For many years, the Oro 77s were a fixture in Junior C hockey in the Georgian Bay region.

Starting in September, the 77s will once again awake from a lengthy hockey slumber when the newly minted Oro-Medonte 77s will begin play in the 13-team Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL).

“Basically, we’re bringing back the Oro 77s team that was lost in 1992 and we’re moving it up to the Tier 2 Junior-A level,” said Jeff Stack, the team’s Chief Executive Officer and General Manager.

Oro-Medonte Township native Mark Cardiff is working closely with Stack as team president and chief financial officer.

The team received approval from the GMHL about four weeks ago to operate a franchise starting with the 2008-2009 season.

“We had our draft last week and now, things are ready to go for this fall,” said Stack.

Players from both Canada and the United States were selected at the draft, held in Shelburne.

Among those selected by the 77s was Orillia midget-age player Jason Leigh.

Stack said the team is currently interviewing candidates for position of head coach and an official announcement will be made in the very near future.

In discussions with Cardiff over the past six months, Stack talked about the history of the Oro 77s during the Jr. C days and the heated battles between Oro and Innisfil.

With the Innisfil Lakers entering the GMHL in 2007, the pair felt the time was right to re-ignite that rivalry.

“With Innisfil in the league, it seemed like a perfect fit. We started asking questions around town and talked to the mayor of Oro-Medonte Township and the president of the Oro-Medonte Minor Hockey Association and all those guys seemed to think it was a great idea,” said Stack.

Response from the local business community was strong, so the duo decided to make an application to the GMHL.

The team has gathered together a large number of sponsors, with Heidi’s RV Superstore providing major corporate support.

The GMHL now covers a wide geographical area, with teams in Elliot Lake in the north and teams as stretching as far east as the Belleville region.

On June 21, the team has a rookie camp scheduled for Barrie where teenagers will be evaluated.

“And we have about 44 players attending that camp,” said Stack.

While there will be players from outside Canada on the roster, Stack said the plan is to select as many Georgian Bay-based players as possible to boost local fan interest.

The team will play its games out of the Oro-Medonte Township Community Arena, located in Guthrie.

“We think it is a good arena to play in and hopefully it will help them push for a new sports complex in the new few years,” said Stack.