Junior A hockey is coming to Brantford.

Approaching the one-year anniversary of his purchase of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Milton Icehawks, Darren DeDobbelaer announced on Tuesday that the team will play at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre for the 2018-19 season.

“I’m excited about it,” said DeDobbelaer, who also owns the junior B 99ers.

“I love the sport. I love the city.”

The junior A team will be called the 99ers.

DeDobbelaer purchased Milton in 2017 and hoped to move the team to Brantford last season. However, when that didn’t happen, he ran the Icehawks in Milton and the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s 99ers in Brantford.

He said that the OJHL is governed by the Canadian Junior Hockey League and, through a collaborative agreement, teams can relocate if they can show economic benefit in moving.

Even though the OJHL approved the Milton franchise’s move to Brantford prior to last season, the league hoped first to get the Ontario Hockey Association’s blessing. When that didn’t happen, the team stayed put.

On March 13, the OJHL sent a letter to the OHA informing it of the plan to relocate Milton to Brantford and Orangeville to Brampton and asking for a response within three weeks with any concerns.

DeDobbelaer said the OHA has yet to respond.

“We’re going forward with it,” he said, adding that the lack of response from the OHA is a concern.

“I don’t want a backlash but we’ve talked to our lawyers and we have a collaborative agreement in place and it basically says we can move the team wherever we want.”

DeDobbelaer said he has enjoyed running the junior B team in Brantford.

“I’ve been involved in Simcoe, Woodstock, Delhi, Milton and I’ve never been treated like I get treated at the Gretzky centre,” he said.

“I’m a Brantford guy — born and raised in Delhi but I’ve been here since 1996 — and I love the city and I want this (junior A) team in Brantford.”

He said Brantford was supposed to be a temporary move for his family but he said he and wife Michele “are never leaving. We love it.”

DeDobbelaer said he is excited to show fans what junior A hockey offers.

“It’s the highest amateur hockey in Canada,” he said.

“We play for a national championship, the RBC Cup, and there are 10 junior A leagues in all of Canada. We’re averaging over 65 (NCAA, U Sports) commitments a year. The exposure is great and the level of hockey is great.

“There’s no need for these boys to run to B.C. or Alberta now. We have it right in our backyard.”

DeDobbelaer will bring from Milton newly hired head coach Dan Fitzgerald and assistant coach Scott Thompson. As for players, the roster is in flux.

He has signed three junior B 99ers – Max Racicot, Cameron Gratton and his son, Eric – to play junior A. Some of the Icehawks from last season will remain.

“Our program is going to attract west kids,” he said. “Kids from St. Thomas, London, Woodstock that want to play junior A but don’t want to billet, Brantford is the perfect location for them.”

The junior A team will play its home games on Thursday nights at the Gretzky centre at 7:30 p.m. Its season opener is Sept. 7 in Burlington against the Cougars, followed by its home opener Sept. 13 against Burlington.

As for the junior B team and what happens to it, DeDobbelaer said he hopes to have that will be resolved soon as the Ontario Hockey Federation looks at the issue.

“I’m not sure right now and that’s the problem, we’re still in the middle of discussions,” he said.

“I have secured ice at Lions Park for Saturday night home games with the City of Brantford, I’m just not sure if we’re going to run the two teams out of Brantford or if we’re going to move the junior B team somewhere.

“That’s in limbo and for the players’ sake it needs to get resolved in the next couple of weeks.”

Also in limbo is 99ers head coach Wes Consorti. DeDobbelaer said that if the junior B team stays in Brantford, Consorti will be its head coach. But if it leaves, he’ll have a spot on the junior A bench.

The junior A team’s training camp starts in the middle of August.

DeDobbelaer said he hopes new sponsors will come on board. Email gm99ers@gmail.com for more information.

bsmiley@postmedia.com

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