The Nanaimo Islanders want to create the right kind of hockey league for all players.
The city’s women’s hockey association is making a change for next season, splitting its house league into recreational and competitive divisions. The Islanders already had intermediate and veteran travel teams, but now there will be a place for players who just want to play good, competitive hockey close to home.
“We have a house rule where you’ve got to let people that aren’t as strong have the puck, and play down a little bit…” said Jackie Oncescu, Islanders president. “We are seeing an interest in more competitive hockey in Nanaimo.”
It’s important, she said, for the Islanders to be able to provide good games for some of the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association’s graduates.
“If we don’t create a little bit more of a competitive space for some of them to play at home, they have nowhere to go,” Oncescu said. “Our house league, in the recreational division, it just doesn’t meet their needs.”
The league is asking players to register this spring, rather than in the fall, so it has an idea about the interest level in the new division.
The 2016-17 season is still a few months away, but already the Islanders are looking forward to it, as it will be their 20th anniversary season. Oncescu said 10 years ago, the association had about 30 players, and now that number has grown to 130.
“So we are seeing an increase in women of all ages that have played in the past that are returning, some that used to skate in figure or power skating that want to learn hockey, and some other athletes that just want to give this a go,” she said. “So we’ve got a mix of women.”
ICE CHIPS … The Islanders are asking players to register by June 15. For more information, please e-mail nanaimoislanders2013@gmail.com or visit www.nanaimoislanders.ca.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
