It appears the Herder Memorial Trophy will stay in its display case this season.
The news about the top prize in Newfoundland senior hockey comes after Hockey NL officials held a conference call Tuesday evening with a representative of the East Coast Senior Hockey League, along with a representative of the Central West Senior Hockey League.
At that meeting, the east league informed the other two parties on the call it would not play any interlocking games with the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts or the Gander Flyers.
“As it stands, the Herder is a provincial senior A trophy and we have to have a setup that satisfies (Hockey NL) and we don’t have that right now as the east are refusing to interlock,” said HNL senior chair Gary Gale, who will be submitting a report to Hockey NL brass this week. “Based on all of this, there will be no Herder this year.”
According to Gale, the interlocking format would have seen two teams from the six-team east coast league make one trip each to central Newfoundland and vice versa.
The format, when combined with league games being played between the Cataracts and the Flyers, and coupled with the east league’s regular season, would have been enough to satisfy HNL’s requirements in order to play for the Herder.
Gale stated the Herder trophy is a provincial championship and not a league championship. A switch would require a constitutional change on HNL’s part.
“It is extremely disappointing,” said Gale. “We have worked our butts off on this. We’ve done everything we possibly can.
“We have no choice but to shelve the Herder.”
There is still the chance that Hockey NL's executive can overturn the decision. That decision is expected by Friday.
The news leaves the two teams in central Newfoundland in murky waters and without the third team, they desired in order to have a league to play in.
“It is disappointing,” said Gale. “The buildings are always electric (in central).”
The Central Voice attempted to reach representatives from both the Cataracts and Flyers. Flyers GM Geoff Goldsworthy declined to comment until there was more information available.
