LNAH Not Ready to Join the Talent Transfer Circuit

When William Dufour answered the call to Fort Wayne this week, it was the second time this season he left his LNAH team for a chance in the US Minor Leagues. While Dufour’s moves are indicative of the LNAH’s current talent level, the league is still far from joining the minor league landscape in terms of routine player movement. Structure and league rules present hurdles that keep the league relatively isolated. 

The first major hurdle is league structure. The LNAH is semi-pro, with players receiving pay on a per-game basis. Players can earn ECHL level money, but the paycheck is the lone compensation. Where players in the other leagues receive housing, LNAH players work day jobs to pay for housing and living expenses- a primary reason the league plays almost exclusively on Friday and Saturday nights. Players leaving for a shot at something in the US would be giving up an apartment and job for what could be a temporary move. Inversely, finding a job and housing would be the obstacle for a player headed to the LNAH. Trades within the league are common, but with limited geography, a player can simply link up with the team for weekend games until the move can be made. 

Cross border movement brings the next hurdle of work visas. Signing a contract going into the season allows a player to get the visa ahead of time, clearing the way for any potential movement within the host country once the season starts. Going cross-border during the season is a different, and potentially lengthy, story. Where teams in most leagues have office staff to help with the process, the LNAH does not. In the case of Dufour, it's likely he had his visa from the previous season or got help from Wilkes-Barre during the first call. 

The final hurdle is the citizenship rule in the LNAH. Players need to be from, or have previously played (junior, university or other) in, the province. Player movement options aren’t, or wouldn’t be, equal between those going to and from the LNAH. 

Eliminating the citizenship hurdle would be as simple as a few strokes on the keyboard, but the others are far from easy. Whether we’re talking about housing or staff to help with administrative issues, that’s a big lift for the mostly small market league. 

The league has done an amazing job changing its image and style of play. Every roster can show players with AHL, ECHL and/or SPHL experience, as well as younger players fresh from junior and university teams. Those players are embedded, though, for the long haul. It’ll be quite some time before the league, and specifically its players, are part of any routine movement among the other leagues.