The Ontario Hockey Association is amalgamating all of the Junior C hockey leagues under its umbrella.
Instead of having multiple leagues, the 65 teams will playing in the new Provincial Jr. Hockey League.
The teams will be split into Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Conferences, with two division in each.
The former Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League and Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League will play in separate divisions in the Southern Conference.
Mooretown Flags Head Coach Doug Slipacoff says it won't change too much for the club as they will still play the same teams as previous years.
"Nothing really changes in our day to day operations, we're still going to play the same teams in the same loop. It's just a little different structure at the top as far as bringing everyone together under one name."
Slipacoff mentions the change was more for branding purposes than anything.
"It'll make it less confusing, because can anyone name all seven Junior C leagues in Ontario? I know I certainly couldn't and I coach in one of them. I think it'll just be easier for everybody at the end of the day."
Although there are no cross over games against other division scheduled for the upcoming season, OHA President Karen Phibbs says there is potential for some in the future.
"There's always room as you go on two or three seasons down the road if you want some interlock, it's all available," says Phibbs. "Right now it's to form a basic structure and to look at similarities within the leagues."
The former Great Lakes Jr. C league, which includes the Flags, will now be known as the Bill Stobbs League. It's named after a Chatham-Kent Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Each of the eight divisions will be named after individuals with substantial contributions in those areas.
Phibbs says part of the move is to distance themselves from the stigma that often surrounds Junior C hockey.
"People remember what the game was a number of years ago, but the game is changing and the players are changing. Kids are now deciding what level they'd like to play at, especially if they're going to college or university and don't have time to compete in a B or A schedule but still want to play at a high level."
Teams in the PJHL will also begin following standardized rules in areas, such as overtime and face masks, for which each league currently sets its own rules.
There have also been talks about changing the rules on player residency and import players, but those will stay the same for next season.
Teams will still compete for the Schmalz Cup in the same playoff format as before.
-With files from Josh Boyce.