2014-15 Expansion: Cambridge Senators

In an announcement today, Cornerstone Sports Group released the details for a new GMHL franchise in Cambridge. The team will be known as the Cambridge Senators and play in jersey’s influenced by the Ottawa Senators franchise.  The league’s most recent club will be a welcomed addition to the southwest drive of GMHL expansion.

During a discussion of the new team, Cornerstone partner Mark Hetherman said that he was “excited” to move forward with the GMHL.

“Our experience with the GMHL so far has been fantastic.  The Halton Ravens Club had an excellent first season, making the playoffs and the leagues NCAA/CIS Showcase.  This league is growing and becoming more important for NCAA, CIS and European Professional teams and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to assist in that process.”

Hetherman also noted that the GMHL’s newest team will be taking along an important piece of the Ravens staff, Head Coach Oliver Wren.

“Oliver provided us with excellent coaching and leadership during this past season.  We believe he will bring additional experience to our Cambridge team and boost our recruiting given his success with the Ravens.” Cornerstone Sports Group also operates the Cory Conacher 3 on 3 leagues in Cambridge, Kitchener, and Guelph. There will also be a Spring Hockey program named after the Senators operating in the Tri-cities and Oliver will be a local representative running these leagues along with the new JR A Team.

With the Cambridge Club expected to begin play later this year, this local Sports Management Company will spend its second straight offseason preparing to launch a new GMHL team.  Last season Cornerstone purchased an expansion franchise and launched the Halton Ravens.

With the ink still fresh on both an expansion agreement with the GMHL and a lease agreement with the Cambridge Sports Park Arena, the Group will now have a (relatively) leisurely 5 months to recruit, construct a team, and prepare to make Cambridge its new home.

Southern Ontario has proved a hotbed for hockey talent for the GMHL and the decision to expand into Cambridge will mean more opportunity for local players as well as an increased international hockey presence in the hockey-playing community there.  The decision to place another team south of Toronto will also mean attracting increased attention from Canadian/U.S. scouts, CIS teams and NCAA schools.

 

The organization remains hard at work developing the team’s offseason plans, which will need to include finding a Head Coach, scouting and signing players, recruiting gameday staff and coordinating some of the final touches.