JK1 easily handled Jr. Reign 7-0. They looked like a AA team today.
Let's review.
In San Jose last weekend JK1's results were:
JK1 vs GSE(2) 1-5 LOSS
JK1 vs Wave(2) 1-1 TIE
JK1 vs Jr. Ducks(1) 0-2 LOSS
JK1 vs Sharks 2-3 LOSS
Does beating the Jr. Reign 7-0 mean the JK1 squad belongs in AA? At the evaluation jamboree the Jr. Reign turned in the following performance:
Jr. Reign vs Empire 1-9 LOSS
Jr. Reign vs JK(2) 4-2 WIN
Jr. Reign vs Saints 0-7 LOSS
Jr. Reign vs Jr. Ducks(2) 0-3 LOSS
The only win the Jr. Reign had was against a team that, most would agree, is the weakest AA team in the state - Jr. Kings(2). Jr. Reign is probably the next weakest team currently playing AA.
Many believe that Jr. Kings(1) will be given preferential treatment simply because they are a big club with lots of political connections in CAHA. Likewise, the Jr. Reign Hockey Club has a president that sits on the CAHA Board and probably has enough pull to make sure his lowly AA team gets to remain AA. Most would argue the Jr. Reign team should drop to A.
That said, it's good to be a King. Jr. Kings(1) has been given a very easy upcoming schedule. Two of their first three games after the evaluation jamboree are against, you guessed it, Jr. Kings(2) and the Jr. Reign.
This will tell CAHA nothing. Jr. Kings(1) don't have to face the Bears and they don't have to play OCHC(1) or any other of the other powerhouse teams. In my view, there are a couple possibilities as to why this must be:
1) The decision has already been made that Jr. Kings(1) is not a top flight team so there is no sense having them play top flight teams.
or
2) The decision has already been made that CAHA is going to give their friends in El Segundo an early Christmas present and put them in the top flight regardless of their performance. CAHA does not want to be embarrassed by having Jr. Kings(1) get beat too many more times before flights are announced, so the early schedule was kept intentionally easy.
Can a proper evaluation of teams be made after a four-game weekend in San Jose? I don't think so, but it's the whacky system the CAHA folks decided to force-feed us. It's been made more difficult for them, however, because the teams that were supposed to win didn't win.
Instead, we're starting to hear things like,
"Well, they didn't win any games, but I saw them play and they are really good and belong in the top flight." Participation ribbons are just around the corner...