We are excited to bring you the latest edition of the Burlington Girls Hockey Club (BGHC) newsletter. This newsletter is designed to keep all our players, families, coaches, and volunteers informed about the latest league news, upcoming events, and important updates.
BGHC: Growth, Equity, and a Strong Future
The Burlington Girls Hockey Club (BGHC) has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past several seasons, working to become one of the largest and most progressive girls hockey associations in Ontario.
The BGHC has fought hard to secure more ice time than the club has ever had. This ensures female players receive equitable opportunities to train and develop, correcting long-standing disparities between boys and girls ice time. The increased allocation directly supports rep and house league growth across all age groups.
Today, the club boasts four rep teams at every age group, an expanded house league that is connected to the greater Halton region through Local League agreements, and a brand new U7 house league division. The U22 program, a key pathway for older athletes, has seen investment in expanded dressing room space.
Coach recruitment has been a clear priority with a focus on bringing in the right people to create a collaborative and collegial coaching group. Today, every A and AA team from U11AA through U18AA is led by a non-parent coach. Looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, the club will welcome some of the region's top coaches.
The BGHC is also focused on the future of female hockey in Burlington. The club has been a strong advocate at the City of Burlington for the construction of new facilities that will meet the needs of a growing sport.
By partnering with third-party vendors such as the Shield and Power Play, the club has added high-quality development opportunities that enhance skill growth across all levels of play.
We're rolling out our refreshed B logo this season as the mark of the Barracudas' future. The classic crest isn't going anywhere as it'll live proudly on the shoulder of our rep jerseys and remain the official logo for our House League and DS programs.
Above all, the BGHC has made a strong commitment to put Burlington residents first. By tightening residency requirements at the B, BB, and A levels (and AA up to U13), the club has ensured that roster spots are prioritized for local kids. For our High Performance Program teams, the BGHC has committed to reducing the number of import players by 25 percent over the next three years.
New Club Administrator
We're excited to welcome Sabrina Cataford as our new Club Administrator. With the Barracudas experiencing rapid expansion and record-setting growth, Sabrina will play a key role in keeping the organization running smoothly day to day. She will be the point contact for many of the moving parts that come with operating one of Ontario's largest girls hockey programs. Sabrina's addition gives our volunteers and board members the support needed to stay focused on long-term development and initiatives, while ensuring the club continues to deliver a high-quality experience for every player and family.
Rep Update
What a fantastic start to the 2025/26 rep hockey season! On behalf of the BGHC, a special Cudas shout-out to the following tournament medal winners so far this year:
U11BB (Taylor)- SILVER MEDALISTS at the North Halton Twisters Tournament;
U18BB1 (Valiquette) - SILVER MEDALISTS at the North Halton Twisters Tournament;
U18BB1 (Valiquette) - SILVER MEDALISTS at the Oakville Harvest Classic Tournament;
U18BB1 (Valiquette) - BRONZE MEDALISTS at the Canadian Cup Tournament in Montreal;
U13BB (Bye) - SILVER MEDALISTS at the Oakville Harvest Classic Tournament;
U15B (Alvarez) - SILVER MEDALISTS at Wickfest;
U13AA (Ellis) - GOLD MEDALISTS at Roc City Girls Fest;
U15AA (Bishop) - THIRD in the Best of the Nest Invitational
House League Update
From top to bottom, the BGHC House League program is going strong in 2025/26.
Our Grow the Game program (sponsored by our friends at Bauer) welcomes 157 little Cudas to the start of their hockey journey. For the first time, we are also offering a sold out U7 house league program to 100 girls. Our U9 program has similarly experienced enormous growth - for the first time in recent years, we have 8 full teams and 115 players.
2025/26 also marks the inaugural year of the Halton Local League where U11 to U18 teams from Burlington, North Halton, and Oakville are playing against each other all year long. Burlington is proud to ice 14 full teams with 208 players in this inaugural season.
None of this would be possible without the almost 200 people who volunteer their time as coaches, trainers, managers, dressing room monitors, and all the other volunteers that keep the league running. Thank you everyone. We couldn't do it without you!
20TH THE GIFT OF GIVING BACK
The Gift of Giving Back is Canada's largest youth-led food drive celebrating its 20th year of supporting local agencies that provide our friends and neighbours with the help they need when they are facing tough situations.
The BGHC has been a longtime supporter of the Gift, recognizing we are not only raising and supporting great teammates and hockey players, but great human beings.
The final event takes place Dec. 2 and 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Nelson High School. Coaches will have an opportunity to sign their team up for a time slot. Please bring all food and /or financial donations to the drop off event.
Save the Date
April 14, 2026
The BGHC is excited to announce the first annual Barracuda Ball will take place April 14, 2026. In its inaugural year the BGHC is opening the ball to all rep players. It will be an opportunity to celebrate teams' achievements this year. If there is sufficient interest, the BGHC hopes to expand the ball to house league players in the future. We will be providing more details in the coming weeks. Go Cudas!
Thanks to Daredevil НОСКЕУ
On behalf of the Burlington Girls Hockey Club, we want to extend a sincere thank you to Daredevil Hockey for their incredible support as an Elite Level sponsor of our program and of female hockey in Burlington.
Your commitment to our players has had a direct impact on what we have been able to build and grow as a club. From creating more opportunities for girls to play at every level, to supporting a safer and more professional environment on and off the ice, much of what we have accomplished simply would not be possible without your partnership.