Divisional Re-Alignment Highlights 2015 OJBLL Off-Season
While meaningful games may not be played until the regular season begins in April, planning for the 2015 season is in full swing at the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League.
The Mimico Mountaineers Junior B franchise has discontinued operations after the 2014 season as the organization has reached an agreement with the Mississauga Tomahawks Junior A Team to move the Junior A franchise to Mimico. The Mississauga Tomahawks Junior B Team will become the affiliate for the Mimico Mountaineers Junior A Team in 2015.
While two organizations applied to enter the OJBLL in October, neither organization was admitted into the league for the 2015 season.
The OJBLL will continue with a reduced 25 teams in 2015, down from 26 in 2014 which should help increase competitiveness amongst all clubs.
Once the decision was made by the Junior B Counsel to continue with 25 teams, divisional re-alignment was discussed and approved. For the 2015 season, the Brampton Excelsior’s will move from the Western Conference’s Mid-West division to assume Mimico’s former spot in the Eastern Conference’s South-East division. Brampton has played in the Mid-West division since their expansion into the league in 2012, but their move to the South-East division will align them with OLA Minor Lacrosse Zone 10 rivals Halton Hills, Mississauga, and Oakville going forward.
Junior B Commissioner Dave Vernon mentions that as talks progressed, Brampton was willing to move divisions in the best interest of the league.
“With Mimico moving up to the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League, a hole in the Eastern Conference structure was created, a hole that Brampton readily agreed to fill in the best interests of the League. It is important that we maintain a twelve-team Eastern Conference due to the great distances between the far eastern teams and central Ontario. The Western Conference, now with 13 teams, was relatively easier to schedule than last year with fourteen teams. Scheduling for this season was the smoothest ever with some team’s schedules finished and submitted in December. For the first time we have a complete schedule almost five weeks early.” – Junior B Commissioner Dave Vernon
The league will continue with six divisions, spread amongst the two conferences, and no changes have been made to the Regular Season scheduling that sees each team play 10 home games and 10 road games within its own conference.