Omaha Lancers players are boycotting possibly causing games to be cancelled this weekend....

Multiple sources have told me that the players from the USHL's Omaha Lancers are planning a boycott of this weekend's games in the midst of incomprehensible turmoil surrounding the team.

At the center of the controversy are reported budget cuts by the franchise that led to players not having road meals paid for - something that is standard across the top American junior league. On top of that, players were allegedly forced to pay for their own hockey sticks and tape - again, the standard in the USHL.

This is important because the USHL is a top developer of NCAA talent, which means its players cannot receive any money for being on a team. That's what keeps USHLers college eligible, versus those who go the Canadian major junior route, where the kids get financial stipends.

"All equipment is paid for here," said an exec from another team. "The USHL costs zero dollars to play in."

On top of that, video services were allegedly taken away from the players, depriving coaches of a crucial teaching tool. According to multiple sources, all of these cuts led to an impasse between coach/GM Chadd Cassidy and the team's president and ownership.

What happened next is still a bit murky, but some sources claim that Cassidy was fired last week, only to be asked to remain behind the bench because the Lancers no longer had enough coaches to work the bench. Bizarrely, Omaha has actually been a good team on the ice this season, winning seven of its past 10 games - including both of their contests this past weekend.
 
What a shitshow Omaha has become. Ten years ago, they were a flagship of the USHL. This stuff is a joke. Figured things would only get better once they got to Ralston Arena.
 
Hearing an assistant coach gave the kids the idea of the boycott.

Management then approached an injured player to serve as an assistant coach after they got rid of all the coaches.

woof
 
Separately, the Omaha Lancers announce the formation of its Hockey Advisory Board. The purpose of the advisory board is to provide strategic hockey advice to senior management from a detached and diversified perspective for a broad range of matters including hockey leadership, the future direction of the game of hockey, and to provide experienced counsel to Omaha Lancers players, coaches and staff as they progress along their path in hockey. The initial members of the Hockey Advisory Board are Steve Hagwell, Lou Vairo, Charlie McAvoy, Adam Fox and Dan Marshall. Pat Dapuzzo will chair the Hockey Advisory Board.
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So the Lancers initially put out a press release about how they formed a “hockey advisory” board to work through some of this shit. Apparently on this board, we’re Adam Fox and Charlie McAvoy. Neither of which played for the Lancers or had any affiliation to the team.

…they have since removed that from the press release.

Who owns a team and just makes up shit in a press release?
 
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