Beaver Sports
The Napanee Raiders will welcome a new opponent to the division this fall as the PJHL has officially accepted the Frankford Huskies to the league.
“The community of Frankford is proud of its connection with the rest of Quinte West, but it is also a town proud of its pre-amalgamation heritage,” reads a release on the team’s official Facebook page. “For decades, the hockey program was known as the Frankford Huskies. From minor hockey to Junior and Senior teams, the Huskies were Frankford’s team. A group of local owners is looking to honour that great heritage and at the same time, start a new legacy.”
Huskies team president John McDonald says, “Our main goal in our inaugural season is to ice a competitive team. We also want to honour the Huskies hockey heritage in the region.”
“The Huskies are being born out of the Ayr Centennials Junior C program (south of Kitchener),” says Frank Robinson, director of operations. “With the ownership there acquiring a Junior B club, this became the perfect opportunity to bring a club back to Frankford.”
Upgrades are expected to be made to the Frankford Arena ahead of the upcoming season.
“It is fitting the Huskies will be playing in the Tod Division of the PJHL,” said Huskies director of business Tim Durkin. “The division is named after Wayne Tod, who was the GM of the Frankford Huskies Junior C Hockey Club in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Tod was also a former treasurer of the Ontario Hockey Association. The division will be made up of the Huskies, the Campbellford Rebels, Port Hope Panthers, Picton Pirates, Napanee Raiders, and Amherstview Jets. Home games for the Frankford Huskies will be Saturday night.”
The Huskies join the league just months after the Gananoque Islanders departed the league.
A season schedule for all teams is expected to be released soon. After being limited to exhibition games within their own health units, the PJHL is aiming to return to a traditional format this October with games played in front of fans.