WC Rivermen find selves in North West Conference in EOSHL realignment

WEST CARLETON – With unprecedented growth despite a one-year break from league play, the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League (EOSHL) will split the league in to two conferences when play resumes this fall.

“The EOSHL owners had some long conversations yesterday to come to an agreement on the options for the league on divisions,” EOSHL President Mitch Gagne released in a statement yesterday (June 2).

In the end the owners voted 7-5 in favour of a two-conference format for the upcoming season which will be the EOSHL’s second since the league launched in the 2018-2019 hockey season.

The 12 teams will be divided in to the South East Conference and the North West Conference. The West Carleton Rivermen will join Pontiac, Smith Falls, Deseronto, Frontenac and Tweed in the North West Conference. The South East Conference features the teams from Cornwall, Glengarry, Maxville, North Dundas, South Grenville and Gananoque.

“Each conference will be silently grouped into two groups of three for scheduling,” Gafne said. “The South East will have group ‘A’ Glengarry, Maxville and Cornwall and group ‘B’ will be Gananoque, South Grenville and North Dundas. The North West will be group ‘A’ Pontiac, West Carleton and Smiths Falls along with group ‘B’ Tweed, Deseronto and Frontenac.

Each group of three will play each team twice at home and twice away and then play the other three teams in their conference one home and one away. All teams will then play each team from the other conference once and it will be random as to who will be home or away. This gives the league a 20-game schedule.

“That is four less then we wanted to go but with a possible late season start this may be the best scenario to fit in all games,” Gagne said. “The playoff format will be discussed over the next few days but the top four from each conference will advance to the playoffs.”