Statement from the Dorchester Dolphins Player Group Regarding Division Rearrangements:

Announced today (FEB 8, 2024), the PJHL plans to move the Dorchester Dolphins from the West Yeck Division (London and Surrounding Area) to the South Doherty Division (Tri-City, Guelph area). 

With this change, the league has put players in a position most came to the Dolphins and the PJHL to avoid, which is extensive travel and time commitment as most of our players attend Western, Fanshawe and or work full-time jobs. Due to this, with our current roster, 63.63% of players live in or around Central London. 

Currently, the average distance and travel time in the West Yeck Division from Central London to away arenas is 42 km and 42 minutes. In the South Doherty, that will rise to 79 km and 70 minutes. Nearly doubling mileage and travel time. 

Additionally, as an organization, the Dolphins have been a part of the Yeck division predating the conglomeration that created what we now know as the PJHL. Over decades, generations of Dolphins have poured literal blood sweat and tears into building entertaining and competitive rivalries with our divisional peers. Now the league wants to scrap it all.

For a league that prides itself on development and providing players with a flexible and dynamic opportunity for personal development while playing the sport they love at the junior level, this decision throws players of a successful franchise under the bus to protect the league's bottom line. As a player group, we love playing in Dorchester and for the town of Dorchester. We find this decision egregious and sadly worry that the change is unfeasible for many of us to continue playing for the Dolphins.

We call on PJHL Commissioner Terry Whiteside, and the entire board of directors to put a stop to this and let us focus on the game we love playing in front of a town we love playing for.

Should you wish to voice your opinion further than this petition, Commissioner and Chair Whiteside's email is listed below. 

commissioner@thepj.ca

chair@thepj.ca

Thank You,

The Dolphins Player Group