By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The New Hamburg Junior Firebirds may have failed in their bid to host the U18 Ontario Hockey Federation championships last year, but they applied again and this time were successful.
The tournament will be held from April 18-20 next year and is billed as a Memorial Cup style contest hosting the winners from all the Ontario minor hockey leagues – OMHA, Alliance, GTHL, NOHA and the host team – in a five-team tournament to crown the provincial champion. This will be the first time an OHF A Championship will be held in New Hamburg and the first time a team from the association has played in it.
The team’s head coach, Zack Mark, went to school for sports business, something he felt helped with the bid to host the tournament.
“I majored in event management and marketing so I have always had an interest in that side of things. Last year, we had a really good team and the OHFs are only given to a team that is going to be strong, so we applied but we were unsuccessful and it was given to Welland.”
He added the parents of this year’s group asked if the team wanted to apply again, something that wasn’t a difficult decision for him.
“I said sure. Honestly, it’s a 25 or 30-page application. You have to get the hotels booked and the arena along with marketing and sponsorship plans. It probably took our group 30-plus hours to complete it. When we were awarded the tournament, we were told it is the hardest to choose every year because so many centres want it.”
The New Hamburg Minor Hockey team was ranked number one in Ontario last year and had a record of 51 wins, seven losses and 11 ties and reached number four in the rankings two seasons ago. Mark explained winning played an important role in being awarded the event.
“We have a good track record and since we applied back-to-back years, it raises a flag for the OHF that says okay, they are serious and want this. We are going to give the athletes the best possible experience and it will be one they won’t get anywhere else. That was our big selling feature this year and we have the entire arena booked out.”
Mark added New Hamburg doesn’t fit the profile of the usual OHF tournament host based on size alone.
“We are the only small town. There’s Milton, Oakville, London and these big centres hosting, and now a little town of 9,000 people has the opportunity.”
The team lost last season’s OMHA final to the eventual OHF winner, the Quinte West Golden Hawks, in five games. Mark said the players back this season don’t need much motivation to make this season a success.
“We have about a dozen returning players from last year’s team and they have a bitter taste in their mouths; let’s just put it that way.”
The team’s 2024-2025 season started with a bang as they travelled to Notre Dame University in Indiana for a tournament last weekend. Mark explained while they didn’t win, it was a great experience.
“We started with three straight wins before losing in a shootout in a semi-final game to Markham. It was a fun weekend but not the result we wanted.”
In addition to the returning players, he said they have added some other talent to the roster which should bode well come playoff time.
“We have a few players who have come back from AAA and some kids from other AA centres. We also have a Tavistock product on our team this year, Rowan Bartlett, who was playing in Stratford and he’s been awesome.”
Mark played minor hockey in New Hamburg before heading to AAA. He returned for one year of what was then called midget hockey and then was a member of the Firebirds Junior C team. The 24-year-old said he wasn’t sure about coaching at first, but now he’s hooked.
“It’s my third year with the team and I am having a blast.”
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