Editorial: Cornwall River Kings 2015 LNAH Draft

Here’s a short editorial style post on Cornwall’s contribution to the 2015 LNAH draft.

Or excuse me, LACK of contribution.

I don’t get it.

I don’t claim to know all the ins and outs of drafting players to a hockey team.

I do know that drafting junior triple A players to a league that’s built on former professionals on the ends of their career is a dumb move. How do you expect to compete with other clubs who employ players that ooze experience and have the right skill level necessary to fight for a championship?

Of course, the draft only secures the rights of the players and doesn’t necessarily mean they will play for that team but there are oodles of professional players in the ECHL, EIHL, DEL, Swiss and Austrian leagues that could have been drafted that would make a much bigger impact then kids from junior in St. Jerome, Quebec. How do you not see that?

This isn’t a developmental league. Scouts aren’t coming out in droves to see the next junior hot shot unless they want to see him get his head punched in. The past two drafts have been wasted on junior players that barely show up. Expand your demographic and look past the kids for a change.

I hear an argument of catering to the locals. That’s all fine and dandy but local players aren’t going to put people in the stands. You know what will?

Winning.(And because it’s the LNAH, fights and tough guys will too. Don’t kid yourself, this league isn’t changing it’s rules.)

Everyone loves a winning hockey team and the only way to do that is to be smart with the players you draft and smart with the players you sign.

So far, drafting hasn’t been too smart.

Scott Champagne is a local boy who hasn’t played in North America since 2008 and only played 12 games last year between Denmark and Germany. Cornwall has already tried to sign him in the past but due to budget reasons, it never materialized. Why waste that pick on him?

Cornwall traded a pick to Trois Rivieres in return for Erick Lizon. Hate to break it to you but Lizon just signed a contract with the Nottingham Panthers two weeks ago. Another pick wasted. It’s not hard to do some research! Here’s your proof:

You can disagree with me, that’s perfectly okay. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

But it’s frustrating to cheer for a team who doesn’t know how to compete for a championship in the league they’re in or hell, what the logo is going to be year in and year out.