The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League wants to change its status from Junior B to A.
In a release on May 27th, the league says they are officially requesting that the Ontario Hockey Association change the league from its current B designation to A, because, as the league says in its release, not having A status "hinders the development of homegrown talent, creates the implied perception of inferior skill, and reduces young players' opportunities to advance."
The GOJHL has teams across 26 communities in Ontario and one in Buffalo, and most of the teams are located in small towns or small cities outside of major urban areas like Toronto or Ottawa. New GOJHL Commissioner Brent Garbutt states in the release that the redesignation his league is seeking would be better for teams and players.
“If the OHA does the right thing and approves our call for reclassification, it will level the playing field for all players across Southwestern Ontario, keep them in their hometowns and make junior hockey a more accessible sport for all,” claims Garbutt.
Many players in the GOJHL go on to play high tier Junior A or even OHL hockey, with many notable alumni making it to NHL rosters, such as Mark Schiefele, Jeff Carter and Tanner Pearson. The GOJHL has acted as a sort of "feeder league" to many Junior A franchises in Ontario and other provinces as well, with many players moving on to successful careers in the BCHL, AJHL and even the NCAA college route.
Whether the OHA will grant this re-designation request remains to be seen, as well as the potential new costing challenges of some teams going from being a Junior B operation for many years to a more costly Junior A outfit. Many teams are community owned or have a small ownership group, so whether or not the jump up a level would affect some teams also needs to be sorted out.
More to come
