Level jumping still financially out of reach for Hornets

Posted October 12, 2012

Though confident they could ice a competitive team, the additional costs required to do it as a Jr. B hockey operation, will keep the Alliston Hornets organization on the sidelines as interested observers while the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) looks to expand east of Guelph for the first time in 20 years starting next season.

Lodged as it would suggest, between Tier II Jr. A, and Jr. C, the OHA's 26 Jr. B teams play in a three conference Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) concentrated around the Niagara region and southern Ontario. Its winner is awarded the Sutherland Cup which dates back to 1934.

On Wednesday, the OHA announced that it "is gauging the interest for a fourth conference in the Junior B league in the footprint of the OHA east of Guelph with the assistance of two of its most prolific Leagues, the OJHL and the GOJHL."

Jr. B fell out of favour with the expansion of Jr. A hockey particularly around the GTA during the 1980s. Barrie's Jr. B history dates back to the 1920s. But more recently in the 1970s, and 80s, whose teams featured 11 players who went on to play in the NHL, including Alliston's Darryl and Darrin Shannon. Barrie won the Sutherland Cup Championship in 1992-93.

"It was a program that assisted in the development of great talents such as Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky, and a host of NHL officials as well as great community citizens," according to the OHA's press release. "Now, as a result of the contraction of teams undertaken in and by the Ontario Junior Hockey League to raise the competitive level of that program both regionally and nationally, there are a number of traditional hockey communities that are now eligible for consideration to return to Sutherland Cup play."

Collingwood, Brampton, Huntsville and Vaughan were among the Jr. A teams squeezed out by the league since 2010 and are among the targetted centres. Huntsville joined the GMOHL Jr. C this year.

And while the Alliston Hornets don't fit the OHA's model candidate, its continued on-ice success at the Jr. C level - five consecutive league titles, and two provincial championships in five straight trips - make it a candidate for consideration. In 1991, the Orangeville Crushers left the Jr. C league and moved up to Jr. A where they continue to play in the OJHL's West Division. Bradford Bulls left Jr. C to play with the renegade Jr. A league.

Alliston Hornets General Manager Rick Bartlett told Free Press Online that moving up the Jr. level of hockey is not a topic the organization has discussed in any formal way previously because financially it wouldn't work.

"We could compete but the budget would be 50-60k more than we spend now," wrote Mr. Bartlett in an email reply for this story.

Among the additional costs to factor in include extra buses, costs to billet players, school transfer fees, tutors if they need help, and extra practice nights.

"It doesn't take long to add up," he wrote. "Like Darrin (Shannon) said, will more people come watch if we have a 'B' beside our name or not as competitive?"

The OHA has set a deadline of Nov. 15 for expressions of interest. A formal application will be sent to "viable candidates" and from those, a selection committee, along with the OHA board of directors, will award new franchises in April, in time for the 2013-14 season.

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