Hamilton

The Cambridge Winter Hawks are ready for a bold move.

Should a proposed restructuring of the Ontario Hockey Association come to fruition, the Winter Hawks would attempt to leave the Midwestern Junior Hockey League - which would no longer exist anyway - and join a Premier League, which would resemble the current Junior A hockey league (also known as tier II), but with fewer teams.

First, the upheaval of the current junior system of four different leagues would have to go through. Under a proposal directed by OHA vice-chairman John Kopinak, the organization would eliminate the classification of the 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' leagues, and replace it with a Premier League, and a first and second division league.

The Premier teams would compete for the Canadian junior A championship, while the first division would compete for the Sutherland Cup and the second division for the Schmalz Cup, which now goes to the junior C champs.

Talk of reorganization started during last season and it was decided after the OHA's annual general meeting that it would be studied further. The change is currently scheduled for the 2010-11 season.

The OHA has already agreed to let tier II teams form a league of elite teams for the upcoming season on a one-year trial basis.

Cambridge Winter Hawks director of hockey operations and associate general manager Bruce Schlitt confirmed the proposed restructuring of the junior divisions and that a move to the suggested Premier League isn't out of the question.

"We certainly meet all the criteria," Schlitt said, noting that teams would probably have to submit an application and decisions would be based such things as attendance, location of the team, home facilities, team success and success in moving players to the next level of hockey.

"It's a big decision and I'm sure we'd take a lot of time to discuss it, and we'd decide which way to go. I think right now it's too early in the process to make a decision.

"I will say that we have the facility, the fan support and the success the last 10 years, and we would make a great franchise for the premier division.

Team president John Hamilton went one step further, saying it's a move that the Winter Hawks would take under heavy consideration. He added that former director of hockey operations Peter Brill was involved in discussions about realignment during the season and that the Winter Hawks were asked to join the elite league for the one-year trial basis.

"We were approached when the proposal was in its infancy and we took a pass (on the elite league trial)," Hamilton said.

"It sounded like a maverick idea at the time because Brent Ladds (OHA president) wasn't even on side with it. The OHA finally did get behind it, but for Cambridge to leave the Midwest league it would be huge and drastic, so we decided to see how things played out."

But that doesn't mean they wouldn't move up when the time came.

"We'd definitely be interested, so we'll investigate it as this season plays out," Hamilton said.

"They want us because they like our rink and our fan support, and we want to be in the premier league. Not to sound arrogant, but we always thought we were a premier type of team anyway.

"The benefit is that we would have the best players and we would also attract the best players. We already have the best coach and Bigsy (Greg Bignell) is more committed than ever."

While there are positives to Cambridge moving up, the downside is the team budget will more than likely go up. Kopinak told media that one of the criteria for admission to the elite league this season is a budget in the $300,000 range. Hamilton said that is more than the Winter Hawks operate on right now.

"I'd say the budget is a concern, but not an insurmountable obstacle. I think the sponsors, who are very strong for us, might be willing to step up, and the ticket prices would probably have to go up. But I guess we'd have to find out if the city wants this first."

While Cambridge has shown interest, Schlitt said he could see other Midwest teams thriving in the Premier League.

"When all is said and done, the Midwest has strong franchises and I can't imagine a Premier League can exist without at least one of us. I've always thought that the Junior B teams are better than most of the tier II teams. The league is so top heavy that it's been watered down," Schlitt said.

Hamilton agreed, but wasn't sure what teams could actually make the jump financially.

"The price tag alone I think would eliminate Kitchener, Waterloo and Elmira."

Should Cambridge not make it to the Premier League, Schlitt said it would be interesting to see what life in the first division (Cambridge would be a shoo-in) would be like.

"It will be a big change," he said.

"There will be a lot more teams and the nine-team Midwest league will not exist under the new format."

Though the details of the proposed change are not set in stone, Schlitt said something will happen, even if the restructuring doesn't end up coinciding with the current vision.

"Just from the vibes I get from the OHA, I get the feeling this is going to happen, whether it's in 2010-11 or 2011-12. This is something that won't come overnight, but at the AGM they recognized that huge change is needed and want to go forward. I agree with that.

"This will stop all the player poaching and show a clear division between the leagues. We never minded losing kids to the OHL because it meant that they were bettering themselves, but losing a kid to tier II wasn't a better opportunity for them. Eight of the six kids we lost to tier II came back because they wanted to. They leave getting promised scholarships and end up getting nothing."