New OMHA Championships will be bigger and better than ever

(Richmond Hill, ON) - As young hockey players return to the warmth of rinks around the province, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association is announcing new OMHA Championship Weekends, to be one of the biggest hockey championships in its history. 

Over 375 teams will play in more than 850 games. Five locations across the province will be filled with action-packed minor hockey. 41 champions will be crowned as part of the new OMHA Championships presented by Egg Farmers of Ontario. (Video explainer: https://youtu.be/ccD9eVaKYII)

The OMHA Championships will take place over three weekends - March 25-27, April 1-3 and April 8-10.  The Championships will be hosted in five locations around the province: Barrie, Kingston, Oakville, Whitby and Windsor. The weekends will feature sponsor activations, official merchandise and live-streaming of games.

“Our players, parents and volunteers have endured so much during the pandemic. We have been planning this for months and believe this is a great way to give them something special to look forward to and to ensure all our participants can be involved in more meaningful hockey right up to March and beyond,” says Ian Taylor, Executive Director of the OMHA.

Taylor says the new OMHA Championship Weekends have the added advantage of keeping the tradition of #RedHats alive. Since the 1940s, hundreds of thousands of players have played for the coveted Red Hats, which are the red baseball caps that go to the championship OMHA teams. There have been many famous winners along the way, including Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Travis Dermott and the second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft Quinton Byfield.

“Since 2018, Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) has been a proud supporter of the OMHA and are excited to continue that partnership through our involvement in the new OMHA Championship Weekends,” says Scott Helps, EFO Chair. “All teams should take pride in the hard work and perseverance that it takes to win the ultimate prize in minor hockey. These new steps to win the Red Hats will make it more exciting than ever.”

Leading up to the OMHA Championship Weekends, starting this year there will be important new league championships in each area. League playoffs will now turn into regional qualifying showdowns to see who moves on to compete for #RedHats.  Parents can pack their rinks to show their hometown support and to cheer on the teams who will be punching their ticket to the OMHA Championships.

This new playoff format has been designed with players, coaches and parents in mind. It not only extends the length of playing meaningful hockey, it minimizes travel for hockey families and aligns with the Player Pathway’s optimal season structure. It removes the elimination-style series used in the past, and keeps more teams playing during the year for a longer period of time.

About the Ontario Minor Hockey Association
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association, founded in 1935, is a leader in community sport and oversees a participant base of 300,000 consisting of players, coaches, trainers, officials, hockey volunteers and parents across the province. The OMHA works with its 225 local minor hockey associations and annually coordinates 28 leagues to create the best minor hockey experience in Canada. For more information, visit www.omha.net.

About Egg Farmers of Ontario
Egg Farmers of Ontario is an independent, self-governing farming organization that is funded entirely by egg farmers. They represent the interests of over 500 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario who account for 40% of total egg production in Canada.  The mission of Egg Farmers of Ontario is to provide consumers with a supply of safe, high-quality eggs at a fair price and a return to egg and pullet farmers achieved through fair farm pricing, within a stable national supply management system. For more information visit www.getcracking.ca. 

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For more information or to set up an interview, please contact:

Mitchell Machtinger                        
Communications                        
Ontario Minor Hockey Association                 
mitchell.machtinger@omha.net
 

Bill Mitchell                        
Director of Public Affairs                        
Egg Farmers of Ontario                
bmitchell@getcracking.ca