AAA hockey here to stay!

2010-01-30

Ottawa District Hockey Association Executive Director Richard Sennott counts up the votes in favour of establishing AAA as a permanent fixture in the Ottawa area. The vote was unanimous.

On Hockey Day in Canada, the ODMHA gave Ottawa the best possible gift imaginable – they made AAA hockey permanent in the National Capital Region.

The Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association has voted to make AAA hockey a permanent part of the hockey landscape in the Ottawa area. The vote, by the ODMHA Minor Council which includes representatives from minor hockey associations across the Ottawa area, was unanimous.

“I am grateful for the support the AAA Pilot project received today from Minor Council,” said Andy Baird, the chair of the Steering Committee which oversaw the three-year AAA Pilot Project. The move puts the Ottawa area on an equal footing with the rest of Canada, which has already adopted a top tier of minor hockey.

“I am very thankful that the AAA program is a go,” said Kevin Giroux, a forward with the Major Bantam Eastern Ontario AAA Wild. Giroux is entering the all-important minor midget year next year, when players are eligible for the OHL draft. “This gives us the opportunity to continue to play the game we love at the highest level and it will challenge those of us who are committed to continual improvement,” said the 14-year old resident of Rockland.

The ODMHA introduced AAA hockey in the Ottawa area three years ago on a trial basis. The new league has thrived and players, fans and parents have been impressed by the elite level of hockey since the pilot project was established. Earlier this season, the Minor Midget AAA Wild showed they could compete with the best teams in North America when they won the prestigious Bauer Invitational AAA Invite Tournament in Chicago.

Baird is happy with the endorsement from the ODMHA. “It shows that we have done a lot of things right over the last three years, but the job’s not done yet,” he said. “There is still a lot of work to do to set up a permanent structure and a governance mechanism for the AAA league, and to ensure that every level below AAA melds as well as possible so that all players develop and enjoy hockey at their appropriate skill level,” he said.

The vote by the ODMHA makes AAA hockey permanent starting in the 2010-11 season. Over the coming months, the ODMHA will revise its operating procedures to incorporate the new AAA league into a permanent structure, establishing policies on affiliations, governance of AAA zones, and other issues that must be addressed. One of the top priorities will be to make changes to ensure that the Major Midget level remains viable. Several teams, including the Wild, have struggled to retain 16- and 17-year old players, since they have the option of playing junior hockey starting at the age of 16.

“The challenges started immediately after the vote today and will keep us busy until the puck is ready to drop on our new season,” said Baird.