Every time Douglas Cannon hears a 17-year-old midget player announce that it's his last year playing hockey, it breaks his heart.
Cannon – like many others, to be sure – believes that hockey is a game that can be played for a lifetime, but as players "age out" of the minor hockey system, many quit the game altogether.
And while many will pick up the sport later as adults, Cannon feels it's important to bridge that gap between midget hockey and adult leagues. It's why he and others at Semiahmoo Minor Hockey are aiming to revive the association's juvenile division, for players aged 18-20. Semi has not iced a juvenile squad since the 2010/11 season, though other nearby associations – in Cloverdale, Langley – have teams, on which a few former Semiahmoo juvenile-aged players have played in recent years, in lieu of a Semi-based team.
Semiahmoo aims to have at least one juvenile team ready for the 2015 season this fall.
"My primary goal is to stop kids from saying, and believing, that it's their last year of hockey," Cannon explained.
"It's such a shock to hear that. It's always baffled me that you play a sport all through elementary school and high school, and then just all of a sudden, you quit what you love.
"Semiahmoo has more than enough (potential) players to get a team together, so it just made sense to try – let's give these kids the option to keep playing."
Cannon concedes that there are other reasons, aside from a lack of playing options, that cause some to quit when they reach 17 or 18 years old. At that age, many players graduate high school and head off to college or join the workforce, and their priorities change.
But in the midst of all those new life changes, Cannon – who played juvenile hockey for Semiahmoo in the 1970s – said continuing to play hockey can be a "welcome break from your new reality."
"You've got all these changes going on in your life, but once or twice a week, you can have something familiar, where not everything's coming at you brand new," he said.
Cannon said some of his best memories are from his days playing minor hockey, including juvenile.
"When I played, it was a very welcome part of my life," he said. "And if you ask any player who their best memories are, it's the road trips and the friendships they made."
Depending on numbers, it is possible that Semiahmoo could ice multiple juvenile teams – including, potentially, an 'A' division squad – but for now, the initial focus will be on putting together a house-league/non-contact team.
"It would be up to the kids, whether they'd want to play 'A' or at the rec-level, but for now, just letting the kids know is the first step," he said.
"Adult hockey leagues are non-contact, so hopefully we can provide a transition between youth and adult hockey. This is the hockey you're going to play for the rest of your life."
For more information on registration, visit www.semihockey.ca. Those who register before April 30 will save $100 on fees.