Thunder Bay's minor hockey associations are merging. Officials say it's 'a great day for hockey'

Some big changes are underway in Thunder Bay minor hockey.

The Port Arthur Minor Hockey Association (PAMHA) announced this week that the Norwest Minor Hockey Association, Westfort Hockey Association, Thunder Bay Elks Hockey Association and KC Minor Hockey Association have all voted to merge.

Work is underway to see the merger finalized in time for the 2024-25 season.

"This is a great day for hockey in Thunder Bayand I'm really excited," PAMHA president Rob Nash said.

"Our hockey community is going to be working together like never before, and we're going to continue to build on this," he said. "There's still a lot of work to be done, but we look forward to making the registration more streamlined, hockey programming more efficient, volunteer opportunities easier and more streamlined, because we have a lot of duplication of efforts around the city."

PAMHA already included the Current River Comets, North End Flames, Westfort Maroons, Volunteer Pool Bearcatsand West End Bruins under its umbrella.

"We had a family moved from North Bay a few years ago, and they called me and said: 'Hey, how do we register for hockey?'" Nash said. "There weresix different places that the person could register their child for hockey.

"We were all doing the same thing, but we were doing it duplication sixtimes over. It didn't make sense, right?"

Nash said the merger will have other benefits, as well, as previously, the various minor hockey associations all had to sign their own ice contracts with the city.

"We're going to get that down to one nice contract for [players under age 13]," Nash said. "We can maximize how we're using that ice,and making sure thatevery hour is fully utilized."

Streamlining the system

Elks president Rob Tilsonsaid associations currently spend a lot of time dealing with registration and related matters.

"How much time you spend having to transfer players from [an] organization, release those players from [an] organization, make sure that the funds have been paid and then making sure the funds get transferred to the proper organization that the child happened to get drafted to, it's absolutely mind-boggling," he said.

Now, Tilson said, all organizations will have the same registration link.

"It's all going to go to one general Hockey Canada registration," he said. "From that, it's going to be so much simpler. The paperwork has been cut down tremendously."

It's going to be so much simpler. The paperwork has been cut down tremendously.- Rob Tilson, Elks president

Lex MacArthur, president of the Westfort Hockey Association, told CBC News in an email that the merger had been in the works for a long time.

"Over the past 15-20 years, multiple attempts have been made in several different shapes and forms to create a merged hockey association," he wrote. "A lot of work has gone into getting this agreement, and a lot of credit and thanks to Hockey Northwestern Ontario president Dean Filane and past president Jason Perrier for their efforts clearing hurdles to make this possible."

'The right time to make hockey better'

MacArthur said the new organization in its statement on Facebook, the PAMHA said all the associations will work together to come up with a new name will incorporate best practices from all the associations.

"There is a lot of work to do building policies and the program we will deliver, a process Westfort Hockey Association is excited to be a part of building with our partners under one banner."

PAMHA stated on Facebook that all new member associations will continue running their own constitutions, boardsand teams, and Hockey Northwestern Ontario will remain in place as the new organization's governing body.

"I used to coach on the Port Arthur side, Iplayed hockey on the Port Arthur side," Tilson said. "I know their organization, and I fully respect everything that they do over there.

"It was the right time to make hockey better. I'm thrilled to be a part of this, because this is the best thing to happen to hockey in Thunder Bay."