The Estevan Minor Hockey Association (EMHA) announced at its fall annual meeting August 29 that it won't be able to ice a peewee A team in league play this year.

The Peewee A Petro Chem Bruins played in Hockey Regina last season. But according to EMHA president Kelly Kjersem, Hockey Regina won't allow teams located more than 80 kilometres from Regina to compete in its peewee leagues this season.  

“That's not good for our players, parents or sponsors to have all their games in Milestone,” said Kjersem.

EMHA tried to get the peewee A team into another league with other teams that have been forced out of Hockey Regina, but Kjersem said the Saskatchewan Hockey Association blocked the effort.

So the players who would have been part of the peewee A Bruins will play in a house league. A team of the top peewee house league players will travel to tournaments and ompete in provincials.

The bantam A Bruins and the junior midget Bruins will remain in Hockey Regina this year.

Kjersem doesn't know yet if the EMHA will ice a midget A team in the Moose Mountain Minor Hockey League for the second straight year.

Also during the fall meeting, EMHA has changed its constitution to allow affiliated players at all levels. But teams will have a limit on the number of APs, and APs will only be able to play with teams. They won't be able to practice.

Estevan has also been awarded the Zone 1 Bantam Selects evaluation camp from February 7 to 10. Approximately 100 of the top 13 and 14-year-old hockey players from southeast Saskatchewan will attend the camp.