Hey Folks,
Here are the minutes (thanks Brian!) and my notes from the GTHLA Managers Meeting. I will update this on the blog and update the relevant rules also. Let me know if there is anything missing or not clear enough.
June 21, 2007, 8pm
McCormick Arena, Nixon Room
(If your name isn’t written here and you were there, please let me know)
Present:
David Golden (Mystery Men)
Mike Nixon (Porcupines)
Geoffrey McPeek (Porcupines)
Brian kobayakawa (Meat)
Corinne Holubowich (Black Hearts)
Heather Cunningham (Meat)
Mike Mazieka (Sgt. Rock)
Jair Harris (Sgt. Rock)
Pete Gaffney (Boom)
8:09 - Toms opening remarks
Toms two main things - participation and communication
Plans for regular newsletter
8:12 - GTHLA Kids and Clinics
Pete Gaffney explains GTHLA Kids as a place for kids of GTHLA people to do some skills development. Top Gun is a school run by Ken that is affordable and accessible, and that GTHLA kids is geared to kids older than those his programs are for. Pete explains 7 events that took place for GTHLA kids. Two hours of the ice time were donated by the league, and the clinics cost $10 per skater or PWYC, and it ended the year with a $70 surplus. The objective for next year is to have an event each month starting in October. Pete is looking for volunteers to help run GTHLA kids, and to help with the clinics.
Tom explains a plan to have more clinics next year in collaboration with the Sparkles people for members of the league, and friends of members. This year Sparkles will also be available to run team practices for individual teams, or joint ventures between multiple teams, which can be paid for through an addition to the league fees.
Next year there are potentially three all women teams, and the Black Hearts are eligible for a full spot in the league.
8:21 - League Structure for 07 - 08
Member teams can participate next year as Comprehensive teams that participate in the playoffs, or Exhibition teams that can play 8 -16 exhibition games based on preference. A Full Comprehensive (FC) team will be able to play 16 league games, 2 exhibition games, and a minimum of one round of playoffs. Teams also have the option of being a Semi-Comprehensive (SC) member - they play 8 regular season games, along with the 2 exhibition games, and a minimum of one playoff round. Semi-comprehensive teams also have the option to add additional exhibition games against preferred or random teams. The SC & FC teams will play against each other, and be in the same divisions, where points are compared at a 2 to 1 ratio. This is done to ensure options for the teams for the level of financial or time commitment that best suits the teams’ members.
(Teams that prefer playing other specific teams have the option of padding their schedule and add as many additional exhibition games they can agree on with the other preferred teams)
As we did last year, we’ll have an open membership committee meeting, probably by conference call or e-mail discussion. Part of the discussion will address all teams’ eligibility for membership.
8:31 - Game Length
Last year, 80 minute games were considered and almost adopted. Tom wants to establish unanimity about this idea if we were to adopt it.
The idea came about from our initiative to get a defibrillator at McCormick. As an aside, we need to have players trained in first aid on each team.
This relates to game length in regards to safety. Longer warm-ups would help prevent injuries, and stop time on the clock would eliminate issues like running the clock when a team is killing a penalty.
Game lengths will be consistent for the entire league. Luis points out that knowing the exact increase in fees is required to make an informed decision. Playing some or most exhibition games this year as the 90 minute games and league games as 60 minute games is suggested by Richard, this idea has some supporters and some dissenters. Aaron proposes finding consensus amongst each division rather than the entire league, it is believed that the entire Eh! Division would support. Ray suggests doing 90 minute games only for the playoffs. Chuck points out that Rays suggestion increases the ice time inequity of good teams playing longer. Tom will crunch numbers for various scenarios and the issue will be revisited. He also stresses that unanimity will be required for longer games to be adopted.
8:46 - Divisions and Parity
Tom asks all teams to let the league know if a team is having significant changes to their skill level over the off season. Tom wants to establish a formal formula of winning percentage thresholds where teams above the high threshold and below the low threshold are automatically moved up or down a division.
(If there are less than 4 teams (you need a minimum of 4 teams to make a division) in the most skilled division who have a winning record over .800 they have to following options for the next season:
A) Play as an Exhibition Member
B) Change their roster to lower the general skill level of their team
C) Petition enough teams from the most skilled Division to join them to create an even higher skill-level division. If this new higher division leaves less than 4 teams in the lower division, these remaining teams must join the higher division.)
8:56 - Penalty Minute Rules
Teams in the past have needed to maintain a 5 minutes per game average to qualify for the playoffs, last season this was added to the playoffs and required to avoid disqualification. Tom suggests to change the rule to reflect the entire season, rather than the playoffs and regular season separately. This would be an extra incentive for a clean season, and keep a bad playoff game from taking the focus away from the game and to the officiating. Adam is concerned about a Jekyll and Hyde goon squad tactic, Richard points out teams are not sophisticated enough for that strategy. Chuck proposes a per-game, team-wide cap on minutes in the playoffs, which garners support from many. Adam suggests a penalty shot instead of minutes after a team exceeds a penalty minute threshold in the playoffs, which gets support. Players should also serve a penalty, and feel shame.
There appears to be general consensus for a scheme where the 5 minute average is still required to qualify for the playoffs, and a clean slate is provided at the beginning of the playoffs. A threshold will be established per game, after which each penalty will result in a penalty shot and the offending player serving their time.
Tom suggests a team that does exceed the 5 minute average be put on some sort of probation for the following season. No one disagrees. Teams that exceed a 5 minute penalty average outside of the playoffs will be put on probation for the following 2 seasons. If they exceed a 4 minute penalty average while on probation they will be suspended for one season and cannot return to the league unless they make a written commitment that they will add to the community with specific guarantees on how they will enhance our community and what measures they have taken to address their excessive unsportsmanlike behaviour on the ice.
Tom suggests increasing the incentive for penalty free games. Several disagree.
(I’m still keen on rewarding teams who keep their penalty minutes down. I’d like to have the penalty minute cap in the playoffs scaled for each team based on their penalty minute average before the playoffs. I’d like teams with a penalty average over 4 minutes to give up penalty shots after they have tallied 6 minutes in a playoff game; teams with an average between 3 and 4 minutes give up penalty shots after 8 minutes in penalties; teams with an average between 2 and 3 minutes give up penalty shots after they reach 10 minutes in penalties; teams with an average between 1 and 2 minutes give up penalty shots after they exceed 12 minutes in penalties; and teams with an average of 1 or less minutes give up penalty shots after they exceed 14 minutes in penalties. We’ll discuss this at our General Managers’ Meeting in Sept/Oct)
9:23 - Communicating and Clarifying Membership Expectations
Tom wants every team to host a social event of any kind next year. Chuck is doing skits in the park, and Marc is getting drunk in the parking lot.
Tom wants to have volunteer hours recorded, and if possible rewarded.
Next year rosters will be held to a tighter standard:
Attendance at 55% of games in the season will be required to participate in the playoffs.
Last year, each team had 7 Exemptions: players who can play in the playoffs with participation in only 16% of the season. Each team also had 1 Super Exemption, a player who could play in the playoffs despite playing any games, if they were on the team the previous year.
This year, each team will have 4 Regular Exemptions who will have to have played 25% of their teams games, and 1 Super Exemption who this year will be required to play 1 regular season game. This player will be referred to as The One, and must wear a gold helmet throughout the playoffs (joke).
If any ineligible player for the playoffs plays in any playoff games, all games that player played in are forfeited. Teams will be responsible for submitting their eligible roster 8 days before the playoffs, and the league will verify the accuracy of that eligible roster before the playoffs begin.
Gamesheets will be held to a higher standard this year.
9:38 - Any questions?
Chuck asks for clarification of who takes penalty shots in the playoffs, it is decided that any player on the ice when the whistle is blown is eligible.
2 comments:
Although I think that the entire idea of penalty minutes used as a measure to keep teams honest and keep games clean is a great idea, I also firmly believe that we are perhaps missing the point. If many instances a penaly is taken on a play that is both non-agressive, and in many instances, entirely accidental. It's not prudant to ignore this part of the game, there is a reason why the rules were made to have a man sit out for 2 minutes, it creates both a scoring oppotunity, and a chance for momentum change. If you create an environment where players are terrified to even play defence with worry that if they touch an opposing player they will get a penalty, you can toss out any idea's of parity or game length affecting a better teams ability to score more goals because the games themselves will become superficial and basically invalid. I think the real focus has to be, and MUST be put on the officials and the representative convenor at each game to watch the play closely, and document infractions accordingly. I can tell you that I had a two penalty game, I'm not a dirty player, nor am I an unsafe elelment in the league, but they happen from time to time and you sit and yes, you feel shame. The true measure is intent, and tta has to be monitored directly by an observing power authority.
Craig Gagnon
#35 Lads.
Craig,
You misunderstand the purpose of this rule. Your team managers and I can clarify it further for you anytime.
One thing for sure that is fundamental is that it's the players and team's responsibility to manage the spirit and good will of the game, the officials are only there to assist through arbitration
Tom
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