THN's on the 'E''s Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn weigh in on what they love, and what they would change in the ECHL
The ECHL is a proving ground for prospects and veteran players alike, and a hotbed for fans across North America.
There's plenty to love all around, but like life, nothing is perfect, and there are facets of the league that could be improved.
The Hockey News podcast duo of Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn, on the latest installment of their THN on the 'E' podcast, broached the topic of what they love, and what they would fix in the ECHL.
Among the pros were the league's embracing the seven-game series playoff format, and proven track record of cultivating a strong crop of coaches.
"When you're an ECHL coach, you're prepared for everything," says Stoller.
"You do, when you're at this level, really have to get down in the dirt and figure out what makes players tick," adds Cohn. "You have to have your finger on the pulse of everything. And as you move up to the AHL or the NHL and you have a bigger infrastructure to assist you, I do think that the knowledge that you've gained at the lower level is irreplaceable."
As for changes, Stoller broaches the idea of adding a practice squad to rosters, with Cohn adding that roster size is a consistent issue league-wide.
Says Stoller: "You have a practice squad just like the NFL does it, and if the AHL or another club calls and signs them, you can't veto that, but in the interim, you can have them skate with you, have another body in practice, the players alternately aren't in that limbo in between jobs and you can essentially call them up ... I think you would alleviate a lot of the issues that would happen when you have to trim your roster."
Adds Cohn: "The roster size is an issue. They did bump it up recently, and especially for the first month of the season you can carry an extra guy. It's striking this delicate balance between how many guys do we want to have to pay a salary for, versus dealing with the multitude of call-ups and injuries and everything that they're having to deal with at this level. What's the perfect number? I don't know that anyone has found it."
Scheduling, Cohn adds, is far and away the biggest issue surrounding the league.
"The single biggest thing that this league needs to get rid of is probably three and threes. Now I'm sure somebody is probably going to hear this and call me and tell me that I'm totally wrong, that the owners are all favoring three and threes because they want the money made from playing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I get it, but I'm thinking about the players, and I'm thinking about the fans."
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