Fewer games for girls: Hockey P.E.I. faces criticism for provincial tournament format
Boys will get to play a full round robin, but girls might have no more than 1 game
Some young players say they're being iced out by Hockey P.E.I. because of the format it has chosen for its provincial championships this weekend.
While the championship tournament for boys' teams is set to follow its usual structure — a round robin with each team guaranteed to play at least three games on the way to crowning a winner — some of the girls' teams will play just one game.
Leilah Batchilder, who plays left wing for the Three Rivers Titans U18A team, said she was disappointed, upset and angry when she learned of the changes.
"I don't think it's fair at all that the boys got what they always normally get, but the girls just randomly got changed this year for all of the divisions — not just U18," she said.
"I've played girls' hockey for the majority of my life. I started when I was four years old here in this rink," she said, standing inside the Cavendish Wellness Centre in Montague, which is one of her team's home rinks.
"Hockey's all about making friendships and having fun, and just to see that we were kind of pushed aside is not OK."
Hockey P.E.I. response
In a written statement provided to CBC News, Hockey P.E.I. said the decision to adjust the format for this year's tournament was not made lightly.
"With fewer teams in the female stream, applying the same format as the co-ed divisions... often resulted in a scenario where only a small number of teams missed out on provincials," the statement said.
"Our intent was never to take away from the incredible efforts of these young athletes," it added.
Unfortunately, just 72 hours before the Weekend of Champions is set to begin, a volume of concerns are now being expressed upon seeing the schedule.— Hockey P.E.I. statement
"The idea was to give regular-season games more meaning, allowing the teams that qualified through their performance during the season to come together in one location and compete for a championship banner."
The statement said the number of games to be played in the tournament was communicated throughout the season — first to minor hockey presidents and team managers in October, and then more widely through the organization's website and Facebook page in January.
"Unfortunately, just 72 hours before the Weekend of Champions is set to begin, a volume of concerns are now being expressed upon seeing the schedule," the statement reads.
'Not a good enough reason'
For some players, Hockey P.E.I.'s rationale behind the changes made to the tournament's structure doesn't hold water.
"To us, that's not a good enough reason to only give us one game," said Bridget McCarthy, who plays left defence for the Three Rivers Titans U18A team.
"We just want one last hurrah, but we only get one game… We've worked our butts off to get here, and all of a sudden it's been taken away from us."
McCarthy said the chance to battle it out in the tournament process for the championship banner or medal with her team is the whole reason she plays hockey, and changing that sends a message: "We're not worth the time."
Maria MacConnell, who plays centre and captains the Three River Titans U18A team, agrees.
"We were fully expecting the full round-robin tournament with three guaranteed games… just like the boys," she said. "It really isn't fair, and that's all we ask for is to be treated the same."
As a graduating player, MacConnell said the one game she plays this weekend could be her last.
"The message it sends is... we aren't valuable enough to be treated the same," she said.
While the tournament isn't what some players were expecting, Batchilder said she has a message for all the young players on the girls' teams who will be playing this weekend.
"Just don't give up. Yes, you might only have one guaranteed game, but at the end of the day if you go out and give it your all, maybe that will just bring you guys a little bit of joy."
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With files from Taylor O'Brien