Gas... CAHA doesn't need to manipulate the system. It's not their job. If the Sharks fail, so what? If GSE fails, so what? If Santa Clara fails, so what? Every March the season ends, and every September the season begins again. But it is not CAHA's job to say who is good and who is bad and who should play where. That is overreaching and manipulative and a dangerous conflict of interest.
But this isn’t an opinion… it is the cornerstone of the CAHA guidebook:
28.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of CAHA, in addition to any purposes set forth in the Articles of Incorporation of the organization, is as follows:
--To encourage, foster and promote the development and growth of the sport of amateur ice hockey within the State of California.
--To conduct certain affairs of USA Hockey, to assist in the governance of the Registered Participant Members and Member Teams of USA Hockey and to regulate the sport of amateur ice hockey within the State of California.
--To encourage and develop the mental knowledge, skills, ability and sportsmanship of all participants with respect to the sport of amateur ice hockey.
--To conduct State ice hockey tournaments and to select representative Member Teams to participate in USA Hockey District, Regional and National Tournaments.
--To carry out all other responsibilities, duties and obligations imposed on CAHA pursuant to the Affiliate Agreement with USA Hockey.
Hmm. Sure doesn’t look like the guidebook calls for CAHA to be picking where teams should be playing and which clubs should be allowed to ice AAA teams, does it? They should be, you know, encouraging, fostering and promoting… not restricting. Oh, and it continues:
29.1 CAHA is and shall remain nonprofit, nonsectarian and nonpartisan.
29.2 CAHA shall not be operated in a manner which will generate pecuniary gain or profit for any Member Association or individual and is organized solely for nonprofit purposes.
29.3 No substantial part of the activities of CAHA shall be devoted to carrying on propaganda, attempting to influence legislation or becoming involved in any political activities.
Yikes. Those three are a doozy. Now we’re getting somewhere. So, by giving the three NHL affiliate clubs automatic AAA bids regardless of their performance, yet restricting every other clubs at the same time (hello, Titans!)… is that remaining nonsectarian and nonpartisan? Uh… I’m not so sure. Perhaps a lawyer should look at this? Or, you know, more appropriately, CAHA’s governing body… USA Hockey?
To many, CAHA has been moving in the wrong direction on several issues. They’ve been overreaching for years, and AAA hockey and the flighting system are two prime examples of this. CAHA should not be helping some clubs and hurting others.