MJHL Draft Takes New Shape

If you're a fan of the MJHL, you likely know by now the changes the league has made to its entry draft. In the past, the draft has consisted of five rounds, while teams also got to protect five more draft-age players from their minor hockey zone (auto-protects).

Now, the draft will last 10 rounds, with no auto-protects. Teams can still draft their local kids, and the biggest change is, if they draft from outside their local zone in the first five rounds, then their zone is free game for the league's other 10 teams to pick from. However if you stay within your zone for your first five picks, no one else can draft from your local area. Rounds 6 through 10 are all open season.

This isn't new news by any stretch, but with the draft and league meetings coming up this weekend in The Pas, I figured it was worth a call into Commissioner Kim Davis to clarify any questions fans might still have heading into this weekend's draft.


MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis



What do you think of the new format? Does it really even out the playing field? Winnipeg teams historically draft Winnipeg players anyway... so in all likelihood other teams may not be able to take city kids until Round 6... unless of course the Saints or Blues go outside their boundaries in the first five rounds.

Ultimately teams want to get better, and if that means having less local players, they'll probably still do that, most small market fans will tell you the games mean more to them if hometown kids are on the ice. So who this new format probably hurts the most is local players in smaller markets, because no longer do teams HAVE to protect five. Although, if that player never made the team anyway, all they'd ever be was a one-year list player, and maybe get their picture in the paper and name on the radio when they get protected, but even that's pretty cool for a 15-year-old kid.

I find it interesting, I'm not saying good or bad, and I'm sure it'll be revisited after this year to get the 11 teams' opinions.

Your comments are welcomed, especially from MB!