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Breaking up with their governing body might be hard to do for the Cambridge Winter Hawks, a lawyer for the Ontario Hockey Association says.
If the Jr. B Winter Hawks intend to help launch a new Tier 2 Jr. A hockey league, the team would have to get approval first from the OHA, the same governing body the team has chosen to sever ties with, Bill Markle said.
“The OHA has jurisdiction over Jr. A hockey in this part of Ontario. (The Winter Hawks’ owner) just couldn’t go out and create a league without it getting sanctioned approval.”
Earlier this week, Winter Hawks owner Joe Machado announced his intention to yank his team effective immediately from the OHA and its league, the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, in order to achieve reclassification.
The path to reclassification for the GOJHL has proven to be a long and frustrating road, taking years so far and with no resolution in sight.
Machado told the Cambridge Times on Thursday he wants his new league, which may also include Jr. C teams, to remain within Hockey Canada’s jurisdiction. But that means getting the OHA’s approval, Markle said. Jumping to an “outlaw” league, one not sanctioned by Hockey Canada, is not an option, Machado said.
Chuck Williams, commissioner of the GOJHL, said he did not yet wish to comment on the matter, although it is believed Machado is not taking any members of that league out of the OHA with him.
On Wednesday, Machado also suggested he may launch legal action against the OHA following his three-year investigation into the organization’s practices.
In text messages to The Record earlier this week, Machado wrote that the Winter Hawks’ decision was not based alone on the OHA’s continued actions to block the 27-member GOJHL, which includes the Elmira Sugar Kings, the Waterloo Siskins and the Kitchener Dutchmen, from reclassifying.
“This is a Cambridge initiative and runs far deeper than the reclassification matter,” he wrote in his text.
“(Machado) has made it clear that this is a (financial) matter,” said Markle, in discussions with Machado for six months before the Winter Hawks decided to cut ties with the OHA.
“He’s been very honest about it.”
Machado has said if his franchise were deemed Jr. A, it would immediately increase the value of his team.
The OHA would be amenable to renewing Machado’s application for membership, Markle said. It has issued Machado a noon deadline Friday for renewal.
Although they don’t yet appear to have a league to play in next season, the Winter Hawks will hold their spring prospects camp at the Cambridge Sports Park this weekend.