Windsor, LaSalle hockey associations explore merger due to competition and enrolment issues
Proposed union would take effect for the 2025-2026 season
Windsor Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) and LaSalle Minor Hockey Association (LMHA) are exploring a merger that, if approved, would start in the 2025-2026 season.
The presidents for both associations said it's due to declining enrolment since COVID-19 and a push to be more competitive outside of the Bluewater Hockey League where they both play.
WMHA has roughly 730 kids currently signed up. LaSalle is at 890.
Windsor president Kipp Van Kuren said although the association has started to climb back, numbers are still down.
"We're holding steady … gained a significant amount of numbers since the COVID-era of hockey," he said. "But, in general, enrolment across the league here in Bluewater and across Canada is down."
Age groups around the U11 level were "definitely affected," according to Van Kuren, because those are the years the kids would have been starting out in hockey when the pandemic hit.
He said it's difficult to compete with teams across Ontario that have a denser population and larger pool to draw from.
"Burlington, Oakville … they have a similar population to us, but they end up with very few centres … maybe two centres in their population base, and they are able to draw from 1,500 to 2,000 kids. When we put our representative [travel] teams together, we're drawing from a much smaller base."
He said the idea is to create one association that can compete with anyone across the province, while providing a positive experience for kids and their families.
LMHA president Mike Seguin said talk of similar mergers are going on across Ontario.
"The Ontario Minor Hockey Association is actually promoting these mergers because smaller centres are having a more difficult time competing," he said.
"Our boards function and are structured similarly. We just have a good overall relationship with Windsor Minor hockey. The geographic location is very good as well, since we border each other."
Bluewater Hockey League is made up of teams from Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent — with most ages and levels divided into roughly eight or nine teams.
'Not everybody's playing hockey'
Seguin said lower enrolment in hockey shouldn't come as a shock to people as population demographics continue to shift.
"Where people are coming from — as far as newcomers, immigration and competing programs — not everybody's playing hockey," he said.
Van Kuren said he's working on a program to team up with centres that help new Canadians and immigrant families.
"One of them is to provide a learn to play experience for some of their youth groups that would allow them to come out with some of our players and coaches to play floor hockey and then go for some free skating."
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He said sponsorship dollars and equipment have been secured and that they're just waiting on insurance.
"Hockey is an expensive sport," Van Kuren added.
What would a new association look like?
A proposed structure of travel and house league teams has not been solidified, however, both presidents said there will be plenty of ice and opportunity available.
Van Kuren said the creation of a new association means one isn't absorbing the other, and that a new logo and name would be established.
"This is not a takeover," he added.
"We haven't had any discussions on what the association name would be, but we did have an agreement in our talks prior to the meeting that whatever we came up with, whatever the name of the association, the colours, the jerseys, that we would honour both associations with a patch on each shoulder. One being [LaSalle] Sabres, one being [Windsor] Jr. Spitfires."
He pointed to the recent inaugural year for the Talbot Trail Blazers, which was a merger between South Point and Essex Minor Hockey.
"They've had great success. They have a new logo, a new name, and the families are very happy with the new association."
An information session was held in Windsor on Tuesday with another one planned over the next few weeks, according to both presidents.
It's expected the associations will get to formally vote on the merger in April.