It\u2019s that time of year again: hockey time. The ice is ready and team tryouts and registrations are taking place. For local girls, the options are better than ever.<\/p>\n
Female hockey in North America is booming and the Huntsville Girls Hockey Association is proud to be part of the movement. The Huntsville Girls Hockey Association (HGHA) was founded in 1972 with only one competitive youth team. In the mid-1980s, the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) was formed and HGHA was one of the first associations to join. The Huntsville Senior Women’s competitive team, one of the longest existing teams in the OWHA, has continued to compete over the years and has won two provincial championships, most recently in 2016.<\/p>\n
In 2012, youth girls were looking for an opportunity to play hockey, so the Huntsville Sting Peewee B team was formed. This team of girls continued on to play at the Bantam BB level the following season but did not continue after that. Some of these girls went on to play higher-level hockey \u2013 which HGHA was not able to offer \u2013 in other centres, including Ashley Ferrante and Charley Wing, who both play for the North Bay Ice Boltz Women’s Midget AA team. (Read more about Ferrante and Wing below.)<\/p>\n
In February 2014, the Canadian Women’s Hockey team won the Olympic Gold. That fall, girls were calling wanting to join hockey in Huntsville but, unfortunately, there were not enough players to start a team in any of the age divisions.<\/p>\n
Then, in 2015, Huntsville hosted the National U18 Women’s Championship which put a spotlight on women’s hockey for the entire community. Enough players were interested at the start of the 2015 hockey season to form three Huntsville Sting girls\u2019 house league teams. With the support of the local minor association, they were granted special permission by the OWHA and OMHA (Ontario Minor Hockey Association) to play in the local minor hockey house league loop for one year.<\/p>\n
The Huntsville Girls Hockey Association received funding from Hockey Canada and the OWHA which allowed them to host local women’s hockey development programs to help attract new players to the game. By the end of the 2015 season, the HGHA had five girls\u2019 house league teams.<\/p>\n
In 2016, with the assistance of OWHA, Huntsville Sting teams were granted a one year trial to play in the Simcoe-Muskoka girls\u2019 house league loop. The HGHA has now been granted permanent membership in the league.<\/p>\n
Huntsville Sting House League welcomes every girl who wants to play hockey<\/strong><\/p>\n As the opening of the 2017 season approaches, HGHA currently has over 100 girls registered to make eight girls\u2019 house league teams. Girls start as early as age four in Bumble Bees. At this age, players will focus on the development of skating and hockey skills in a fun and encouraging environment. The teams go up to Senior with some divisions having two teams (one yellow, the other black).<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, we are not able to offer competitive teams at this time, as our house league program is still early in its inception,\u201d said Kerri Vallentin, HGHA Tournament Director and executive member on its Board of Directors. \u201cThe HGHA would like to grow into a competitive program eventually, however our current objective is to have a place for every girl who wants to play hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n Presently, the HGHA\u2019s focus is mainly on creating an interest and love for the sport, along with teaching players the fundamentals of the game and developing basic skills.<\/p>\n We are trying to build the association to create a lasting girls\u2019 hockey program for the community. It has taken years to get where we are but hopefully the success will last for years to come.
\nKerri Vallentin, HGHA Tournament Director<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t