OLDS — They gave it a test run during the 2024-25 season; now Olds Minor Hockey and the Olds College Broncos have fully committed to a partnership to grow and support female minor hockey in Olds.
The female minor hockey program will be known as the Junior Broncos.
They’ll remain under the governance and operational decision-making of Olds Minor Hockey Association but will align with the player development, culture and branding of the Olds College Broncos female program.
Broncos players will help with training, practices and game-day activities for Olds Minor Hockey’s female players.
Starting in the 2025-26 season, the youngest to middle-aged divisions of the Junior Broncos will wear jerseys that align with the logo and colours of the Broncos brand, with Olds Minor Hockey insignia included as patches on the jerseys.
As community sponsors are secured, the Junior Broncos branding will be incorporated into older age divisions as well.
“The program will build on the Broncos’ commitment to community engagement and position Olds as a competitive community of choice for female hockey,” a news release says.
“The board of directors has prioritized the development of female hockey as one of the strategic initiatives of the association,” Olds Minor Hockey president Jeremy Haaland is quoted as saying in the news release.
“Over the last year, we have worked to strengthen every aspect of our program, and we are well-positioned to grow Olds Minor Hockey’s female program. The partnership with the Broncos allows us to fulfill our development goals for local female hockey.”
Olds Minor Hockey Association’s female coordinator, Levi Oglivie, added, “To attract female players, it is critical that we have strong, quality programming options and that girls have the confidence to know they will have a place to play and an opportunity to advance to the next level.
Olds Minor Hockey’s partnership with the Broncos accomplishes these objectives while providing our female players with local role models and player mentorship.”
“If female players can see it, they can be it, and our intent is to encourage minor hockey female players to set competitive goals for themselves to play as far as the game can take them.
Wearing a Junior Broncos jersey is one important way we are building the mentoring relationship between college and minor female players, and the Broncos look forward to building on the success of last season’s pilot for this generation of female players,” said Olds College Broncos head coach Matt McKnight.
"Community relationships are vital to the success of Broncos athletics,” Olds College vice-president, Peter Mal added. “Our goal is to foster new connections while strengthening our existing ties within the community.
Extending our partnership with OMHA is an exciting step forward in that objective allowing us to contribute to an environment where young players can grow and take pride in themselves, their sport and community."
Registration for Olds Minor Hockey’s 2025-26 season opens in early June.
