It is with great pride and an even greater sense of accomplishment that the CEDAR HILL MINOR HOCKEY LEAGUE has provided community-based house league, house league select and competitive “A” programs within the Scarborough Hockey Association for over 50 years.  Given this lengthy history, it is with a great deal of sadness we are now acknowledging that the 2009-2010 season is in fact, our LAST.

 In the 2008-2009 season, we realized we could no longer provide a viable house league program without a combination of at least three age groups (e.g. 8, 9 and 10 years).  We determined that such a program could not provide a balance of learning and competitiveness in a safe and secure environment so we took the step of amalgamating our program with the remaining programs in Scarborough thus creating the Scarborough Youth Hockey League.  It is our belief that once the new program is perfected, it will provide a much better environment for the youth in the community of Scarborough.

 Now, in the 2009-2010 season, we have come to that same realization in regards to our competitive “A” program – it also no longer provides a balance of learning and competitiveness in that same safe and secure environment.  In the past few years we have found it progressively harder to field a team in every division meaning fewer teams to compete against and a drain on the house leagues to fill the rosters.  We believe that a similar amalgamation of our competitive “A” programs would strengthen all the hockey programs within the Scarborough Hockey Association including the Scarborough Youth Hockey League.  Such a decision was difficult to make and, while not making it easier, our justification in the decision to support amalgamation was by asking ourselves: how could we expect a player to commit to us for another season when we couldn’t offer the same commitment in return or even guarantee a program for the following year?

 I would like to take a moment to thank our thousands of volunteers throughout our 50-year history for their many hours of dedication.  From our Ladies Auxiliary, coaches, managers, trainers, conveners and past and present executive, I thank you.  Without your dedication, we never could have provided the service we did for our community of Scarborough.  I would also like to thank the many sponsors and staff of the City of Toronto (Scarborough) for their continued support throughout Cedar Hill’s history.

 For our present volunteers and hockey players, I would like to take the time to wish them good luck in their future endeavors within hockey and life itself as we all know hockey is but an extension of life.  Building a strong base within sports has always been our goal; to improve a balance in the young lives we have interacted with.

 In closing, I would also like to thank the thousands of players who passed through our program; it has been an honor and privilege to participate in your development as young men and women of the community. 

As always, I like to believe we now leave as we came in – second to none!!!!!

Regretfully,

Ed Wahl

President

(1992 – 2010)

Member

(1961 – 2010)