The Superior International Junior Hockey League is heading to Kenora.
Commissioner Bryan Graham said the potential ownership group is just waiting to finalize a lease agreement at the Keewatin Memorial Arena before the league’s sixth franchise becomes official.
Graham added it’s just a start for the Junior A circuit, saying he’d like to see the league grow to eight to 10 teams.
Graham said he and the ownership group, led by Thunder Bay’s Kevin McCallum and Kenora’s Kevin O’Flaherty, met last month with Kenora’s town council and said the SIJHL was welcomed with open arms.
The feeling was mutual, he said.
“It’s a great market, it’s the second-biggest market in Northwestern Ontario that doesn’t have junior hockey and it’s a great geographic fit.”
Graham said the plan is for the as-yet-unnamed team to begin play next season.
He added there are a number of reasons why the league, in its 15th year, has not ventured into Kenora until now, including the lack of an ownership group. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, Graham said.
“The people seem to really want it. I think there were some concerns in the past about the Kenora AAA midget program. Our franchise won’t touch that.”
The plan, rather than tapping 16- and 17-year olds, is to stock the new team’s roster with 18- to 20-year olds, Graham said.
“They can still affiliate with the Kenora AAA team, of course.”
The possibility of Kenora, situated six hours west of Thunder Bay, might join the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, to cut down on travel time.
The Kenora Thistles spent 14 years in the Manitoba Junior Hockey, ending their run in 1982 with a 12-35-1 record.
Graham downplayed any travel concerns.
“It’s not too bad. Right now Thunder Bay travels up to Ear Falls and it’s about the same distance. It’s going to be a great geographical fit for Dryden, Kenora and Fort Frances,” Graham said.
“From a fan's standpoint it’s going to be great to travel back and forth between the cities. And I think there’s a thirst for Junior A hockey, the numbers show in some of the polls that we’ve conducted around the town of Kenora.”
As for future expansion, Graham said it could be a mixture of communities that have had SIJHL teams in the past, as well as other south of the border.
At present the league has one American franchise, the Minnesota Iron Rangers, but has had teams in Spooner, Wisc. and Duluth in the past.
Marathon, Sioux Lookout and Schreiber have all hosted teams. In fact the Schreiber Diesels won the league championship in 2006-07.
“We don’t want to go too fast, too soon. We want to do our due diligence with all the markets and ownership groups that we speak with, make this league grow and make it a very competitive Junior A hockey league for the players and something for the fans to enjoy in the area,” Graham said.
Asked about the rumours of a possible second Thunder Bay team, Graham said he couldn’t comment at this time.
