The hockey seasons in all leagues are well underway by now. The Giants are flying in the UK, the Flyers are sinking in the NHL and there has been enough to go around for everyone on the televisions. Still for me there is always something missing during hockey season until I actually get to a game. For me the season isn’t properly underway yet. It doesn’t matter what the game is, be in the Elite Ice Hockey League or the National Hockey League, live hockey at the arena/rink is better than live T.V. hockey. Tonight therefore my hockey season gets underway Ontario Hockey League style.

Tonight I’m off to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga to see the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors play. Quite the nameful huh? I’ve been to the arena once before and a I cycle past it on my way home from work everyday. The last time I was there was to watch the Mississauga Ice Dogs, the home team at the time. They have since been re-located to Niagara / St. Catherines as the Niagara Ice Dogs while the St. Michaels Majors have moved in from Toronto. The moving of teams is a hot topic and maybe I’ll voice my views on that at a later date. The interesting point is that it is Niagara who the Majors play tonight!

Anyway, that previous time I was there I bought an Ice Dogs jersey and figured in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) they would be my team since they were in Mississauga. I have also since seen them down in St.Catherines, but as a new resident of Mississauga and looking for a minor team to latch onto and go to games, the St. Michaels definately are an easier catch than a team way down in St. Catherines now but with them actually being the away team ironically I will get to see them. Who do I support? Maybe whoever wins will gain my support!

We’ll see what tonights game brings.

The Ontario Hockey League

For those unaware of the OHL, it is one of three major Junior leagues in Canada — the others being the Western Hockey League (WHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). It is an Under 20’s league that carries the most talented under 20 players in North America (aside from those that chose to go down the US College NCAA route) before they make the big jump to the NHL. Most of the top NHL players came through these Junior leagues before being drafted by an NHL team. A lot of the imports playing for the Belfast Giants also came through these leagues but never quite made the NHL.

The OHL is made up of 20 teams of 4 divisions over 2 conferences (East and West) in Ontario.

With the North American culture being about Junior leagues to develop players rather than the British football culture of signing 12 year olds and developing them through the clubs acadamy it means leagues like the OHL are awash with future talents.

I have to say, I prefer this style. It means the players talents are honed independantly until they are 18 when they put themselves into the NHL draft in the hopes one team will select them. The theory of the draft being that the worst team one year gets the first pick of the talent pool in the hopes of oneday stocking up on good young players to eventually become good.

The NHL teams can then send their young talent back to his junior league until he is twenty years of age before deciding to bring him on into the professional ranks or letting him go.

The OHL, like the NHL drafts its 16 year old players out of even younger youth leagues in the hopes of winning with them until they become old enough to make the next step up to the professional ranks.

The downside of supporting these teams is that you never have a star player for too long. If he is exceptionally good he will leave you for the pro’s at 18 but even if he isn’t and baring the few over-agers the league allows he will leave at age 20. But thinking about it the Belfast Giants rarely kept a player around for more than a few years anyway and theres something fun about getting to know new players on a team each year. It keeps things fresh and means that no one team will dominate year after year with the same core of players.

Mississauga St. Mikes Majors

The St. Mihaels Majors play in the Eastern Conference in the Central Division and are currently 4th in their 5 team division with 5 wins and 4 defeats through only 9 games. Niagara are 5th in the same division with just 3 wins and 7 defeats and 1 overtime loss in their 12 games.

So that is your introduction to Major Junior hockey in Canada and the kind of hockey I am going to see tonight. It may be a far cry from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL but in reality for some of the kids on the ice tonight, that level may only be a year or two away.

Here is hoping my first hockey game of the season is a good one.

Category: My Journal » OHL Hockey |

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