Antigonish officials, Hockey N.S. look for solutions

aNtiGoNiSH Antigonish minor hockey officials are reviewing information from a meeting with Hockey Nova Scotia in an effort to bridge the gap between the two sides regarding the overhaul of female hockey in the province.

On Thursday, the Antigonish Minor Hockey Association issued the following statement to its members:

“The External Female Committee and representatives of Antigonish Minor Hockey met with Executive Director Darren Cossar and head of HNS Garth Isenor on Tuesday evening in Antigonish to deal with the issues of female hockey in Antigonish.

“The meeting was productive, and covered many issues involving the female hockey players in Antigonish. Discussions are ongoing to work out the details of a possible agreement as expeditiously as possible.”

Cossar said Hockey Nova Scotia would have no comment while the process is in the discussion stage.

HNS decided two years ago to restructure how female hockey is administered. The sport’s governing body divided the province into six zones so that female teams would be formed within those regional areas instead of within Nova Scotia’s 33 individual minor hockey associations.

Under that plan AMHA female players would join the Fundy Highland zone, which stretches from the Canso Causeway to Colchester County. But in August parents voted 96.2 per cent in favour of remaining in Antigonish.

Frank Isherwood, a longtime hockey coach who helped established the first female program in the Antigonish area more than 20 years ago, said after Tuesday’s meeting “we were quite positive something would come out of it that would be accepting.”

Isherwood said there were outstanding issues that would have to be part of an agreement: a financial discount, a house league development program, a weekly skills session and retaining the Antigonish Bulldogs logo and moniker.