OHL- Flint Team's Revolt

[Asher413]

This is too wacky at this stage:

http://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2015/1 ... tely-after

From several sources, it looks like the entire staff was fired on the OHL Flint team after a WIN. Then the players just all went to the management and quit. No idea how this will shape up, but I can't recall the last time I saw something like this in real life.

[stone169]

Just saw it on TSN. That's freakin' hilarious. Apparently it was all over not playing the owner's son enough. If you're good, then you will play. If not, then you won't.

The owner needs to realise that he makes money when the best players are out there playing.

[batdad]

There is a meeting today between coaches and owner.

[stone169]

More on the story. Coaches are back. Owner's a douche though for putting his kid through this.
http://www.tsn.ca/mondaymustread-flint- ... t-1.390508

[Loosie]

Coaches have been fired again. David Branch suspended the owners and new coaches. There is supposed to be a game tonight again Erie but that seems questionable right now.

http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/arti ... 558/167558

[Primis]

I can add a bit to this.

I don't know much about Rolf Nilsen. What I *do* know about is Flint, and I know about Nilsen's man Costa Papista.

Costa Papista is a fraud, whose professional front office career has basically involved him overseeing trainwreck after trainwreck, many self-induced. Offhand, I know he was GM of the Louisville Panthers, and the Port Huron Border Cats, and he was in the front office in Dayton for the ECHL Bombers. He's also at least sniffed around with operating teams in the Federal League (FHL), which is one of the single most dysfunctional sports leagues I've ever gazed upon (says a lot being in the same sport that brought us the AAHL not too long ago). Basically what happens is he comes in to a market, and meaningful hockey soon is done in that town. He's kinda' the Grim Reaper of minor pro hockey, he comes in and pretty soon hockey is dead. Nobody with even half an idea what they are doing would hire him to their front office. So Nilsen clearly has *no* idea what he's doing...

I was also shocked to see Sergei Kharin's name pop up as who he was going to replace with. Kharin has very little meaningful coaching experience that I'm aware of (though he's kinda' a legend as a player in West Michigan), and I'm not sure how THAT whole thing came about. Again, I'd guess it's likely through connections with Papista.

As for Flint.... moving Plymouth to Flint was never, ever going to work. Perani really is an acceptable arena, but the fanbase that made Flint great for hockey in the 1970's and 80's just isn't there anymore. The fanbase has moved elsewhere. The money that is nearby to Flint doesn't want to go watch junior hockey, not even major junior. And to boot, they really are too close to the Saginaw Spirit. Google says 38 miles. Flint is also only around 70 miles from Sarnia. So they're trapped in between two established (somewhat at least, Saginaw is sketchy at times themselves) OHL markets. It probably is time to finally put the stake into the heart of Flint hockey. Let it die already. Barring a resurrection of Flint as a metro area, the fanbase just isn't coming back.

[stone169]

I heard a lot of the Flint players are refusing to return next year and that their leading scorer is threatening to leave the team for good if things don't change, and this is his draft year.

I guess this is what happens when you have an owner who has to control everything and doesn't have a clue as to what he's doing or likes to be challenged. It's a real shame.