Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

5. Development of Geographically Structured Leagues

● What’s Changing: The OHF will work with its Minor Members to create geographically structured
leagues. This will reduce travel distances and create a more accessible hockey environment.

● Purpose: This aims to minimize the time and costs of long-distance travel, making hockey more
inclusive for players in all regions.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri May 02, 2025 1:46 am

5. Development of Geographically Structured Leagues

● What’s Changing: The OHF will work with its Minor Members to create geographically structured
leagues. This will reduce travel distances and create a more accessible hockey environment.

● Purpose: This aims to minimize the time and costs of long-distance travel, making hockey more
inclusive for players in all regions.

Is there any talk about this out there? I never really thought about it much but there is some really insane things happening in current leagues.

OMHA - AA loop in Tri County.
Center Wellington plays Niagara Falls!?
https://cwminorhockey.ca/Teams/2126/Games/48547/

There is at least 5 AA centers between them that they never play against, not to mention there is probably 15 all shorter distances apart that they don't play either.

Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Hamilton, Brantford to think of a few. Alliance \ OMHA probably needs to die and they really should combine teams regionally together.

Junior C\D did a pretty good job of this, and playoffs find regional winners before expanding outwards which makes playoffs 6 rounds I think, which is insane, but only for like 4 strong teams so whatever.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri May 02, 2025 8:48 am While I agree for most parents they are more interested in less travel. I know I am likely in the minority, but I would prefer games against competition that is closer to the same skill even if that means LESS GAMES.

I have one kid that just finished his two years of KSL, and we are going back to OMHA at the AAA level, and I have a kid who is older in U13 that has only been in the OMHA hockey world.

While I am happy to be back to "normal" hockey. The KSL was a grind for sure. It was fantastic for playing teams where games were almost always competitive. I don't think for a second that the development my younger son in KSL that he got was genuinely any better than my older son in his local MD centre. I just think he was constantly pushed every single game and that's why he made AAA and my older son has been in AA his entire playing time.

I would prefer if the OHF did skill based match making between all of their leagues. At least for AA. I am tired of driving 40 minutes to a game where we beat the other team 8-0. I'd rather drive an hour or an hour and a half for a game that they lose 3-2. Especially if your kid still has hope to make AAA one day.

Just my opinion, but, I know I am likely in the minority.