Olds Minor Hockey Association and the Olds College Broncos Expand Partnership

The Olds Minor Hockey Association and the Olds College Broncos recently completed a pilot partnership for the 2024-25 hockey season to explore establishing the Junior Broncos for the delivery of the Olds Minor Hockey female program. With the conclusion of the hockey season, both organizations are pleased to announce that the trial year was successful and that Olds Minor Hockey and the athletic program at Olds College have committed to a long-term partnership.

The Junior Broncos will remain under the governance and operational decision-making of Olds Minor Hockey Association but will align with the player development, culture and branding of the Olds College Broncos female program. Key highlights of the program will include Broncos players helping with training, practices and game-day activities for Olds Minor Hockey’s female program. The program will build on the Broncos’ commitment to community engagement and position Olds as a competitive community of choice for female hockey.

In recognition of the collaboration, Olds Minor Hockey and Olds College have jointly approved a branding update to officially implement the Junior Broncos program. For the 2025-26 season, the youngest to middle-aged divisions of the Junior Broncos will wear jerseys that align with the logo and colours of the Broncos brand, with Olds Minor Hockey insignia included as patches on the jerseys. As community sponsors are secured, the Junior Broncos branding will be incorporated into older age divisions as well.

“The board of directors has prioritized the development of female hockey as one of the strategic initiatives of the association,” said Olds Minor Hockey president Jeremy Haaland. “Over the last year, we have worked to strengthen every aspect of our program, and we are well-positioned to grow Olds Minor Hockey’s female program. The partnership with the Broncos allows us to fulfill our development goals for local female hockey.”

Olds Minor Hockey Association’s female coordinator, Levi Oglivie, added, “To attract female players, it is critical that we have strong, quality programming options and that girls have the confidence to know they will have a place to play and an opportunity to advance to the next level. Olds Minor Hockey’s partnership with the Broncos accomplishes these objectives while providing our female players with local role models and player mentorship.”

“If female players can see it, they can be it, and our intent is to encourage minor hockey female players to set competitive goals for themselves to play as far as the game can take them. Wearing a Junior Broncos jersey is one important way we are building the mentoring relationship between college and minor female players, and the Broncos look forward to building on the success of last season’s pilot for this generation of female players,” said Olds College Broncos head coach Matt McKnight.

"Community relationships are vital to the success of Broncos athletics,” Olds College Vice President, Peter Mal added. “Our goal is to foster new connections while strengthening our existing ties within the community. Extending our partnership with OMHA is an exciting step forward in that objective allowing us to contribute to an environment where young players can grow and take pride in themselves, their sport and community."

Olds Minor Hockey and the Broncos will launch the new Junior Broncos jerseys before the upcoming hockey season. Registration for Olds Minor Hockey’s 2025-26 season opens in early June. For additional information or questions, the public is invited to visit www.oldsminorhockey.com.

According to 2023-24 hockey season statistics, 108,313 women and girls were registered as players in Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs, representing 19.9 per cent of all participants and the highest percentage in Canadian hockey history.