Appeal hearing held for minor hockey issues

The saga of minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie continued on Tuesday evening.

As a battle over release forms came to a head, the Northern Ontario Hockey Association ruled that players wishing to try out for a trio of Sault Minor Hockey Association teams can do so.

The issue at hand was players looking to try out for Sault Minor’s AA teams at the Major Atom and AA Minor and Major Peewee levels were not being released by the Soo Pee Wee Hockey League to try out.

In order to try out for the teams, the Soo Pee Wee Hockey League needed to sign release forms allowing the respective players to participate in the tryouts.

An appeals hearing was held on Tuesday with members of the NOHA present and the decision was handed down shortly after the meeting.

Tuesday’s appeal hearing was scheduled to have three separate hearings, one for each level but during the initial hearing, which was at 6 p.m. involving the atom group, it was decided that the two hearings for the peewee levels was not required because no new evidence was going to be provided in those hearings.

Following the hearing, a report sent by NOHA President John Jamieson to both the Soo Peewee Hockey League and Sault Major stated “that releases be given to the players wishing to try out for the Sault Major Atom AA, Minor Peewee AA and Major Peewee AA teams.”

In coming to the decision, the report stated “the appeal committee heard evidence presented from both parties. The panel believes that a player should have an opportunity to play at the highest level possible, which Sault Major Hockey Association provides.”

Both groups have the ability to appeal the decision, which would go through the Ontario Hockey Federation at this point. An appeal with the OHF would need to be filed within 15 days of the letter being sent to both groups, which was Tuesday.

Sault Minor Hockey runs under the Sault Major Hockey Association and represents AA and AAA teams at the Atom and Peewee levels.