NHL Getting a Spring League?

This would be an awesome deal. I also think the writer is right; you wouldn't see the College hockey players that were drafted in it because of eligibility issues. I am sure it would be play in on a NHL summer league team and you would be done.

By Nathan Fournier | June 3rd, 2008 The NBA has the summer league for rookies, MLB has Fall Baseball, and could the NHL have something similar? The Bleacher Report is reporting that it’s on the table at the GM’s meetings. TSN’s Darren Dreger is also reporting this.

Mike Barnett the former Phoenix Cayotes GM has proposed this. It would last four weeks and one scenario on the table will determine a champion. Each NHL club will fill their team with drafted players still playing in the CHL, some young AHLers, players from Europe, and undrafted free agents. I think you won’t see NCAA players just the simple fact of eligiblity issues. Players would have to pay their own way to maintain NCAA eligible.

Of course there are issues with the NHLPA, where will they play the games and money. The perfect place if they can get the ice time is the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The place has five rinks under one roof. I’ve been to this place and you can have five games going and fans can see them all. I know the place is pretty booked in the summer. I think there are a few other places in North America with a complex like this too.

The writer from the Bleacher Report mentions injuries that might happend. For starters, there are a couple of prospect tournaments that some teams take part in already. Most if not all teams have their own seperate rookie camps. They include games. Lastly, NHL teams will most likely not put there 1st round picks in this just for exactly for this reason. They might practice but most of them might not play. All the other players, they play in summer tournaments all the time. It’s nothing new to their NHL and Junior clubs.

This type of league is meant for the mid round prospects to get in a few more games. Maybe we will see a high profile pick play in a league like this.

Overall I like this concept. Hopefully it gets passed and maybe the NHL Network will broadcast so the fans can see the future.