Here is the final part of my rant about why the TBHF is a joke.
I am about to share some inside information and I hope this won’t get that person in trouble, but it is something needs to be shared. Turkey hosted the Under-20 Division World Junior Championship this winter in Istanbul. One of the countries teams coach (a Canadian) was very strict on his player’s hydration. The IIHF has rules in place that each player is supposed to be provided with certain amounts of water per day. After the first day the coach approached his assigned Turkish representative/guide about the players only getting a third of what the daily requirement was. The representative then went to the Vice President and informed him of the issue. The VP said to the representative to go back and say it will be taken care of and next time to just say that whenever they have any issues. Shocked, the representative asked it the problem was going to be fixed and the VP simply said no; because they have a buffet dinner every day, let the players drink all the water there. By the way, have you ever tried to drink over 3 litres of water with dinner? Neither have I. This said representative also was promised financial compensation for loss of job time to help out with the team. It has been 3 months now and he hasn’t seen a cent.
The Super League allows each team to carry up to 5 import players (players without a Turkish passport) and only allows 3 on the ice during a game. However, when the players come here and have problems with their club i.e. not getting any money, the TBHF does nothing to help them. The TBHF will not lift a finger or each put down their cup of tea when a player has a problem with its club. So who can a player turn to? Not the IIHF because its not their jurisdiction to govern a countries league, so who? Nobody but the TBHF, but they don't care. For example, women from Slovakia was recruited by the Polis team at the halfway mark of the women's season. She played her 50% of the games that was thought to be required by a import player in order to qualify for the playoffs, but the TBHF ruled that a women's player needed to play 51% of the regular season games in order to participate in the playoffs (yes the TBHF regularly changes the rules whenever they feel like it). So now the women is stuck in Turkey because her club won't pay for her flight back to Slovakia because they feel she isn't worth anything to the club anymore since she cannot play in playoffs. She goes to the TBHF, but they won't do anything and she has no credit card to get home and her family can't pay for her flight. What can she do? I have been told that she is reporting this to the IIHF in hope that something good will come, but all she can do is hope.
My personal opinion is that import players shouldn't be allowed to play in Turkey. What is the point really? They are far better than every Turkish player, yet get targeted brutally every game with cheap hits and expected to be gods in the league yet get treated like subclass humans by their clubs, the TBHF, and even citizens in the community. I think imports should only be allowed in the TBHF. Yes, get rid of all the money greedy, power seeking, no-clue-what-hockey-is TBHF and replace them with people from other countries who know and care about hockey. I mean, the TBHF couldn't even keep William 'Buzz' Schneider in their organization. The TBHF also had a great Canadian coach a couple of years ago but didn't have the decency to tell him why they wouldn't renew his contract and instead just ignored him. Even when he was coach and selected his team for World Championships, the TBHF would have the final say on who makes the team!
With all this being said, I would not be surprised if I will be suspended next season. Yes, the TBHF regularly suspends any players, coaches, staff, etc. who says anything bad about the TBHF. Sounds a little like a Big Brother. But too long people have been afraid to go against the TBHF, but I can’t understand that because the power is in numbers. Without the players and coaches, there would be no TBHF! Without any games being played the TBHF members will have a hard time padding their wallets with cash and saying that the clubs just took all the money and decided not to play. The players deserve so much better here, but they will never get it with a Turkish Ice Hockey Federation unfortunately. Like I said before, the TBHF should be ashamed at what a mockery they are making of such a great sport that has touched the lives of so many people like myself. After playing here and seeing how pathetic the TBHF is; I count my blessings that I grew up in Canada and was able to be a part of so many great organizations and Hockey Canada. I can’t wait to go home and kiss my Hockey Canada jersey.
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