Belleville Bearcats Season Preview

27 TOTAL SPORTS QUINTEBELLEVILLE BEARCATSBELLEVILLE BEARCATS Season Preview

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

The Belleville Bearcats continue to provide females the opportunity to play hockey in the Quinte area.

It comes following a year of uncertainty, though one that still saw players get on the ice a fair bit.

“Last year most of our season for rep teams was development, but they were able to play games eventually in bubbles,” said Bearcats board chair Lynn Thibedeau. “They did get games in and were on the ice quite a bit. Our house league, we ended up doing mostly development. We did do some games, but we had to be very cognizant of the protocols about how many were allowed on the ice and stuff like that.”

This season, the Bearcats have five rep teams (U9, two at U11, U15 and U18) as well as the junior and senior house league programs.

The U18 and U15 teams will both have busy Ontario Women’s Hockey Association schedules in their respective ‘AA’ rep leagues while the U9 and U11 teams will be following Hockey Canada’s new half-ice program.

“They’re limited in the beginning to a lot of development and a few exhibition games,” Thibedeau said. “As the season moves on they’re able to do a bit more. U15 and U18 are the busiest ones right now.”

The junior house league program is for played U13 and below as they continue to develop their skills in a recreational environment.

Meanwhile, senior house league has a mix of older teens and ladies. Usually 45 to 50 players register.

“Quite often moms will play with daughters,” Thibedeau noted, adding it’s not limited to parents. “We have a lot of old rep players coming back to Belleville or Trenton and playing hockey. They’ve gone off to university and they come home and have a job here now…want to get out one night a week and play hockey like they used to. We have some younger ladies in there too because we just don’t have a place for them to play, like your 15 and 16 year old girls. The ladies are very good with the young ladies, very helpful and good at mentoring them.”

Thibedeau said it would also be nice to get more parents of younger players involved on the executive. Her daughter played for the Bearcats a number of years ago and as a former player herself, she just loves the game of hockey. “We want to keep it going, that’s for sure,” Thibedeau said.

A great way to help grow the game is hosting a First Shift Program through Bauer for new players between the ages of 6 and 10. The Bearcats host the program and provide ice time and instructors.

For $199, the players receive the necessary equipment to play, including skates, helmet, gloves, shin pads, elbow pads and shoulder pads, and also receive six one-hour skills sessions.

“Afterwards we offer them a space in our house league if they wish to continue on,” Thibedeau said.

Normally it’s open to the first 45 girls to register, but this year it was limited to 30 and filled up fast. It’s been a popular program.

“We’ve had it for quite a few years,” she said.

An even longer tradition is hosting a tournament, but the Bearcats weren’t able to last season. The Belleville Bearcats New Years Classic tournament is expected to return January 7-9, 2022. There are a number of divisions offered for the age groups of U9, U11, U13, U15, U18, U22 and Senior and the event usually attracts teams between Ottawa and Niagara Falls.

“People want to get into it,” Thibedeau said. “They haven’t been able to do tournaments for two years now so once you get your tournament up on the OWHA website, it gets filled up pretty fast. It’s a big fundraiser for us so when you can’t run it, it makes things a little tight but we’re hoping to get back into it this year and it will be nice to see everybody.”

It takes a lot of work to run a season and tournament, but Thibedeau was quick to praise all the volunteers from the executive members, coaches, trainers, dressing room moms and more.

“We’re very proud of what we do,” she said. “We’ve been around for well over 40 years so we’re hoping to stay around for another number of years.”

Most games are played at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre, but occasionally ice is available in Tweed and Marmora as well.

TOP PHOTO: The Belleville Bearcats are once again planning to host the New Year Classic. The last time it was held, the Bearcats peewee AA team won its division.