Cambridge Minor Hockey Association executives and staff members have spent the past four years thinking outside the box about ways to improve the experience for their house league players.
They believe they've found an answer in the newly formed Tri-City Hockey League that will begin this upcoming season.
Cambridge, in partnership with Kitchener and Waterloo minor hockey, will form the league to showcase local talent and build regional unity on the ice.
“I believe the first discussions started around 2019 but COVID restrictions came into play and it was shelved for a while,” John Morton, president of Cambridge Minor Hockey, said.
“As registration number continued to dwindle over the years Alliance Hockey suggested it as a possible way to promote the game in the region.”
Morton believes Cambridge players will see a number of benefits with the merger, the biggest of which is the closing of the age gap at each level.
Under the new system the largest gap in age with be 11 months.
“It allows us to return to single aged divisions,” Morton said.
“With the potential for as much as 23 months difference in age, it put some players at a disadvantage in both skill and maturity. This is not what we would hope for in recreational hockey.”
With players being closer in age and combining three associations, more teams will create additional opportunities.
The plan is to tier the teams based on skill level at the mid point of the season to ensure players are competing at the appropriate level geared toward their ability.
The three associations leaned heavily on Kitchener Minor Hockey during the process as they’ve had experience in this type of format with their girls divisions, Morton says.
Morton believes the model could be beneficial to other associations in the province hoping to boost registration and provide an exciting new experience for players, which is the ultimate goal for Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.
“Our hope is to give all our players the greatest hockey experience we can,” he said.
“I believe that being a regional league allows us to reach new families as the population grows while maintaining our own individual minor hockey identities which we all agree is important to us and our players.”
