Erin Blitz one of four new teams for WOSHL

ELORA – The Elora Rocks are going to have more challengers as they look to retain the Sleeman Cup they won as the inaugural champions of the Western Ontario Super Hockey League.

The league ran with five teams in its first season, 2021-22, but will have at least nine teams for the 2022-23 campaign.

Among the new teams joining the WOSHL is the Erin Blitz, not to be confused a fused glass artist in Charleston, Ill., with the same name.

The Blitz will be the first team to represent the community since the Erin Shamrocks folded following the 2015-16 Georgian Bay-Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League season. The Shamrocks had originally started as the Acton Sabres, a junior D team, in the 1971-72 season. They moved up to junior B in 1976-77, sat out 1984-85 and returned the following season as a junior C squad. The Sabres moved to Erin and became the Shamrocks for the 1992-93 season and remained there until folding.

Joining the league with the Blitz are the Delhi Flames, Plattsville Lakers and Tilbury Bluebirds.

Other members of the original five were the Alvinston Killer Bees, Stratford Fighting Irish, Strathroy Jets and Tillsonburg Thunder.

• Guelph Sports Journal