|
|
Post by gunnerstahl on May 2, 2008 1:02:38 GMT -5
i read on the outlaw " jr a " leagues site that apparently they are placing a team in fort erie playing out of the leisureplex called the Niagara Frontier Thoroughbreds. Those clowns are also talking like that joke of a league is real jr a and a step up from the ghl. Does anyone know if this is true? They are stating something about the owner being in trouble and the fort erie board wanting nothing to do with the Meteors as a result. Hope this isn't true?
|
|
|
|
Post by eyeinthesky on May 2, 2008 8:42:12 GMT -5
Where there is smoke there is fire. How are things in Thorold Gunner
|
|
|
|
Post by C.S.I. NIAGARA on May 2, 2008 15:26:35 GMT -5
This story could be true... at its general meeting held the other day the GMHL says that a D. Cole is going to be running the club out of the Plex. and that the Meteors have been given the boot by the town,.....In my opinion this is a big step backwards for Fort Erie
|
|
|
|
Post by cleghorn on May 2, 2008 15:45:42 GMT -5
Don't know CSI heard yesterday Meteors staying put. Last week Cole was in NB seeing Tartanic.
|
|
|
|
Post by C.S.I. NIAGARA on May 2, 2008 15:53:47 GMT -5
I only know that it was said at there meeting..that they approved a team that will be playing out of the Plex next season..and they already have them listed as a club, N.F. Thoroughbreds...2 junior teams in the Fort?..maybe some competition for the Mets.?
|
|
|
|
Post by gunnerstahl on May 2, 2008 21:07:32 GMT -5
passero says they are staying put and resolving there issues, take that for what it's worth. csi, i believe it would be competition for jr C not the GHL. who would choose that league skill wise over the ghl, let alone the fact that teams charge anywhere from 3000 to 7000 dollars?
|
|
|
|
Post by smoothassilk on May 2, 2008 21:40:28 GMT -5
Gunner..my nephew plays in that Jr. A league. Dont knock it until you see a game. Look at the website to see how many players have gone on to College hockey...compared to the Golden Horseshoe..hhhhmmmmmm. Might be interesting to have a Jr. A team around. I hope Passero is truthful in his statements, Golden Horseshoe does not need to lose a team.
|
|
|
|
Post by gunnerstahl on May 2, 2008 22:32:38 GMT -5
those college advancements are weak. GHLs are of higher quality, GMHLs higher quantity ( it does have what, double the teams ? ) Chris Risi - Mercyhurst , Joey Koudys - Alabama Huntsville , Hedden - Neumann College Ciafrini - Canisius College Coccomiglio - Mercyhurst , Petriello and Hill Buffalo State among others not to mention all the CIS advancements . They have 1 D1 advancement which is a WALK ON and the rest are to weak D3 schools except Elmira College which is a strong D3 school.
|
|
|
|
Post by jrbfan on May 9, 2008 7:54:19 GMT -5
Meteors on the brink
Junior B team needs 'break' on fees to continue
Posted By Dan Dakin, The Review
Updated 1 day ago
FORT ERIE – The Fort Erie Meteors are in financial trouble with the Town and a new hockey team might be looking to take their place at the Leisureplex.
The non-for-profit group that owns the Meteors junior B hockey team will appear before Fort Erie town council Monday night asking for a break on the money it owes for ice rental fees.
The Meteors owe an undisclosed amount of money for ice usage and the town says they won’t give them ice time for the 2008/09 season unless they pay up.
But Tony Passero, the Meteors’ general manager, said his team should be given a break.
“It has come to a head now and we have to address it with them and go from there,” he said. “It’s the ice bill and that’s what we’re going to the town with. We’re going to ask for some relief.”
The Meteors ownership will make a presentation at Fort Erie town council Monday night.
What happens there could determine the future of the Meteors organization, which dates back to 1957 when it was called the Fort Erie Frontiers.
Passero and his group, including team president Joe Fazio, have been involved with the team for more than 25 years.
“The biggest hurdle is the town wants the money so it’s up to us to insure them the money will be there and that we have a business plan to continue on,” Passero said.
He blamed the team’s financial difficulties on declining bingo revenues.
“It’s just a build up with the decline of bingos. Now we have to go a different direction. We have to do a little more hustling with golf tournaments and hot dog sales and spaghetti dinners. The whole program has to be changed because bingos are suffering big time. The non-profit group has to change. The group has to be hungrier. Maybe bingo is gone, so we have to do what we have to do to cover those costs,” he said.
Adding to the complexity of the issue is another junior hockey team looking to play out of Fort Erie this season.
David Cole, a former coach and general manager of the St. Catharines Falcons, is part of the newly-formed Power Play Sports and Entertainment Group, which has a plan to enter a Fort Erie-based team into the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. According to the league, a team called the Niagara Frontier Thoroughbreds has been accepted to join the private league this season and have the Fort Erie Leisureplex as its home arena.
While Cole would be in charge of hockey operations for the new team, Kevin Zimic, also from St. Catharines, would be leading up the off-ice dealings.
Zimic confirmed Wednesday there was a plan in place to field a team out of Fort Erie this season, but he said having a team in the Ontario Hockey Association rather than the private junior A league is still the priority.
Either way, Zimic said ultimately there are bigger plans involved.
“The scope of our intentions is well beyond hockey and we intend to draw well beyond Fort Erie or Niagara,” Zimic said. “We’re hoping we can combine the intellect and experience of our group so we can provide year-round entertainment. But hockey would be the cornerstone of our plans.”
Zimic confirmed rumours that his group expressed an interest in buying the Meteors when there was talk the team was up for sale, but that option is no longer available.
|
|
|
|
Post by Schtick on May 11, 2008 11:15:19 GMT -5
This news definately sucks for Fort Erie, hopefully it will be resolved soon.
on another note, I would rather see this GMHL Jr. A team come to Welland.
|
|
|
|
Post by tool on May 11, 2008 21:49:20 GMT -5
how can the town give the meteors a break? what does that say to other organizations in town that rent ice?
if you can't manage a team and pay for your ice, you should not be in the league
maybe someone will come along and buy the organization
would be a shame to see the meteors fold.
|
|
|
|
Post by smoothassilk on May 12, 2008 7:14:24 GMT -5
Tool- paper said that the new group tried to buy the team but fort erie first agreed then had a change of heart. It is too bad for the Jr.B league if the team folds but Fort Erie may gain a GMHL Jr. A team. My nephew plays in the GMHL, I think the level of hockey is pretty good.
|
|
|
|
Post by tool on May 12, 2008 22:04:37 GMT -5
ice costs are a big chunk of any team's budget
in the creek, we have to pay one month in advance as per City policy
if town of FE did the same, this issue would have never come to this
it really is a shame
i hope the Meteors are able to sort this out
it would be a huge loss for the league
|
|
|
|
Post by frenchman on May 13, 2008 15:00:51 GMT -5
Hopefully Fort Erie solves this problem, the GHL might not be able to handle a loss in teams, as far as the GMHL, sort of like an american league, pay to play, not close to jr.a, somewhere between midget and jr.c, just look at the results of a team from that league in the pre draft.
|
|
|
|
Post by legendz61 on May 13, 2008 15:50:51 GMT -5
it has been confirmed that the meteors did pay the debt and they will be playing in the leaisureplex next season
|
|
|
|
Post by fishfan51 on May 13, 2008 19:34:51 GMT -5
it has been confirmed that the meteors did pay the debt and they will be playing in the leaisureplex next season Not true ... The Meteors did pay the 36,000$ it owed the town of Fort Erie but as far as next season goes nothing has been confirmed. The team presented what they called a business plan at the council meeting held Monday night. A few members of council said what was presented to them was NOT a business plan but merely ideas on how to raise money instead of depending mostly on bingo revenues. The Meteors were asked to come back to council next Tuesday night with a REAL 3 year business plan before the town approves any agreement with the club. Members of council were quite aware of the other option they have in terms of junior hockey being played at the leisureplex this season. www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1024956&auth=DAN+DAKIN |
|
