Vipers embrace GOJHL realignment

The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey league is dropping from three conferences to two for the upcoming season. The names of the conference will be determined at a later date.

“Realignment is something that the GOJHL has been looking at for the past few seasons," said interim commissioner Tim Simmons. "Going to two conferences makes the regular season significantly more important and it also eliminates the three team round robin that was in place for the last three seasons”.

In essence, the Midwestern Conference has been divided with the top four teams from last season moving to what was the Western Conference (Listowel, Stratford, Elmira and K-W) while the bottom four teams enter the Golden Horseshoe (Ayr, Cambridge, Brantford and Caledon).

LaSalle Vipers general manager John Nelson applauds the move. "I think it's a positive thing for the league," Nelson told Powerplay Sports. "One of the things that probably goes against us is we've got to take the bus a little bit more but I think it's exciting for the kids."

GOJHL teams will continue playing a 50-game schedule with the top eight teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs.

"It's going to strengthen our division and make it tougher to make the playoffs now," Nelson said. "I think it's going to improve the competitiveness. I think coaches are going to get better because of it and I think it's going to add another element to our league and for our fans."

LaSalle finished 4th in the Western Conference this past season with a 30-19 record. They beat Chatham in the first round of playoffs before bowing out to London in five games the following round.

Training camp is expected to start sometime in mid-August.