Windsor Minor Hockey became the league that we now know in 1970.  That season, after years of affiliation, WMHA joined with South Windsor Minor Hockey and Sandwich West Minor Hockey to form one league.  The league played out of three arenas: Windsor, South Windsor and Adie Knox.  Each arena had every division playing out of it and the teams played twelve game seasons.  In able to better use the ice available, divisions were running out of the same arena starting in the 1971-72 season.  Sandwich West continued to operate its juvenile travel team as a ‘B’ travel team in WMHA.  There were a couple years of growing pains with members of the now extinct systems seemingly having problems conforming with the rules and regulations of Windsor Minor.  Individuals that had access to ice from their old associations were subletting the ice to Windsor’s teams for practices at a profit.  As a result, WMHA decided to approve all ice used by teams in their organization. 

The league was incorporated with the government as a non-profit organization on June 22, 1971.  Around that same time they approached the City of Windsor Council about receiving a grant or subsidy to help offset the rising costs of running the league.  They were granted a discount on the ice they used.  This discount existed until the early nineties when it reduced yearly until the late nineties when it was no longer was in effect. 

With costs going up regularly, the need to fundraise to keep the costs to the players as low as possible was obvious.  Bingos and casino nights provided needed funds over the years.  Raffles have grown to be expected every year.  The first raffle offering cash prizes was held in the 1973-74 season.  First prize was $1,000 and the total prize board offered was $1,500.  The prizes have grown to $8,000 total and the price of the tickets are now included in the cost of registration.

The makeup of the board itself underwent many changes over the years, particularly after the death of Sedo Martinello on January 27, 1983.  Sedo had been president of WMHA since 1962 and Windsor Arena, which he managed, was the headquarters of Windsor Minor.  After Sedo’s passing, WMHA moved its office to a room rented from the city at Adie Knox Arena.  Friends and fellow board members established the Sedo Martinello Bursary Fund to give monetary awards to Windsor area student athletes to attend post secondary schools in the city.  Money was raised by the holding of a yearly golf tournament and by raffles held at the WMHA Coaches Appreciation Night. 

The most notable shaping of the board began in 1980.  The ladies’ auxiliary, which was operated as an almost when needed group of board members wives until then, was reformed and given a voting position on the board.  This position lasted just a few years but was reinstated on the board in the mid-nineties as a parents association.  Also, over the years, the director of the three divisions of WMHA, novice, house league and travel became vice presidents.  The Director of Novice became the last to achieve this in 1992.  With the need of consolidating its dealings with the provincial governing body for hockey, Windsor Minor established the OMHA Representative as a position on the board to oversee all administration with the OMHA.  Duties that were once handled by committees became the responsibility of individual board members.  New positions that evolved over the years included directors of fund-raising, tournaments ( travel and house league), skills development and coaching.

Throughout the years WMHA has had merger talks with Riverside Minor Hockey.  In 1984, talks were initiated formally but did not progress very well.  Interlocked house league divisions, which at times also included Tecumseh Shoreline and Belle River, have been tried at different times but lasted only a couple of years every time.  Differing philosophies and administration problems seemed to be the downfall whenever the interlock was tried.  Windsor Minor has opened its arms and welcomed outsiders a few times.  After the OMHA reversed a 1977 decision to not allow girls to play minor hockey in 1987 by letting girls under twelve years of age to play, the league accepted girls for the first time.  The association has had many girls participate in the programme, ranging from novice right up to the midget division ( seventeen years old).   In the summer of 1987 St. Clair Beach Arena closed, leaving Shoreline Minor Hockey no place to play and forced to suspend operations.  WMHA, along with other surrounding leagues, held special registrations for the Shoreline players.  Tecumseh Shoreline returned as a league for the 1995 season and players playing peewee and below were required to return to their home organization while the older players had a one time choice to make in regards to where they wanted to play. 

As with the world in general, the nineties have brought many changes.  With the growing popularity of hockey, arenas have been twinned to provide more ice surfaces for the city.  These added playing areas have been both a blessing and curse.  The league was awarded extra hours, perhaps not as many as they requested, and were able to increase the programme that they could offer.  Every team now has practice time on a regular basis throughout the year as well as the opportunity to attend skill development clinics conducted by the league.  However, not only were seasons interrupted by construction delays, the twinned arenas have become money making avenues for the city.  Not only has the subsidy enjoyed by WMHA been eliminated, but actual costs per hour have risen drastically.  The arenas have also increased the number of tournaments it allows to be run by men’s leagues and other outsiders to minor hockey.  This results in less ice actually being available for the children to play on and has become a great hindrance in providing an adequate programme for the children.  Parents are more concerned about what they receive for their registration fees and cannot understand why they pay more each year and get less. 

Parental involvement also increased in the nineties, for better and for worse.  Verbal and physical attacks on the volunteers had grown to the extreme that players were being suspended for the actions of their parents.  This resulted in one law suit by a parent wanting his son reinstated in WMHA.  The courts ruled the WMHA had the right to deny registrations from people that they were unwilling to accept due to past conduct.  As a progression to the suit, the league made many organization and accountability changes.  The constitution, which for many years was not available, was updated and made available to anyone wishing a copy.  A grievance committee, made up of three people no longer connected to the association, was formed to hear any appeals of decisions made by the league or its representatives.  Each division’s guidelines were made available.  The league authorized an operational review to be conducted by the University of Windsor.

The colours of Windsor Minor Hockey have been the subject of many debates at the board level over the years.  The original colour scheme was green and white; green pants and helmets, green and white gloves, sweaters and socks.  After expansion of the NHL in 1967, the Minnesota North Stars became the only team in the pro league with the same uniform colours.  The NHL sweater combinations became standard and every time the professional colours changed, the harder it became to buy just green and white uniforms without making it a special purchase. 

As a result, when the North Stars added gold to their uniform WMHA, in 1975, officially added gold to its own colour scheme.  However, when the Stars added black to their attire, the disagreements at the board level began.  Although black was not officially added as a WMHA colour until the annual general meeting at the end of the 1992-93 season, the Travel Teams had black away jerseys for the 92-93 season and black gloves were allowed.  With so many changes and differing of opinions as to the official colour scheme for each piece of equipment, the Travel Teams were often a very colourful collection.  The 1996-97 board assigned deadlines for all players to be dressed alike at the travel level.  Black pants were mandatory by January 1, 1997 and black helmets were necessary by October 31 of the same year.  At this time all players were required to be dressed alike when representing Windsor as travel teams.

Have you ever seen some company or organization’s name on the back of your youngster’s hockey sweater and wondered who they were or why their name is there?  Those are sponsors of WMHA and pay a set fee to Windsor Minor to have their name on those shirts.  Sponsors are very important to the financial well being of the league.  For example, money generated by the collection of sponsor fees, in the 1998-99 budget, account for 7.5% of the total revenue of the association.  Without this money, each player would have to pay an extra $35.00 this year to maintain our programme.  The support of all sponsors is greatly appreciated by all involved in Windsor Minor. 

We currently have six sponsors that have been with us for 25 years or more.  AKO, MIC MAC CLUB and THE WINDSOR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (WAA) have been supporting us since at least 1954.  NANTAIS SPORT SHOP and CLUB 240 joined in the sixties and WAA started in 1973, their first year of existence.  The league would like to thank these long-time backers and hope to continue our association with each for many more years. 

WAA was started in 1973 by a group of sports minded individuals involved in minor sports in the Windsor area.  These people were looking to establish someplace where graduates of Little League Baseball and Minor Hockey could continue their playing careers.  The organization has three baseball teams and an adult hockey team it operates as well as sponsors baseball, hockey, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse and slo-pitch softball. 

WAA fund raises all of the money used in all these endeavours.  From casino nights and bingos in the beginning, they have branched out to Nevada tickets and running the lounge at Windsor Arena during Spitfire games and other events.  They also seek sponsors for their own teams and programmes.

Windsor Minor Hockey Association has always been very concerned about the safety of the players, coaches and all others that make up the hockey program.  It has long had established guidelines and expectations in regards to the behaviour of the people involved.  Players and coaches have been dealt suspensions more severe than those recommended by the OMHA and other governing bodies in regards to violent and dangerous conduct.  Repeat offenders have been handed penalties of one year suspensions and on several occasions players and coaches have been banished from WMHA for life. 

In addition to playing rules put in place for the well being of all involved, Windsor Minor has been a pioneer in making the use of safety equipment mandatory.  As early as 1958 the organization exhibited its concern for the protection of its players when it purchased thirty helmets to be used by the players during games.  These helmets were kept at Windsor Arena, the only arena used by the midget league that was Windsor Minor, for the participants use and benefit during games. 

For the 1973-74 season, external mouth guards were made mandatory in all divisions of the association.  Helmets approved by the CSA were mandated for the players participating during the 1975-76 year, one full season before the OMHA did likewise.  Players wearing approved wire face masks were no longer required to wear the external mouth guards.   Two seasons later, 1977-78, WMHA received a Wintario grant it applied for, and all players received vouchers to be applied against the purchase of OMHA approved wire masks. 

For the 1984-85 season, the league strongly urged all competitors to obtain and use neck protection.  At the same time it wrote a letter urging the OMHA to adopt a policy in regards to neck guards.  This rule was put in place again after WMHA had its policy in place.

During the mid-nineties the association, after the death of a coach in Sandwich West Minor Hockey from a fall on the ice, enacted regulations concerning the safety of its personnel on the ice.  No one under sixteen years of age was allowed to coach or help run practices.  Helmets were a must for all coaches under eighteen.  All others were advised about the risk factors involved and urged to wear helmets. 

With an alarming increase in neck and back injuries across the hockey world, the organization, for the 1995-96 season, implemented the Safety Toward Other Players (STOP) programme.  This program was initiated by Kevin Stubbington who was a WMHA Coach at the time.  In this policy, players and coaches signed Fair Play Pledges, acknowledging an awareness of the dangers involved in some actions during the hockey games and promising to play the game in a cautious way so as to not to put any participant in risk of injury.  As well, STOP signs were placed on the back of each sweater, above the numbers, as a reminder of the dangers of checking from behind.  As others became aware of the programme, requests for information began to arrive.  In the fall, The Sports Network (TSN) came to Windsor to tape a game and to do a report on the success of this endeavour.  After it was broadcast, many more requests for information came in from organizations all across the country.  It is now mandatory for all OMHA teams and others to have the STOP sign.

When incidents of hazing and sexual abuse of players across the country began to make news, the need for an abuse policy became clear.  While governing bodies were concerned with the wider issues involved, it fell to local organizations to develop policies that would work for them.  WMHA’s policy, which include educating players, coaches and parents about what was acceptable behaviour, quickly became a model for other organizations.  Hockey and other sport organizations across Canada requested copies.

The education of the people included what is abuse, verbal, emotional, physical and sexual.  All coaches and managers were required to obtain police clearances or sign volunteer forms stating they have no record and would get the police clearance if requested.  Periodic reports would be done on all personnel in regards to conduct during games and practices.  Practices would be monitored to ensure that all safety measures were in place. 

Windsor Minor Hockey Association intends to continue its history of ensuring a safe environment for everyone partaking in its programs.