Southern Dogs coach Clive Daniels believes Hockey New Zealand needs to rethink the timing of the National Hockey League for the future.
Daniels named the bulk of his side yesterday and there are a lot of familiar faces.
But the Black Sticks quartet of Blair Tarrant, Hugo Inglis, Kane Russell and Nick Ross are absent again.
They missed last year's National Hockey League (NHL) due to playing commitments in Europe. This season it is national commitments which will rule them out.
The NHL gets under away in Tauranga on September 14. But the Black Sticks are playing three important games against Australia a week earlier and will miss the tournament.
Daniels said it devalued the NHL and Hockey New Zealand should look at staging it earlier in the year in the future.
"They all want to play," Daniels said.
"But they've got the Oceania tournament the week before and they need to win that in order to qualify for the Olympics.
"So that is why they are not available. But generally they would all prefer to play mid-year when they are all free because they just want to be involved.
"They are very loyal to their region.
"[If it was played earlier] you would have all the best players in the country playing and you'd be able to pick your national squad based on everybody being available."
In the meantime, Daniels has to make do with those who are available. He has more or less the same group which finished at the bottom of the competition last year.
Normally, retaining the same crew which failed to deliver is not a recipe for success. But Daniels, who is back for a second stint with the side, believes the Dogs can push into the top four this season.
"Definitely the top four. We want to be competing against the top sides. Having guys like Nick Elder and Kieran O'Connor - those guys have been playing in Black and have represented the Black Sticks - is going to be big for us.
"And all of the boys who played last year will have an extra years experience."
Defender Max Rasmussen shapes as a key player at the back, while Elder will bolster the midfield.
Malachi Buschl plays in the midfield but a bit further forward, and O'Connor has form in front of the goal.
It is a strong core of players through the centre of the field and it is where Southern will look to create opportunities.
Southern has three players still to be named.
A team from Tasmania has joined the NHL this season which has brought about a change to the format.
The eight teams have been split into two pools of four. The top two sides from each pool will qualify for the top four, while the two bottom sides will compete for the minor placings.
Southern has been drawn in Pool B with Canterbury, Midlands and North Harbour.
Southern Dogs team
Malachi Buschl, Kailin Dayal, Callum Dempster, Nick Elder, Nathan Gilbert, Stirling Milicich, Kieran O’Connor, Max Rasmussen, Josh Smith, Dylan Thomas, Johnny Thorn, Craig Turner Hamish van Dyk, Finn Ward, Jordan Ward.
