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lordbolo · 12-13-2020, 06:40 PM

Following another Four Star Cup Championship to the Carolina Kraken, the SMJHL’s got a brief jolt when reports surfaced that the league was on the verge of adding two new teams. The league would be welcoming expansion franchises in Quebec and Nevada, we were told, and all two new teams would be up and running by S55.

The league quickly denied the reports … kind of. It was one of those “there’s no truth to this specific story right now” sort of denials, leaving open the possibility that expansion could still be coming in the near future. And realistically, it had to be. With player volume at record levels, it seemed inevitable that it wouldn’t be long before the league expands.

But should it have? As with any major business decision, there are pros and cons to SMJHL’s expansion. Let’s run through some of the arguments that could be made on either side.

There’s a legitimate question as to whether there are really were two markets out there that could support a new SMJHL teams. Sure, more players than ever were available to be signed, but would that weaken the overall strength and development of current SMJHL rosters? Expansion means talent dilution. For each new team you add, you’re essentially also adding 25 or so jobs for players who aren’t good enough to play in the current SHL. Expanding by two teams leaves you with 50 minor leaguers taking up roster spots around the league.

Take a look at your favorite team’s third or fourth line defensive pairing. Those guys probably aren’t very good, and they’re probably not very fun to watch. Now imagine even more of those guys clogging up the league.

New teams are expected to be terrible. Granted, we can’t always know for sure, but we can make some assumptions based on history. Expansion teams typically start off awful, and some of them stay awful for a very long time. However, looking at the numbers so far in the current S57, there could be an argument against that. Through 22 games this season, Quebec is sitting on top of the conference with a 0.864 win % and have already exceeded their point total this season (38) compared to their inaugural S55 with a lowly 35pt. This puts them on pace to have one of the better seasons the SMJHL has seen.

Now that is just one side of the coin. Nevada has not been as fortunate with the type of success Quebec has seen. Yes, they did squeak in a third-place conference finish and find themselves in the quarterfinals, but so far this season, we are seeing a different team. And not a better one at that.
Looking at the league as a whole, the SMJHL hadn’t expanded in quite some time. This isn’t back in the day, when the league doubled in size in one shot. Adding two teams would thin out the talent leaguewide, sure, but it wouldn’t be some sort of massive system shock.

Beyond that, it’s worth considering that a little bit of dilution could actually be a good thing. By adding a few more players at the bottom of the talent pool, you’re making things easier on the guys at the top. After all, if a few of the league’s stars can light it up against the league’s current players, imagine what they’d do with a few shifts against guys who are even worse.

Let’s not also forget that expansion drafts are the best. And that’s not just the drafts themselves, but all the speculation and maneuvering that go along with them, as teams try to protect their best assets while figuring out whom to expose. I would welcome further expansion for this reason alone if we hit another player volume milestone. I implore the league’s media to reach out and stretch its kraken fingers into every nook and jar it can find. Expansion will always be on the horizon, so we may as well learn to accept it. At least we’ll have a few expansion drafts to look forward to.

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**leafs1997** · 12-13-2020, 08:04 PM

I haven't been around for long and Idk the logistics of it, but an expansion draft would be very interesting :O

lordbolo · 12-13-2020, 09:06 PM

I found this article while trying to dig up some history. Looks pretty interesting!

**leafs1997** · 12-14-2020, 01:59 PM

12-13-2020, 09:06 PMlordbolo Wrote: I found this article while trying to dig up some history. Looks pretty interesting!

Thnx, I'll check it out!

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