While the Shawville Senior Pontiacs will have to wait for at least one more year before they hit the ice, local hockey fans still have an option to take in Senior A hockey in the Pontiac.
The Fort Coulonge Comets have taken up the mantle of the region and changed their name to the Pontiac Senior Comets ahead of the upcoming Outaouais Senior A Hockey League (OSAHL) season.
Although the fact that the Pontiac will only have one senior team instead of two will surely depress some hockey fans, having one team comes with several benefits.
It means that the Comets have a larger talent pool to draw from in the region. Instead of two teams fighting over the best hockey players in the area, the Comets will have their pick of the litter – ensuring a better product on the ice.
Having a competitive team right out of the gates makes it easier for that team to thrive as fans are likely to support a winning team.
Sure, it may be comparing apples to oranges, but look at the attendance numbers for the Ottawa RedBlacks who won the Grey Cup in just their third year. The team regularly sells out games and is a mainstay on the city’s social calendar.
Not only do the Comets stand to benefit on the ice from being the only game in town, they should reap some benefits off the ice as well.
With only one team in the region, it means businesses that would have sponsored one team or the other no longer have to choose. It means more money in the operating budget of the region’s only team, which improves its chances of sticking around.
It really is too bad that Shawville wasn’t able to field a team for this year’s season, but league organizer Nik St. Laurent said that Shawville could get another chance ahead of icing a team next season.
The Pontiac is a hockey hotbed. Look no further than the names that have come out of the region to put their mark on the game – going back generations.
But at least there is still an option in the region for fans of the fastest game on earth.
And who know? Maybe getting a little taste of high-level hockey will make people realize what they’ve been missing.
Chris Lowrey
