By / SAM LASKARIS
Now there’s just one junior hockey franchise operating out of St. Michael’s Arena in Toronto.
The St. Michael’s Buzzers, members of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, continue to call the rink home.
In previous seasons, the Buzzers had to compete for attention with the St. Michael’s Majors, who participated in the Ontario Hockey League. Since the OHL is a step above the Provincial loop, which is a Junior A Tier II circuit, the Buzzers were the ones playing second fiddle to the Majors most seasons.
The Majors, have now moved slightly west of Toronto and are playing out of the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. The franchise, which is run by Ottawa Senators’ owner Eugene Melnyk, has retained part of its moniker though and is now called the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.
To make room for the Majors, the Hershey Centre’s previous main tenants, the OHL’s Mississauga IceDogs, were sold and moved out of town. The Niagara IceDogs are now playing out of the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines.
As for the Buzzers, they’ve already benefited from the Majors’ departure. That’s because the local cable station, Rogers Television, has signed on to broadcast all of the Buzzers’ Friday night home games.
Last season the Buzzers posted an impressive 33-9-7-0 campaign. But the squad failed to win its third consecutive league championship.
Early indications are the St. Michael’s side will also be a force this season. The Buzzers won five out of their first seven regular season contests and were occupying second place in the league’s nine-team South Conference.
While the Buzzers are now the lone franchise operating out of their rink, junior hockey fans in North York have yet another possible team to cheer for.
That’s because there are now three Provincial league clubs based out of North York, a former city which is now part of Toronto.
Just two years ago, the North York Rangers were the lone representatives of their amalgamated city. The Rangers play out of the Herb Carnegie Centennial Centre.
Then last season the Wexford Raiders moved from Scarborough and into North York.
That franchise, which plays out of Chesswood Arenas, is called the Toronto Junior Canadiens.
And now the Villanova Knights have also arrived in North York. This franchise, which was previously known as the Toronto Thunderbirds and had taken a one-year leave of absence from the league last season, had been based in Etobicoke, situated in Toronto’s west end.
The Knights’ home rink is the Canlan Ice Sports facility, located on the grounds of York University.
The Rangers and Junior Canadiens both compete in the league’s South Conference. The Knights though are one of nine entrants in the North Conference.
As for the Thunderbirds’ old home, Westwood Arena, it once again has a Provincial league side as a tenant. That’s because the Streetsville Derbys, who played host to the 2006 Royal Bank Cup, have left their former digs (Vic Johnston Arena) behind.
Despite leaving the southern portion of Mississauga and moving into Etobicoke, the franchise did not undergo a name change. |