Windsor Spitfires Aftermath

Here are some articles reacting to Friday’s massive news that saw the Ontario Hockey League severely punish the Windsor Spitfires for breaking player benefit/recruitment rules.

The must-read article comes from Sportsnet’s Patrick King.

Until the exact circumstances are known in regards to Windsor’s violations, every team is wondering if they could be facing similar sanctions. One source noted there were approximately a handful of other investigations ongoing and Friday’s ruling could simply be the tip of the iceberg.

King also made note of the CHL Import Draft which has always had its issues.

The Canadian Hockey League’s import draft, for example, is a running joke amongst league insiders. European players are known to have "cooked deals" in advance of the draft and in some cases, the difference between landing a European player and losing him to another team is a mere $5,000-$10,000 extra, a sum most teams would hardly bat an eye at to secure the player. A player’s agent will use those sums as a barometer and hold the player ransom, so to speak, if a team isn’t willing to meet the level of compensation asked.

At The United States of Hockey, Chris Peters breaks down what Friday’s decision might mean for the never-ending war between the NCAA and the CHL.

Guy Flaming at The Pipeline Show wonders what happens now. What’s next? Who’s next? Could this decision define David Branch’s career?

Windsor Star columnist Bob Duff writes that there has to be a lot of nervous OHL teams right now.

Also at The Windsor Star, fans react to the news.

Yes, this is an OHL issue. But let’s be honest - the QMJHL and WHL are definitely paying attention to all of this.

Photo Credit: TVA Sports