Next season the Okanagan Hockey Academy Female Prep team will play in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.
The move keeps them in Canada, where coach Jim Fetter said they will play the best teams, but a bigger factor is this will cut down travel costs from playing in the Junior Women’s Hockey League.
“It’s crazy,” said Fetter of the amount of money spent in the U.S because of the exchange rate with the dropping Canadian dollar. “It’s going to be a pretty significant saving. We’re able to do more for our dollar.”
The change will also mean more games in Penticton and they will also host a showcase weekend every season. In a press release, Fetter said they are excited with the new teams added to the CSSHL with Edge School, Notre Dame Hounds, the Pursuit of Excellence and Warner School. Existing CSSHL members, Banff Hockey Academy, Northern Alberta Xtreme and Shawnigan Lake School will also be included, with divisional alignments yet to be determined.
The OHA Female Prep team played its final games in the JWHL earlier this month.
The OHA squad went 1-3-0 in their playoffs in Buffalo March 4-6. Fetter said playing in the JWHL was good for the team in the past, but now that there are stronger teams in Western Canada, it is a great time for them to move forward. Fetter said looking at the JWHL, the better teams mostly come from Canada.
“I think it’s going to be a lot stronger,” said Fetter of the CSSHL, as Notre Dame and Edge finished first and second in their JWHL Major Junior North division. “You look at some of the teams in the JW, that we’re playing, they are kind of weak. Overall I think there is going to be a lot more parity.”
Fetter also said players will get more exposure. The OHA Prep coach has spoken to U.S. college coaches about whether they would still scout their games and the response was positive.
“They can’t wait to watch,” he said.
The OHA Female Prep team will be looking for its next set of players during a development showcase from March 31 to April 3 in Penticton. This is open to players born in 1998-2002.