To our CMHA Families,
As you saw on our website and social media posts yesterday (December 17, 2024), the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) announced a series of updates to its Player Movement Regulations effective for the 2025-2026 hockey season.
In it's simplest form, this means that there will be open borders across Ontario at the U10 age group and above for all levels (House League, B/BB, A/AA, and AAA).
- OHF Announcement: https://ohf.on.ca/player-movement/
- OHF FAQ Page: https://ohf.on.ca/player-movement-faqs/
In an effort to be transparent, Cambridge Minor Hockey voted no when asked for our decision by Alliance Hockey (our direct governing body that is part of the OHF) re: Player Movement. While we can appreciate that the OHF is wanting to implement these changes to enhance the "participant experience and accessibility", our main concerns are three-fold:
- This could mean the end of community-based and community-focused hockey as small-town clubs may be forced to close or merge to survive from both a player retention and fiscally responsible standpoint.
- The cost for families will take a toll, both financially - as they will be required to travel further to a potential new home base - as well as socially - in that the core of a team may no longer consist of classmates and neighbours, creating further disconnected relationships.
- Perhaps the most pressing concern, also expressed by many other clubs, is that this change is being implemented too quickly, and without adequate consideration of the unintended and potentially unavoidable consequences. We as an association do not have information about important details, like how this will all be implemented, and will be expected to have this ready to roll-out in a few short months.
Playing for our hometown hockey team can be a deeply rewarding experience, as it offers an opportunity to represent your community and connect with local fans - there isn't a much better feeling than winning in front of a large crowd of your family and friends at Galt Arena Gardens! Over the past year, we have created a development player pathway to the Cambridge RedHawks and have continued to build strong relationships with other junior teams in the area. We have also had some incredibly talented Cambridge-born players who have gone on to play higher level hockey including 24 OHL Priority Selection athletes in the last 10 years. What many of these players have said as they reflect back on their minor hockey careers here in Cambridge, is that it's not just about winning games, but about becoming a symbol of hometown pride and inspiring future generations of athletes.
CMHA feels that it offers strong Rep and Local League programs which will retain and attract new players. with all that said, this is the time when rubber meets the road. Over the next several weeks the Board will be meeting to focus on strategic priorities to ensure that we are enhancing the success of our association's teams and players in this changing environment. Among several priorities, our focus will be on:
- Coaching: retaining and developing the best possible coaches
- Player Development: Both on and off the ice
- Player Retention: every effort will be made to have Cambridge players stay and play
Let us be clear, we want to have Cambridge players filling our teams, we want to continue to elevate and build successful programs that focus on developing our young athletes into well-rounded individuals, and we want to build a sustainable and successful minor hockey association - and we are committed to working hard to make that happen.
On behalf of the Cambridge Minor Hockey Association, thank you for your support. We wish everyone a Happy Holidays and look forward to the continued success of our teams in the new year.
Jason Pembleton
President, Cambridge Minor Hockey Association