Recent email sent to membership for their feedback on important decisions being made for our houseleague programming for the upcoming 2016/17 season.
The following email was distributed to our members today from
[email protected] email address. The email outlines the proposed changes to our houseleague operations beginning next season and the PECMHA Executive is looking for your feedback in the way of a quick survey that was attached in the email. If you’re a member of the Association and didn’t receive the email, we most likely have an outdated email address. It’s very important to ensure your most recent email address is updated in your child’s Hockey Canada profile. If you are a member and didn’t receive the email with the survey, please email
[email protected] and the survey link can be sent to you.
Please note, the first email you received had a broken link, please reference the email with subject line:
PECMHA Houseleague Proposal/Changes......Attempt # 2
PECMHA Membership,
The following email is to update you on the proposed changes to PECMHA's houseleague/local league programming. As an Executive, we felt the importance to share and keep our members informed of the changing environment in minor hockey across Ontario, and also get your feedback in the form of a survey which is located at the bottom of this email.
As most of you are aware, over the past three hockey seasons, PECMHA houseleague teams have participated in an OMHA "pilot project" with three other centers (Quinte West, Napanee and Stirling). PECMHA teams would play home and away games against teams from these centers throughout the hockey season. Last year, the next step was taken and a playoff system was organized to determine unofficial A & B division champion throughout each age group. The PECMHA Executive has had plenty of positive feedback over the three years of the pilot project, as it was understood by the membership that with declining enrollment, changes had to be made to the keep the houseleague programming enjoyable. The pilot project was approved by the OMHA to give the four centers members a feel for some travel and let the players experience an away game environment. All four centers Executives had hoped that this pilot project would be able to take the next step and become an official OMHA Local League, which the majority of smaller hockey centers in Ontario currently participate in.
This spring the PECMHA Executive was informed by the OMHA that the pilot project had run its course and that Quinte West (due to their A center classification and size of membership) would be forced to break off and run their own internal houseleague programming. Therefore, with only three centers remaining (PEC, Napanee, Stirling), a new Local League could not be created. This was raised at the PECMHA Annual General Meeting.
During a sit down meeting in May, the three remaining centers were informed that the OMHA would not approve a new three center Local League and two options were given. Firstly, we could return to run an internal houseleague hockey operation where our teams would only play internally. In Prince Edward County, that would mean, (in most divisions), that our two houseleague teams would play each other throughout the entire hockey season. The second option would be for the PECMHA to have their houseleague teams join one of the three OMHA Local Leagues already established in the surrounding area. The Inter-Community Hockey League (ICHL) which consists of teams from Deseronto, Frontenac, Stone Mills, Loyalist and Gananoque. The second Local League option is the United County Hockey League (UCHL) which consists of Brighton, Colborne, Grafton and Baltimore hockey associations. The third option is one that we believe is the least desirable, which is the LEO Hockey League which has centers like Campbellford, Apsley, Ennismore, Bancroft, Norwood, and others.
One suggestion at the meeting that was discussed was a possibility of having all three new centers (PEC, Napanee, Stirling) join the ICHL with the possibility of pulling Deseronto into that group and having two 4 team divisions, whereas the majority of your regular season games would consist of teams from your division, therefore minimizing the travel. If it was decided to join the ICHL, this is something that the PECMHA representatives would strongly suggest in the scheduling meetings. Please complete the survey below and share your feedback. This is a decision that cannot be made by only the PECMHA Executive, listening to the membership is critical for us. This is a decision that will shape the future of the houseleague hockey programming in Prince Edward County.
Sincerely,
PECMHA Executive
Other information regarding the upcoming season with regards to Online and In-person Registration, Representative Tryout Schedules and other important dates and aspects will be updated on the website in the coming days/weeks. Please sign up your email or text alerts for any news from the Association's Executive
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