The Board of Governors of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) announced today, following the completion of an extensive consultative process with the help of an outside consultant and involving all of its teams aimed at reducing the size of the league, that beginning this coming season the number of teams in the OJHL will be down to 31 teams from 36. Three teams, the Bramalea Blues Junior Hockey Club, the Couchiching Terriers and the Seguin Bruins, have all come to terms with the Board and have voluntarily opted to cease operations effective immediately under the leagues contraction policy. Under the same program, the league also came to terms with each of the Bowmanville Eagles, who agreed to merge operations with the Cobourg Cougars, and the Ajax Attack, who agreed to merge operations with the Pickering Panthers. Both the Bowmanville and Ajax franchises will be decommissioned as part of the program and the merged clubs will play out of Cobourg and Pickering, respectively, for the 2010-2011 season.
We are extremely pleased with the restructuring stated team DHO Darrell Mussell. For the past two years we have been working tirelessly in rebuilding the foundation of this organization knowing that to participate in the new vision of the league, it was not just necessary but imperative. Yesterdays vote speaks loudly to the quality of the work myself, Chris Melnyk and Blair Molto have put into this organization
Our league has completed an unprecedented move forward with its goal of developing the best Junior A hockey league in the Country comments Marc Mercier OJHL Chair.
I took over operations two years ago with the goal of building a sustainable, responsible and professional hockey program. The leagues new mandate and goals are completely in line with mine further explains Mussell. Change is never easy in any organization, and its difficult to change the philosophy of people that have been around a long timebut the game and business of Jr A hockey have changed and the Blues are well prepared to be a leader on and off the ice in the restructuring.
Also this past weekend the Collingwood Blues hosted a invite only 1 Day Training Camp. This camp included players from the previous year along with a number of other eligible junior players. The day comprised of on ice skating in the am, info session for players over lunch, with a full game style scrimmage in the afternoon. GM Chris Melnyk was very happy with the attending players, and was surprise at the level of play some of the players they had out. if this is any indication of the upcoming year, we are going to have a very good, skilled and competitive hockey club. I am looking forward to building a competitive and winning team here says Chris Melnyk.
Our main plan will be to have a number of players with junior experience on this team, and we are committed to turning junior back to its winning ways in Collingwood Says Chris Melnyk.