The Springfield Jr Indians of Springfield, MA. will be entering its first season with the UJHL next year. We are currently looking to round out our coaching staff and searching for players interested in trying out for the team. We will be holding tryouts in April, date and time TBA. We will play a 50 + game schedule, 5-6 hours of practice per week. Player tuition will cost $5500 for the season and $250/mo in billet fees. Any questions, feel free to email me or post to this thread.
Matt Hernke
Owner/GM
Springfield Jr Indians
UJHL Springfield Jr Indians
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
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shooter812
- Posts: 132
- Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 9:25 am
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bewareujhl
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:54 pm
Do your homework before joining this league!! 08-09 season started with 5 U.S. teams and 4 Canadian teams:
U.S. Canadian
Phil Thunder Harrington Icebergs
Wooster Oilers Quebec Ulysse
Penn Enforcers St Lawrence Lions
Jamestown Jets Draveurs Trios Rivieres
Two week before play off league is down to 2 teams:
Phil Thunder (held 4th and 5th position the whole season) Head coach Jimi Simmons who runs the league.
and Wooster Oilers (3rd place team) coaching staff holds 3 positions on the league.
Whle reasons for the dropped teams were posted on theujhl.com web site beware that this is Mr Simmons web.
Advise any player/coach/team to do their homework contact the teams that dropped for both sides.
U.S. Canadian
Phil Thunder Harrington Icebergs
Wooster Oilers Quebec Ulysse
Penn Enforcers St Lawrence Lions
Jamestown Jets Draveurs Trios Rivieres
Two week before play off league is down to 2 teams:
Phil Thunder (held 4th and 5th position the whole season) Head coach Jimi Simmons who runs the league.
and Wooster Oilers (3rd place team) coaching staff holds 3 positions on the league.
Whle reasons for the dropped teams were posted on theujhl.com web site beware that this is Mr Simmons web.
Advise any player/coach/team to do their homework contact the teams that dropped for both sides.
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bewareujhl
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:54 pm
The website did post that the Canadian (northern) teams pulled out due to finances. Rumors have been that it was due to the UJHL (Simmons) telling them they were ineligible to play in the UJHL playoffs.
I had always heard that players were sponsered individually in Canada however not sure that this holds true with the four teams involved if they are sponsored its hard to understand why they would pull out due to finances.
It has been said that the three U.S. teams that pulled out in March were due to the league impossing fines on one of the teams that went above $1000.00. This for two players actions during a game. In addition the playoff round had stated all season that only the top 4 teams would make it. Fifth team out. 1st vs 4th 2nd vs 3rd then a head to head. This changed when Mr Simmons team was knocked into the 5th place seed two weeks before playoffs. The new rule 1st gets a bye, 2nd vs 5th and 3rd vs fourth, winners go head to head, winner of that plays 1st.
The later of the two play off schedule would have been fine had it been the plan all along instead of changing it to suit his own team. It is hard not to wonder if this same consideration would have been given had it not been his (Simmons team) in last place.
Another point is that the two remaining teams head coaches are UJHL board members, ironic that their teams seemed to have had a different rule book than the other 7 teams??
Will this league ever make it to be USA sanctioned with business practices as such? Has anyone ever heard of a team or player being fined money in a pay to play league? Where is the UJHL rule book since they are not USA sanctioned there is no link to it on their web site. None of the parents who paid for the season have seen it! Does it exist?
Just be careful and contact people, interested players contact UJHL players on facebook or myspace from all of the teams find out if the league held true to their promises and info on their web site.
I had always heard that players were sponsered individually in Canada however not sure that this holds true with the four teams involved if they are sponsored its hard to understand why they would pull out due to finances.
It has been said that the three U.S. teams that pulled out in March were due to the league impossing fines on one of the teams that went above $1000.00. This for two players actions during a game. In addition the playoff round had stated all season that only the top 4 teams would make it. Fifth team out. 1st vs 4th 2nd vs 3rd then a head to head. This changed when Mr Simmons team was knocked into the 5th place seed two weeks before playoffs. The new rule 1st gets a bye, 2nd vs 5th and 3rd vs fourth, winners go head to head, winner of that plays 1st.
The later of the two play off schedule would have been fine had it been the plan all along instead of changing it to suit his own team. It is hard not to wonder if this same consideration would have been given had it not been his (Simmons team) in last place.
Another point is that the two remaining teams head coaches are UJHL board members, ironic that their teams seemed to have had a different rule book than the other 7 teams??
Will this league ever make it to be USA sanctioned with business practices as such? Has anyone ever heard of a team or player being fined money in a pay to play league? Where is the UJHL rule book since they are not USA sanctioned there is no link to it on their web site. None of the parents who paid for the season have seen it! Does it exist?
Just be careful and contact people, interested players contact UJHL players on facebook or myspace from all of the teams find out if the league held true to their promises and info on their web site.
Shooter, it costs more here for several reasons. Traveling is the obvious blackhole of junior hockey.
I understand the entire story of why the Canadian teams left. Everybody seems to have part of the story correct and other parts distorted. The Canadians were only *affiliates* of the league, brought on because of the demise of the AEHL. The Canadian teams are NOT real junior teams, they are college teams for the most part. One canadian team REFUSED to travel to a U.S. team and play, claiming financial hardship, but yet they said they would go if they were guaranteed, along with a couple other canadian teams, spots in the playoffs. This is considered blackmail and the league didn`t take to it.
As far as Findlay, Jamestown, and Penn goes. They are ALL owned by Barry Soskin. Take a look at Mr. Soskin`s track record and look at his team in Albert Lea, MI of the NAHL. The man does not know how to operate a junior hockey team. The team was fined and refused to pay, yes, teams can be fined and there is a rulebook. There is also another issue, which I won`t discuss, that involves Mr. Soskin and his maturity level. All these departures were anticipated in advance, hence the reason of a lot of expansion. The UJHL season went well, with these 2 exceptions.
I decided to give the UJHL a chance, it doesn`t mean that I`ll be looking at this like a deer caught in headlights. I`m an independent owner/operator that only has the interests of the kids in mind. I`m not someone who has a son and decided to create a team to get him exposure. I only have a 4 year old daughter. I`m not doing this for money either, because there is NO money to be made in the northeast. Anyone who plays with us will get their monies worth, plenty of exposure, and be treated well.
I have talked to Mr.Simmons on several occasions and I`m fine with the decisions they have made regarding the league. People can knock *independent* leagues all they want, but it beats paying $150,000 to participate in a *national tournament*.
I understand the entire story of why the Canadian teams left. Everybody seems to have part of the story correct and other parts distorted. The Canadians were only *affiliates* of the league, brought on because of the demise of the AEHL. The Canadian teams are NOT real junior teams, they are college teams for the most part. One canadian team REFUSED to travel to a U.S. team and play, claiming financial hardship, but yet they said they would go if they were guaranteed, along with a couple other canadian teams, spots in the playoffs. This is considered blackmail and the league didn`t take to it.
As far as Findlay, Jamestown, and Penn goes. They are ALL owned by Barry Soskin. Take a look at Mr. Soskin`s track record and look at his team in Albert Lea, MI of the NAHL. The man does not know how to operate a junior hockey team. The team was fined and refused to pay, yes, teams can be fined and there is a rulebook. There is also another issue, which I won`t discuss, that involves Mr. Soskin and his maturity level. All these departures were anticipated in advance, hence the reason of a lot of expansion. The UJHL season went well, with these 2 exceptions.
I decided to give the UJHL a chance, it doesn`t mean that I`ll be looking at this like a deer caught in headlights. I`m an independent owner/operator that only has the interests of the kids in mind. I`m not someone who has a son and decided to create a team to get him exposure. I only have a 4 year old daughter. I`m not doing this for money either, because there is NO money to be made in the northeast. Anyone who plays with us will get their monies worth, plenty of exposure, and be treated well.
I have talked to Mr.Simmons on several occasions and I`m fine with the decisions they have made regarding the league. People can knock *independent* leagues all they want, but it beats paying $150,000 to participate in a *national tournament*.