The Bancroft Jets hope to fill a void for hockey fans, in the absence of the Bancroft Rockhounds this year.
The Rockhounds announced earlier this fall they would take a leave from the Greater Metro Junior Hockey League this year, with hopes of returning next year.
James Forde, a spokesperson for the Bancroft Jets Minor Hockey Association, while not cheerful about the Rockhounds news, says in the absence of an elite junior hockey team, more fans seem to be coming out to Jets games at the North Hastings Community Centre.
“Some of the age groups that weren’t getting fans in the past are seeing bigger crowds come out,” he says. “It’s really nice. If you want to watch live hockey, you’re going to have to watch the Jets. It’s exciting to see fans show up, who don’t necessarily have a kid on the team, or a grandchild. But they’re coming out to support our local teams.”
Forde says, in the absence of the Rockhounds, the highest-caliber team in Bancroft is the Jets Under-18 “rep” team. He says that team is having a strong year, and some players are getting call ups to the North Kawartha Knights Junior C team.