For well over a year TJHN has been writing about Hockey Canada’s “Tomorrows Game” initiative. Well Tomorrows Game is going to have to wait until tomorrow. A lack of seriously interested ownership groups has forced the Ontario Hockey Association to put Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League expansion on hold.
The plan, under the Tomorrow’s Game guideline, was to expand the GOJHL into four conferences, beginning next season. The new conference would encompass teams east of Guelph, spreading throughout the OHA footprint north to Barrie and as far east as Kingston.
But with only four teams approved of those submitting formal applications for the new conference, the expansion project fell short of a minimum of six teams.
GOJHL Ownership guidelines are said to be strict in that the demonstration of financial security for a new team is a very hard hurdle to get over.
Though the locations of the four teams that made the cut weren’t released, teams can make applications to join the junior A, B or C leagues while waiting to see if the fourth conference idea makes a come back. One team has already done that, though they weren’t part of the fourth conference expansion. an ownership group in Brantford has filed an application to have a team join the Midwestern Conference next season.
TJHN will update this story as more details become available.
