Because our travel teams were picked already, and because the merger is being gradually implemented for 2005-2006 season, all we (IYHA and Jr Ice) are sharing is our name. The two associations are completely seperate for this coming season.

The move is a necessary one for the advancement of youth hockey in Indy...with the addition of the Westfield program, all they did was cannibalize the Racers and Jr Ice. So now there are three travel programs with watered down teams. This will combine the original two programs and strengthen Indy as we travel to other areas to play.

I have been very active in the Jr Ice program, and I see this as a definite great move, if not a necessary one as well. I feel both associations stand to benefit.

Even before Westfield the Jr Ice and IYHA did everything possible to WATER DOWN the travel teams. If your kid did not make a team lets just add another team. TOO MANY travel teams in Indianapolis area period, last year, the year before that, and YES this year for Sure. This will not change with 2 Ass's in town because parents in this area could not handle little jr not making a travel team or being on the 3rd line. And maybe not next year but in the near future some parents will get together and say our kids were wronged lets start our own hockey program where little jr will get the ice time he deserves, even though he cant skate.
I believe the merger should have happened well before this not for House but for travel. I hope that the focus is put on making the House programs so strong that kids do not need to join a travel team in order to get a good skate. But that would mean developing skaters and that is too boring for parents you have to have games.

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Originally posted by Minorhawk:
Because our travel teams were picked already, and because the merger is being gradually implemented for 2005-2006 season, all we (IYHA and Jr Ice) are sharing is our name. The two associations are completely seperate for this coming season.

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Thanks for the info. Does this mean then that there will be two Checkers teams at each level? For example, two Squirt AA teams, two Squirt A teams, etc.? They would, I assume, play out of their traditional rinks. Like I said above, if team selections were already done, the process of trying out again to form combined teams could get some folks excited as well.

I agree that this is a great thing for Indy hockey. Sounds like this up-coming season will be a bit of a transition year. In the past we tried to get in a number of games when coming over to Indy for BTHL games. Sounds like that won't be too difficult next year where there could be three Indy teams at a given level.

In theory I think the merger is great. I heard the real motivator had to do with the Checkers joining the Central States League. The Checkers Bantam Major team was not going to be able to compete at that level and the PeeWee Major team only had 8 kids try out. On the other hand, the Arctic Blast Bantam and PeeWee Major teams were very strong and had taken many players from the Checkers Organization. The Checkers needed those teams in order to field enough competitive teams. The IYHA and the Jr. Ice programs had already "merged" two years ago. The merger did strengthen some of the Indy teams. Next year is when the real impact will be seen.