league in the early and middle years of the century that used the Western Hockey League name. However, the Major Junior circuit started up in 1966, called the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, with teams in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The League was renamed the Western Canada Hockey League in 1967 and grew to encompass the four western Provinces in the years that followed. The arrival of teams based in the United States Pacific Northwest led to another name change, the Western Hockey League in 1978.

18. How do I get a job in the WHL?
As anyone can imagine, hockey is a very popular industry to work in. Entry into the field is difficult due to a limited number of jobs and the fact that most people are reluctant to leave once they have a position. Coaches are like players in a lot of cases, developing in the minor hockey ranks before finally getting an opportunity to coach in the WHL. Other staffing depends on the individual team needs. Summer is usually the time of turnover in the industry and is the time for resumes and interviews.

19. How do I get information on my favorite WHL players?
The Western Hockey League produces the WHL Media Guide, a yearly publication with information about all of the players in the League. The WHL Media Guide can be obtained through any of the teams or by contacting the WHL Office. Teams also produce their own publications that will provide you everything that you need to know about the players in the league. The offical website of the Western Hockey League is www.whl.ca and is a valuable source for all your hockey needs.

20. I want statistics, releases, information on the three Major Junior Leagues. Where do I look?
The www.whl.ca website provides links to the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League along with links to all 20 WHL teams. All this information can be found on the front page of the www.whl.ca website

Ссылка-
http://www.whl.ca/about/?id=101

[phil333]

небольшой обзор расклада сил перед начинающимся чемпом ОХЛ.
напомню, что там есть и проспекты Хабс- в Питерборо
Питс, например, играют Марк Флуд и Грег Стюарт.


Knights expected to pick up where they left off as team to beat in the OHL


(CP) - The London Knights have the double whammy of being the Memorial Cup hosts and also being, on paper anyway, one of the favourites to win it this season.

The Knights were ranked No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League at the conclusion of the 2003-04 regular season and narrowly lost to eventual Ontario Hockey League champion Guelph in the Western Conference final.

The Knights are returning a lot of big guns to their lineup, including first-round NHL draft picks Corey Perry (Anaheim), Rob Schremp (Edmonton) and second-round pick David Bolland (Chicago).

The supporting cast includes forwards Brandon Prust (Calgary), Trevor Kell (Chicago) and Dylan Hunter (Buffalo) and defencemen Marc Methot (Columbus), Frank Rediker (Boston) and Ryan Pottruff (Carolina).

"I think overall depth is something that they're probably ahead of the pack," Owen Sound Attack general manager Mike Futa said.

"They set the record for points last year and I'm sure they feel they've got some unfinished business and obviously hosting the Memorial Cup, they're going to spend the year retooling and loading a product that's going to be ready to try and win that championship.

"That being said, there's a lot of competitive teams in our league, in our conference, specifically in our division that want to provide some obstacles for them along the way."

The Knights, owned and managed by brothers and former NHL players Dale and Mark Hunter, host the CHL championship tournament at the John Labatt Centre May 21-30, 2005, and it will mark the first time in the Knights' 40-year history the team will play in it.

London will be joined in the Memorial Cup by the champions of the Western and Quebec League as well as the runner-up in Ontario.

The 2004-05 season opens Thursday with Owen Sound at Peterborough and the Windsor Spitfires hosting the Michigan-based Saginaw Spirit.

Some junior teams will benefit from the NHL lockout this season by retaining their top-end players. Forwards Anthony Stewart of the Kingston Frontenacs, Jeff Carter of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Michael Richards of the Kitchener Rangers are players who would normally be with their NHL teams at this time of year and they are the kind of players who could make the jump to the NHL at the age of 19.

Whether Florida Panthers forward Nathan Horton returns to the Oshawa Generals or Minnesota Wild forward Brent Burns is back with the Brampton Battalion is less clear. Both are 19 and played in the NHL last season. If they are locked out, are they answerable to any directives from the NHL on where they can play? The jury is out until someone forces the issue.

While London might not run away with the OHL's Western Conference as it did last season, many expect the Knights to be at the top and go deep into the post-season.

"Everybody is looking to London to win that conference," Toronto St. Michael's Majors coach and GM Bud Stefanski said. "They have such a great nucleus coming back on defence and some pretty good firepower up front with Perry, Schremp and Bolland. Those guys are potentially 40-goal scorers."

London's Midwest Division, however, looks to be the strongest of the OHL's four, so the Knights should be constantly tested by the likes of the Kitchener Rangers, Owen Sound Attack and Erie Otters.

While the Attack have some inexperience on the blue-line, they have five of their top six scorers returning, including overage Patrick Jarett and sophomore Stefan Ruzicka.

The Rangers, Memorial Cup champions two years ago, defy the three-year cycle of junior teams. You'll never get management to boast about its team's chances at this time of year and GM Peter DeBoer is understated in his expectations, citing his team's lack of experience.

But Kitchener has some veterans to bring the young talent along, including high-scoring blue-liner Andre Benoit, forward Michael Richards, a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, centre Evan McGrath and right-winger David Clarkson.

"The few experienced guys that we do have really come with some great credentials," DeBoer said.

The Western Conference was the stronger conference last season as none of the top teams in the East could put up the kind of numbers Guelph and London were.

But DeBoer expects more parity this time around.

"Last year was probably the most uneven season as far as balance goes that I've seen in the nine or 10 years I've been in the league," he said.

The Central Division should be competitive between the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, Mississauga IceDogs and the Barrie Colts.

The Majors have graduated some scoring from the team that went to the Eastern Conference final, but can go a long way with a solid defence and a stellar goaltender in Justin Peters.

OHL finalist Mississauga is returning top scorer Patrick O'Sullivan (Minnesota), top defenceman Kyle Quincey (Detroit) and one of the league's best goaltenders in David Shantz (Florida), which is a solid core to build a team around.

The Barrie Colts have been flying under the radar in recent years, but with three-quarters of the team returning, including the OHL's rookie of the year Bryan Little, this could be their year to make some noise.

"Barrie will go as Bryan Little goes," said Stefanski, who came to the Majors this year after four years with the Colts. "He's just a tremendous young player."

Even with the signing of two-time OHL scoring champion Corey Locke by the Montreal Canadiens, the Ottawa 67's are expected to be the class of the Eastern Division.

Ottawa drafted Czech forward Lukas Kaspar, a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, and Czech forward Jakub Petruzalek, a draft pick of the New York Rangers, in the import draft to fill the scoring gap left by Locke.

"The two Europeans they picked up are superb," Kingston coach Jim Hulton said.

-

A quick look at the Ontario Hockey League's 2004-05 season.

Defending champion - Guelph Storm.

Teams to watch - London Knights, Owen Sound Attack, Kitchener Rangers, Ottawa 67's, Mississauga IceDogs, Barrie Colts.

Players to watch - F Anthony Stewart, Kingston; F Jeff Carter, Sault Ste. Marie; F Michael Richards, Kitchener; D Kyle Quincey, Mississauga; G David Shantz, Mississauga; G Justin Peters, Toronto; F Bryan Little, Barrie; F Corey Perry, London; F Robbie Schremp, London; F Lukas Kaspar, Ottawa.

[Cash]

Летом узнал, что два наших проспекта выиграли первенство в QMJHL, а теперь еще и что наш проспект выиграл в ОХЛ с Лондоном. Я симпатизирую Лондону еще и потому, что оттуда задрафтавали этого парнищку с моей аватарки.
А Адам Пино уже поражает народ в Квебеке: WOW, WOW and freakin WOW!! This was my first time seeing Adam play and he didn't disappoint. He's awesome with the puck, great wheels, willing to mix it up along the boards and an amazing shot!
Это больше к Кайзеру, сомневавшемуся в перспективах пино и ставившего какого-то словака из Атланты выше его . Словак этот тоже в CHL ошивается, но про него никто не говорит. Пино же по 70% вбрасываний за игру выигрывает, народ уписывается от восторга . Сегодня матч года Монктон-Льюистон, Пино против Пикара.

[phil333]

Летом узнал, что два наших проспекта выиграли первенство в QMJHL, а теперь еще и что наш проспект выиграл в ОХЛ с Лондоном. Я симпатизирую Лондону еще и потому, что оттуда задрафтавали этого парнищку с моей аватарки.

Ну, положим, Рыцари выиграли в прошлом сезоне только регулярку.А главное- это все-таки ПО, который выиграл ""Гелф Сторм" во главе с капитаном канадской молодежки Даниэлем Пэйе. Он и стал чемпионом ОХЛ. Но если судить по этой статье , то "Лондон" в этом сезоне должен всех просто порвать , сметая все преграды на пути к чемпионству.Состав у них действительно солидный-Перри,Шремп,Болланд,Праст,Мето (тоже проспект Джэкетс )...

Летом узнал, что два наших проспекта выиграли первенство в QMJHL

Кстати, одного из них-Филиппа Дюпюи -сменяли в "Руэн-Норанда Хаскис", а другой- чех Петр Похл остался в "Гатино".

[Cash]

А Лондон лидирует пока в опросе на лучшую команду СНL, правда судя по резалтам они там все равноы. Это с оффсайта chl.ca.
So far, 12% have voted for Cape Breton
So far, 21% have voted for Kelowna
So far, 15% have voted for Gatineau
So far, 12% have voted for Guelph
So far, 23% have voted for London
So far, 17% have voted for Other

Кстати, одного из них-Филиппа Дюпюи -сменяли в "Руэн-Норанда Хаскис", а другой- чех Петр Похл остался в "Гатино".

Phil333, ты даже о наших пионерах лучше меня осведомлен А я-то думаю куда Дюпюи подевался. Пропал парень куда-то. Сейчас посмотрел - эта его Руэн-Норанда проиграла все три игры, но при этом Дюпюи трижды забил и с положительным плюс-минусом. Чех же в каждой игре в минусах, хоть и за чемпиона играет. В общем канадцы и тут рулят.

[Cash]

А Кросби в QMJHL действительно зажигает как большой. В 3 играх 9 поинтов. Из 3 шайб по одной в раных составах, меньшинстве и большинстве.
А чей проспект Стив Бернье из Монктона? Они там с Пино напару всех месят, лидируют и по +-, и по поинтам в команде.

[Larmar]

К сожалению, Стив Бернье на хабовский проспект. Он и на юниорском ЧМ-2003 блистал, у меня записи есть. А вот кто его задрафтовал, я и сам не знаю, так что может кто вспомнит

[Cash]

Я не поленился и нашел. Он в прошлом году ушел аж 16-м на драфте перед такими потенциальными атцами как Майк Ричардс и Зак Паризе. И принадлежит он команде, почитатели которой частенько пополняют этот форум мессаджами, но о таком полугении в системе почему-то не признаются
Махнули бы плавники Бернье на Пикара или нет? Я б с радостью. Бернье сегодня 3(2+1) поинта набрал, Пино 2(1+1). Кросби очередной парой ассистов отметился. Стоило пожурить чеха Похла, как он сразу дубль завалил. Все наши проспекты криврукие бездари (ну это чтоб как с Похлом помогло раскрываться )

[Mace4ka]

Cash: как это не признаемся? Я просто только сегодня до этой части форума добралась:)

Наш товарищ:) Не отдадим, год уже как наш проспект отыграл:)

Забрали первым раундом , прошлым летом ( это наш 2й пик - у нас их 2 в первом раунде было, первым под 6м номером забрали Милана Михалека - жаль он во 2й же игре колено поломал- на весь год )

Вот статы Бернье:

2003-04: Finished T-12th with fellow Sharks prospect Josh Hennessy in QMJHL scoring with 82 points, tenth in goals (36), 17th in assists (46), fifth in plus/minus (+39). . . ranked first on team in goals, second in scoring, second in assists. . . Ranked in the top 10 of the OMJHL CHL Prospects Hockey inaugural ПTop 35У poll. . . Participated in the final selection process for Team CanadaМs National Jr. Team. . .Posted a career-high four goals, 1 assist on Nov. 14 vs. Chicoutimi - tied for the most goals and points in one QMJHL game in 2003-04. . . Playoffs: Tied for sixth in QMJHL in scoring (17 points), T-seventh in goals (10), T-11th in assists (17), T-second in GWG (2). . . first on team in points, T-second in goals, T-first in assists, T-second in GWG (2).

[acr]

Немного не по теме. КАНАДОФИЛЫ ЖИВУЩИЕ В РОССИИ. Купите журнал Geo за октябрь, неплохо про Канаду описано.

[Лорд]

Немного не по теме. КАНАДОФИЛЫ ЖИВУЩИЕ В РОССИИ. Купите журнал Geo за октябрь, неплохо про Канаду описано.

Блин, я вокруг этого номера уже пару дней хожу, но жаба душит стольник за него отдавать. Надо бы купить, все-таки.

[acr]

судя по статсам повезет кому достанется Кросби. Чиста Грец мля (в смысле куча передач, 16 вроде после 6 матчей).

[phil333]

В следующем сезоне Квебекская Лига расширится на 2 команды- Сент-Джонс(Ньюфаундленд) и Сент-Джон(Нью-Брансуик).Это входит в план расширения лиги,принятый в 2002,когда было решено сделать 6 Атлантических клубов(теперь их будет даже 7) и 2 Американских.
В Сент-Джонсе сейчас играет фарм Листьев, который после этого сезона переезжает в Торонто.Взамен него и будет юниорская команда.Ньюфи без хоккея не останутся.В Сент-Джоне раньше базировался фарм Флэймз.Кроме того, еще планируется возвратить клуб в Монреаль,но не в след.сезоне,а уже после него.



«QMJHL targets St. John’s and Saint John for expansion


MONTREAL (CP) - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League decided Saturday to expand by two teams next year and has tentatively targeted St. John’s, Nfld., and Saint John, N.B., for the new franchises.

The league will present its criteria for expansion to the two Atlantic cities by mid-November and hopes to have a final vote by owners on Nov. 30. The expansion will see the league grow from 16 to 18 clubs.

The last expansion was in 1999 with the Montreal Rocket, who after four seasons relocated to Charlottetown prior to the 2003-04 season.

The QMJHL adopted a five-year plan in 2002 in which the goals were to have six teams in Atlantic Canada and two in the United States.

The relocation of the Rocket to P.E.I. made for five teams in Atlantic Canada along with Moncton, Bathurst, N.B., Halifax and Cape Breton, N.S. That will grow to seven if St. John’s and Saint John qualify for expansion.

The Sherbrooke Castors moved to Lewiston, Me., prior to the 2003-04 season.

Three groups in Saint John are vying for ownership of a major junior franchise to put in the 6,100-seat Harbour Station.

The American Hockey League’s Saint John Flames, a feeder team for the Calgary Flames, spent a decade in that city before folding in 2003. One of the groups going after a QMJHL team includes former AHL Flames owner Nick Georgoudis.

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate in St. John is moving to Toronto after this season, leaving Mile One Stadium without a vacancy for a major hockey tenant.

The league still hopes to get a team back in Montreal but that won’t happen next year. A team in Quebec’s biggest city would make for a better travel schedule for teams in the West Division - Drummondville, Val-D’Or, Rouyn-Noranda, Shawinigan and Victoriaville - and would also give the league more exposure to the biggest media market in the province.»