John writes:
 
>I don't have a copy of the NC$$ manual (I imagine it is about the size
>of the Clinton's proposed Health Care Plan  :->) but is there a
>specific rule regarding the year that is lost for playing Junior A
>Hockey?  Does it have to be first, second, or can the player choose,
>as Jeff Tory is?
 
I don't know about a specific rule, but as I understand it, the Junior A
deal does not involve just losing a year of eligibility.  If you play x
games of Junior A hockey, the NC$$ considers you ineligible, and you have to
sit out a year and x games of the next season (four, in Latendresse's case)
in order to BECOME eligible.  It isn't just a case of the NC$$ dropping your
eligibility from four years to three (where you could decide, "OK, I just
won't play my senior season" -- I believe this is how the 20-year rule
works).
 
As for why the NC$$ did not allow the Junior A and Prop. 48 years to be
served concurrently, I have no idea, other than that they are two separate
issues (he's not quite ready for college, plus he's played what the NC$$
considers pro hockey) meriting two separate punishments.  I guess it was
easy to ass-u-me that sitting out one year covered both violations... but
common sense would dictate that when you are dealing with NC$$ rules, you
should count on the worst until it can be proven otherwise.
 
I feel bad for Latendresse, as I did for Cal Ingraham, Jeff Tory, and
Patrice Tardif last year.  Once again, we have a situation in which an
athlete suffers because somebody didn't check things out completely.  I
suppose any or all of these players could have double-checked the situation
themselves... but isn't that what the athletic department and the compliance
people are there for?
 
Another black eye for Maine, and for college hockey in general.
--
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Bill Fenwick                        |  Send your HOCKEY-L poll responses to:
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LET'S GO RED!!                                                  DJF  5/27/94
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