MJHL option out for next season

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League has expressed interest in having teams from Fort Frances, Dryden, and Kenora join it for the 2005-06 season.
“I know our league has had some negotiations, well . . . interested talks,” said Trent Ward, an MJHL governor. “We haven’t seen a formal application, there’s been discussion.
“As far as formally saying no, our league hasn’t said that,” Ward stressed. “I think our league is very interested in the possibility.”
Since formal applications have yet to be submitted, don’t expect the local Borderland Thunder to join the MJHL in time for the 2004-05 season.
“Our constitution lays out timing for things of this nature,” said MJHL commissioner Kim Davis. “The deadline for that has passed.”
Even if there were no deadlines set, it wouldn’t be practical for the MJHL to consider accepting new teams now, he said.
There are too many steps to go through, even for an existing team, noted Davis, though stressing the league is not opposed to the idea of having an Ontario-based team play join.
Before considering a move to the MJHL, the longest running junior ‘A’ league in Canada, the Thunder first must get permission from Hockey Northwestern Ontario.
“They just can’t take a team from Ontario and go play in Manitoba,” SIJHL commissioner Harvey Fedell said last week. “Manitoba won’t accept them if they haven’t got approval.
“I can’t see Hockey Northwestern Ontario giving permission for them to go because there’s a league for them to play in here,” he added.
Hockey Northwestern Ontario would not comment on the situation and instead redirected questions to SIJHL president J.P. Heino, who was unavailable for comment.
The Couchiching band council held a meeting Monday evening and did discuss the future of the Thunder, said Chief Chuck McPherson, though adding nothing will be made public at this time.
Thunder general manager Brent Tookenay also could not be reached for comment, but had said two weeks ago that a move to the MJHL was something the Couchiching-owned team definitely was pursuing.
The SIJHL will hold its annual meeting and awards banquet May 30 at the NorWester hotel in Thunder Bay. Topics to be discussed at that meeting include league expansion.
Kenora has been mentioned as a town interested in joining the SIJHL, but reports out of there instead have identified a committee looking to bid for a team in the MJHL.