A pair of girls hockey organizations in Chatham-Kent will be joining forces next season.
The Chatham Girls Hockey Association and the Kent County Girls Hockey Association announced the new partnership will take place next spring, in time for the 2019-2020 season.
The new group will be known as the Chatham-Kent Girls Hockey Association (CKGHA).
Jessica Tufford, president of the Chatham Girls Hockey Association, and Tim DeMaeyer, president of the Kent County Girls Hockey Association, said the main reason for the merger has to do with the "state of girls hockey in Chatham-Kent".
"With the declining numbers, we're hoping that with a partnership, we can get those back up and also give more girls a chance to play hockey," said DeMaeyer.
He also mentioned that in the past, players would be turned away because they didn't have the numbers to build enough teams. With the merger, DeMaeyer and Tufford said they're hoping that will no longer be the case.
"I hope that we can have enough girls to at least have one house league team and one travel team for each age level but it'll depend on the numbers that come out at this point," said Tufford.
News of the merger was only recently revealed to the players and coaches. Tufford and DeMaeyer both said so far the feedback has been positive.
Players will have the chance to submit ideas for a new mascot and team colours through a contest that will launch later this month. Tufford said a decision should be made following their annual general meeting in May 2019.
The partnership between the Outlaws and the Fillies is fully endorsed by the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA).