The Ontario Hockey League handed down sanctions against Flint Firebirds owner Rolf Nilsen yesterday, and the discipline in the case was right.
Firebirds Owner Rolf Nilsen thought his son, Hakon, was not receiving the ice time Rolf thought was appropriate for a player in his draft year. In November, when his son still was not playing as much as he wanted, Nilsen fired coach John Gruden and assistant coach Dave Karpa. After the rash termination of their coaches, the entire Firebirds team (including Hakon) walked out on the team forcing OHL Commissioner David Branch to stepped in and quell the situation. Branch brought the two sides back together, Gruden and Karpa returned to their coaching duties and the Firebirds players laced them up and came back onto the ice, with the agreement that Nilsen the owner would not be part of the franchises’ hockey operations going forward.
In February, Rolf again tried to fire the entire coaching staff, forcing action by the League. Commissioner David Branch appointed Joe Birch, to lead team operations through the remainder of the 2015-16 season and began an investigation to see if Nilsen violated the terms of the November accord.
Based on the punishment handed down by Commissioner Branch yesterday, the OHL apparently believes Rolf Nilsen violated the November agreement and issued a three-part sanction against Nilsen and the Flint Firebirds.
First, Nilsen was suspended for five years (but can apply for reinstatement after three) and secondly, he was fined $250,000. No one seems to be that upset about the first two. The final piece was the forfeiture of the Flint Firebirds third overall draft pick in the upcoming OHL draft.
Many on Twitter decried the loss of a talented player on a team bereft of skill and desperately in need of talent of any magnitude, especially considering the Firebirds also possessed the fifth overall pick as well. No matter the league, acquiring two of the top five most talented young players could impact future years quite dramatically if both are impact players.
https://twitter.com/ArthurKlages/status/718098719653163008
There have been many tweets that echo this sentiment. Fans and pundits alike believe that taking such a high draft pick, even if they have another only two spots later, only punishes the fans and players, delaying the Firebirds from being competitive in OHL. But the fact of the matter is the OHL might not have done enough.
Many player agents have been informing OHL that if drafted by Flint, their clients will not report.
— Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) April 4, 2016
Reports like the tweet above have been circulating for days, warning the OHL and the Flint Firebirds that agents have said their clients will not be coming to Flint due to the multitude of issues facing the franchise. There are many options available to the young players these days, from playing overseas, to the United States Hockey League or Canadian Junior Hockey League, the NCAA, or an old-fashioned holdout to force a trade.
These impacts are all on the hockey side of things, to say nothing of the parental impact. I tweeted this yesterday after the news of the sanctions broke on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/zakkthebear/status/717846482645229572
With the issues that currently face the City of Flint, it would be a difficult decision if the Firebirds organization drafted my child, even under the best of ownership. Factoring in an ownership group that has attempted twice to fire its coach staff and is now suspended by the league? The players in the OHL draft are still children in a very real sense of the word. How could a responsible parent knowingly send their child into that situation? Do you even risk that your son does end up in Flint if the original team that drafts and signs him trades him to the Firebirds midseason?
The OHL undoubtedly is aware of this decision facing players and families. The harshness of the penalties, as well as the direct threat that it may force Nilsen to sell the team if he violates any part of his suspension is a move by the league to try to restore some level of faith in the franchise. However, the actions of Rolf Nilsen has inflicted damage to the league and the loss of at least some talent in the OHL draft will likely be the result.
Commissioner Branch has performed admirably in a situation that has defied explanation in November and turned into a raging tire fire in February. What remains to be seen is if the decisive action of Branch during this tumultuous period pays dividends or it further degrades into even more league penalties, and likely court actions, if Nilsen does not adhere to the provisions of his suspension. In the meantime, let us all hope that Branch’s decisions have temporarily stabilized the franchise, and it can do what is best for the young men currently there sporting Firebirds sweaters and the OHL-appointed coaches and managers that support them.
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