THUNDER BAY — The escalating cost of travel is among the reasons the highest-profile minor hockey organization in northwestern Ontario has chosen to join leagues closer to home than Toronto.
The Thunder Bay Kings this month announced a partnership with the Northern Ontario AAA Hockey League (NOHL) and the Great North U18AAA League (GNML) effective in the 2025/2026 season.
The Kings U13AAA and U15AAA teams will play against teams from North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie, while the U16AAA squad will compete with nine teams in the Great North League, where both U16 and U18 teams play against each other.
The Kings U18AAA team will remain in the Greater Toronto Hockey League next season, but will also play exhibition contests against some of the northeastern Ontario teams as they travel to Thunder Bay.
"Over the next three years and pending approval by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada, the Kings will work with the NOHL and GNML to establish a strong hockey program that reduces costs, continues to be competitive and brings games closer to home," the club stated in a press release.
It said the move followed a parent survey last fall, and a lengthy review of both its development program and competitive play.
In an interview Tuesday, Kings president Brent Rau said the rising cost of air travel to Toronto has become a problem, so much so that the organization sent just two teams (U15 and U18) instead of four to the GTHL this season.
"It just got to the point where we had to look at our families, and try to find something a bit more cost-effective. We started looking at alternatives. Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay and Sudbury and so on, they're all northern communities, and we thought it would be a perfect relationship with them. There are still Ontario Hockey League teams in those communities, and it's a league that still gets kids drafted into the OHL."
Over the last two years, 25 GNML players were drafted by OHL clubs.
Rau added that it was tough to get GTHL teams to come to Thunder Bay, but the Kings will gradually be getting some home games against teams from the NOHL and GNML.
He said the Kings organization is committed to the development of its players, and is focused not just on winning games but also on cultivating well-rounded athletes who can handle the challenges of competitive hockey and life.
"We believe that by participating in these leagues, we better meet our regional family needs, including strong development, reduced costs, continued exposure, and an opportunity to enjoy watching our players right here in Thunder Bay."
