Here is an update on where the Daytime Hockey Operations group is regarding the launch of the Daytime Division starting in January 2025.
The teams have been drafted and captains are now contacting their players. Team lists and the schedule are now posted on the BOHC website under the “DAY” tab. The organizing team are continuing to update information so please check in periodically. For those that have registered and paid but haven’t been contacted, thank you for your patience, you will be notified of your circumstances very shortly.
We will host a Stag night on Dec 17, 2024, at Hector’s starting at 7pm. This will allow you to meet your other teammates, grab your jersey, and have a cold beer. The season kicks off Thursday, Jan. 9th, at 12 noon. For 16 weeks, games will be played every Thursday between 12 and 3 p.m.
Thank you for your patience and support!
Brian Miki - daytime@bohc.ca
Article courtesy Kevin Nagel - www.burlingtontoday.com
One of the biggest oldtimer hockey clubs in the country is expanding to daytime play in January.
The Burlington Oldtimers Hockey Club, with more than 1,200 members, is adding a daytime division for players who prefer to hit the ice when the sun is out. Brian Miki, the convener of the new division, was one of the first to look into the idea of having a separate division during the daytime. He and four friends were invited to make a presentation to the BOHC board last May.
Dave Wittman and Miki were playing shinny during the 2023-24 season when Wittman noticed Miki wearing a BOHC sweater. He mentioned to Miki that he would love to play organized hockey again but the later hours was a turnoff.
They eventually agreed to approach the BOHC about a daytime division, Miki meeting club president Peter Jakob last February. Jakob liked the idea, but warned the pair that finding people to organize the league is the difficult part. Jakob gave Miki the names of two others interested in daytime hockey — Mark Palmer and Paul Kuno — and another friend of Miki’s, Bryan Rajacic, came aboard. The five met with Jakob, who arranged for a group presentation to the board.
“We got a lot of help from Jordan Dankowich, who basically inherited the summer hockey division thanks to the work of Peter Austin and Gary Downer.” said Miki. “He told us all the things he did right and all the things he did wrong.”
The club president suggests the emergence of a daytime league might be a sign of the times.
“As an organization, we’ve offered hockey to men in Burlington and it was always evenings and weekends,” Jakob said. “Two things have changed. People have a lot more flexibility within their careers in a work/life balance and we have a fair number of retired hockey players. This may not have been possible 15 years ago.”
Rather than wait until next fall to get the daytime league going, the club decided to offer a shorter, pilot program in Year 1, which begins in January. Much like the successful summer league BOHC offers, players of all calibres (from red, featuring the highest level of skill among the eight divisions, through to gold) play on the same teams with less emphasis on scores and standings. Rosters are balanced with players of all skill levels.
Six teams will play a 16-game schedule with the last week reserved for a fun “championship” day when No. 1 will play 2, No. 3 plays 4 and No. 5 takes on No. 6.
All but one week of games will be played each Thursday at Appleby Ice Centre’s No. 3 pad between 12-3 p.m. during the inaugural season. The other week’s games will be played at Mainway Arena.
The first full season of daytime hockey, Miki hopes, will take on the look of the regular men’s league starting next fall.
Miki said he and his cohorts were overwhelmed by the invaluable aid provided by club members such as Jakob, treasurer Richard Krummenacher, VP of IT Richard Zabransky and Scot Cameron (communications).
One concern was whether the enthusiasm for the new league would be reflected by registration numbers when it came time to put cash on the table. The worry seems to be unwarranted. Almost every one of the 90 skating slots were filled as of a couple of weeks ago and there are a dozen more who signed up on the poolie list to fill in when regulars can’t make it.
Attracting paying goalies, which is sometimes a problem with the regular night leagues, is proving to be a little more difficult. So far four of the six spots have been filled and an equal number have signed up as poolies.
Contact Brian Miki (daytime@bohc.ca) if you can help.