Youth hockey players in Innisfil will have a choice of where they play this year.

The fledgling Young Crusaders league is offering youngsters one option, while the long-established Innisfil Minor Hockey Association (IMHA) will be going full tilt, albeit with some modifications, says Fred Lee, IMHA president.   And there is also the Lefroy minor league.

Declining enrolment numbers, mostly due to demographic factors, along with some internal rifts within the former IMHA hierarchy, have led to the new league being born.

“The predicament our association found itself in 2007-2008 is we had to spend more than anticipated in ice time fees because the MURF (new recreation centre in Barclay) wasn’t ready,” Lee says. “We were forced to purchase expensive ice outside of our community.”

There was also scuttlebutt the IMHA wasn’t offering a house league program in 2008-2009, too.
Not so, says Lee.

“The IMHA is offering programs for all age groups and all levels of play for the 2008-2009 season. Those who did not make rep teams, or chose not to tryout, will be playing in the Simcoe Region Local League Loop. With our current registration numbers, it would be difficult for the IMHA to run an in-house program effectively.

“Because of the low numbers, we will have two Tyke teams, three Novice and four Atom and Peewee teams in a travelling house league. We’ve been forced to do this as a business – we can’t offer two or three team house leagues. We are offering Tyke to Midget locally, but through the travelling house league with teams from Lefroy and Thornton.

Meanwhile, the fledgling Crusaders league, which starts its registrations at the Lefroy arena Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon will have teams in the Tyke to Peewee age groups.

Lee said moving some IMHA players into the Simcoe Region league will improve skills.

“All teams will play 26 regular season games as well as playoffs and practices. More ice time equals more development.”

Competition for local ice time remains fierce, Lee admits.

“We’re also competing with the Barrie Knights hockey league who buy Innisfil ice for their association,” Lee says.

Regardless, the IMHA remains “the primary user of ice in Innisfil. We’re proud to be affiliated under the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) that allows us many privileges as a club, such as insurance for players, tournament opportunities, events and opportunities for its members to achieve a higher level of play. Both the OMHA and the IMHA are not-for-profit groups. All money comes through fundraising, sponsorship and members.
 

There’s another challenging factor at work, too, Lee says.

“Fundraising has died off at the league level,” he says. “We are looking at scenarios such as a car raffle and the IMHA has a newly formed Parents’ Auxiliary working towards lowering fees for its membership. In a business sense, this is what we have to do to grow. Our new executive has set goals and we don’t see any reason we can’t get back to where we were two or three years ago.

“We anticipate the 2008-2009 registration will be low because some people may not understand what we’re doing, or may not want to travel,” Lee says.

For more information, visit www.innisfilminorhockey.com For information on the Young Crusaders League visit www.youngcrusadershockey.com