The GOJHL made its application for Junior A status once again a few weeks ago. It was presented to the Ontario Hockey Association. Now, it is only a matter of time before it is turned down once again and the public learns what the GOJHL and OHA already know.
The Ontario Hockey Association does not have the authority to approve the GOJHL application.
The OHA knows this to be true, and the GOJHL knows this to be true as well. The application in itself is an exercise in futility.
Only the Canadian Junior Hockey League has the authority to grant the request of reclassification. That authority was given to the CJHL in the new agreement made with Hockey Canada less than two years ago.
The CJHL is the governing body for Junior A hockey. Even if the OHA wanted to approve the reclassification it does not have the authority to over rule the authorized governing body for Junior A hockey in the county.
The CJHL, the body made up of all ten Junior A leagues in Canada is not about to add the GOJHL to its ranks.
TJHN sources are reporting that the CJHL has not even received an application from the GOJHL for a reclassification to Junior A or Tier II status. One CJHL source went so far as to say that, “Chuck Williams knows the process. The league knows the process. They already know the OHA cant make this happen, so we don’t know what they are thinking.”
Could the OHA vote to approve this application? Anything is possible, and it would be an easy way for them to pass the buck on to someone else to be the “bad guy”. But will the CJHL give the classification to the GOJHL when no application has been made? No.
So the questions someone should really ask is these;
If the GOJHL knows the OHA doesn’t have the authority to grant this application, why would they make the application, and why would they make the application public?
Why would comments be made publicly that the GOJHL will be labeled Junior A in 2017-2018 one way or another be made in public?
Smart people don’t ask questions publicly that they don’t already know the answers to. And if the GOJHL has a Junior A or Tier II label next year, its unlikely to be under Hockey Canada.
Joseph Kolodziej – Publisher
