Where goeth the Collingwood Blackhawks ?
Or the Orangeville Flyers & the Dixie Beehives for that matter.
The Blackhawks, Flyers and Beehives were ” de-commissioned ” this week by the Ontario Hockey Association.
OHA President Brent Ladds relates the move was designed to clean up the Junior A Hockey program and increase the calibre of play, by reducing the number of entries from 30 teams down to 27.
Ladds admits there will be more blood-letting, ball parking a total of perhaps 24 Junior A teams as ideal when the cutting is done.
I understand that, and almost everyone that follows that league agrees with the concept
Furthermore, Ladds says the move has been accepted in the communities effected primarily because it allows the operators to recoup financial losses and eliminate future expenditures.
But Collingwood, like Orangeville & Dixie, are prominent names from the OHA’s past.
And that might be where they are going.
For example, could Collingwood drop to Junior B and recreate the old MidOntario loop with say, Orillia and Owen Sound entries ?
And is Orangeville destined to return to Junior C Hockey where they were very successful in the 80’s ?
Maybe, but for right now, there is nothing confirmed and OHA Hockey in Collingwood & Orangeville await.
I’m Fred Wallace