Upcomming Junior Camps

Theirs a couple of teams that are having tryout camps at different parts of the summer coming up. First coming up from June 19-21 at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco is the Texas Tornado as they continue to get back in the league after being out last year for arena reinventions. They looking for players aged 16-20 from different high school and travel teams to find out who may have a shot of playing hockey in the North American Hockey League next year. In addition, they looking for people to help work the event, if your interested in possibly helping out with the tryouts, contact the Texas Tornado Team Booster Club at www.texastornadobc.com .

Later this summer, the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) will be in town from July 31-August 2 at Polar Ice in Grapevine. This league is stronger and the players their looking for will be more selective then the Texas Tornado or anyone else in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). I don't know much yet about this camp since it's later in the summer but it will be an open for anyone who thinks they have a chance or find out what level they think they at. As of right now, they will be the only team at the USHL or higher that will be having tryouts in the Southwest.

If anything else changes, I will put them up on the blog.

Thoughts on the Phoenix Coyotes

Away from the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup Championships, the big story is the League taking over the Phoenix Coyotes through massive debt and having problems developing a fan base in the area. Gary Bettman has said that he's committed to keeping the Coyotes in Phoenix, but I think they it can't work right now. Eventually (Sooner rather then later) the team will move, the main city that one owner wants to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario. My problem with Hamilton is that it's near both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres teams and it would affect both teams in terms ticket sales, game attendance and the fact you would have 3 teams in a very short distance (about 90 miles).

Some places I would to see considered is somewhere like the Pacific Northwest or Canada Maritime Region where the NHL has never been if the Coyotes have to move. Moving a team is always the last thing you want to do, but in this case I think they is no other option. The NHL hasn't worked in Phoenix for nearly the entire time the team has been their since moving from Winnipeg in the mid 90s, but here it's one of the only things you can do.

Face the facts on the issue Gary Bettman, it's not working in Arizona and the faster the team moves the better it is for the league.