Southeast Junior Hockey League

Thought some of you might like reading about this new startup league in Florida.

A Puck in the Void (http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2004/11/29/story1.html)

Looks pretty cool. Have you been to any games Sotnos?? The article said it was Jr C, but how do you think it compares to Jr C leagues in Canada?

Looks pretty cool. Have you been to any games Sotnos?? The article said it was Jr C, but how do you think it compares to Jr C leagues in Canada?

It would definitely be below Jr. C in Canada. I'm thinking a highly skilled midget AAA team could beat the Jr. C's of Florida ... or even a top AA team in Canada.

Looks pretty cool. Have you been to any games Sotnos??
They were out of town for most of December, so I'm going to my first game Saturday. $5 tickets, can't go wrong really! :D

The article said it was Jr C, but how do you think it compares to Jr C leagues in Canada?
Not having seen Jr C or knowing much about it, I really couldn't say, unlike people who haven't seen this league yet will speculate about how much these kids suck!

They were out of town for most of December, so I'm going to my first game Saturday. $5 tickets, can't go wrong really! :D


Not having seen Jr C or knowing much about it, I really couldn't say, unlike people who haven't seen this league yet will speculate about how much these kids suck!

Jr. C is not a talent filled league, in Canada or the U.S. And since it is Jr. C I assume they'll be filling the holes on teams with kids from the area. Needless to say, Florida is not known for its great young hockey development programs. I don't have to see the kids play to know that the league will not be a talented one... it is common sense.

Jr. C is not a talent filled league, in Canada or the U.S. And since it is Jr. C I assume they'll be filling the holes on teams with kids from the area. Needless to say, Florida is not known for its great young hockey development programs. I don't have to see the kids play to know that the league will not be a talented one... it is common sense.

There are some very highly skilled players coming out of the Florida area the past couple of years. Problem is these kids need to leave home and go develop in the MWEHL (Midget AAA). Maybe if Florida begins their own development programs they can keep kids in-house.

It would definitely be below Jr. C in Canada. I'm thinking a highly skilled midget AAA team could beat the Jr. C's of Florida ... or even a top AA team in Canada.

A highly skilled midget AAA team could be the Junior C's in Florida? A highly skilled midget AAA team here in the US could likely beat the majority of Junior B teams! Teams like Honeybaked, Team Illinois, Compuware, Victory Honda, etc.

A highly skilled midget AAA team could be the Junior C's in Florida? A highly skilled midget AAA team here in the US could likely beat the majority of Junior B teams! Teams like Honeybaked, Team Illinois, Compuware, Victory Honda, etc.

By highly skilled midget AAA team I mean a sub-par .500 team in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). The Honeybaked teams that I've seen really aren't that good... (one of them lost to an AA team 4-2... another JUST beat an A (yep, an A) team 4-2).

There are some very highly skilled players coming out of the Florida area the past couple of years. Problem is these kids need to leave home and go develop in the MWEHL (Midget AAA). Maybe if Florida begins their own development programs they can keep kids in-house.
I know there are several local kids playing college hockey, and a few are in NCAA Division I programs, so things are coming along. The whole point of this particular league is, like you say, to give talented locals a place to play and develop in-state, hopefully it'll flourish. I personally think it's a great idea and will try my best to support it.

I realize I didn't give the League's url before, so here it is if you want more info:

http://www.usajuniorhockey.org/1.html

According to the site, they're registered with USA Hockey as a C League but have an application for B status for next year.

I showed up on Saturday, the other team did not! They forfeited, and to quote the nice lady selling tickets, "they were scared". :D In order to have a game for the 100 or so people who were there, they had the in-house adult A team (former college, junior and lower-level pro players) suit up and play against the kids in a no-checking game. Ended up 10-8 in favor of the adult team, with the kids looking overwhelmed and going down 2-0 early, mounting a comeback to lead briefly 5-4 in the second, and making it somewhat close again in the end.

Really hard to judge the talent level in a no-checking game against guys who were older and more experienced, one of the adult players was clearly a cut above everyone else out there, I'd peg him as a former pro. The contrast was interesting at the very least. It was a very fun, casual atmosphere, and I'll definitely go again. Next week I hope the other team shows up so I can see these kids against guys their own age and therefore have a better measuring stick.