Hockey enrolment declining in Quinte West

Empty locker rooms are a symptom of the slump in hockey registration. Photo by Kyle Mumford

By Kyle Mumford

Hockey has long been Canada’s dominant winter sport but this year in Quinte West it appears hockey is giving rise to other organized sports.

In Quinte West this year, hockey enrollment among the male population has declined.

Kim Thurston, registrar for Quinte West Minor Hockey, said that even with the reduced fees for registration this year a lot of the older players aren’t coming back.  Thurston said that the Ontario Hockey Federation’s ruling to remove body checking from House League hockey may have played a role in the players’ decisions to quit playing.

He also attributes the cost of the game to the decline in teams.

Hockey is an expensive sport.  There is traveling involved and with the current cost of fuel road games begin to add up.  The cost of replacing equipment and upkeep of old equipment begins to add up as well.  In this current economy a lot of families don’t have lots of money to shell out for expensive activities, and other sports are reaping the rewards.

Debbie MacDonald, president of the Belleville Minor Softball Association, said advertising and an interest in the sport have helped to boost their rosters.  Minimal fees have also helped to encourage growth.

“We’re the cheapest sport in Belleville,” MacDonald said.

Averaging $85 per player, this fee includes equipment sans gloves, which the players provide for themselves.  The average hockey parent of a child playing minor league is looking to spend at least $300 for registration alone.  On top of that the cost of equipment and other fees begin to add up.

James Hurst, President of the Belleville Minor Football League, also has noticed an increase in the amount of kids coming out to play.  Running $165 per child to register for the league, the BMFL offers another inexpensive alternative to hockey in the Quinte region.

Gord Graham, President of the Belleville Bearcats Girls Hockey Association, said despite the reduced number of male teams the girl’s league has remained steady.

Hockey officials said they aren’t sure if the downturn in enrollment