Clinton Radars taking 1-year leave of absence from WOAA Senior hockey
It appears the Clinton Radars dynasty has ground to a halt.
The powerhouse hockey club that won three consecutive WOAA Senior ‘AA’ championships starting in 2017 announced Wednesday it is taking a leave of absence.
“Our work will continue in the coming months to have the Radars back in WOAA play September 2023,” the team said in a statement.
As it stands, the leave of absence will last for the 2022-23 season.
Clinton was a force in Senior hockey circles thanks to a formidable roster of former OHL draft picks and elite former Junior players, including hometown hero Kurtis Bartliff.
The team also climbed back to the WOAA ‘AA’ Championship Finals last season, losing in five games to the Seaforth Centennaires.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire 2020-21 WOAA season was cancelled, and the 2020 playoffs were stopped in their semi-final round.
As recently as Sept. 23, the Radars were promoting tryouts of the upcoming season on social media. They provided no reason for the leave of absence.
“We would like to thank the team staff, players, volunteers, fans, community and sponsors for their past support,” the team said.
“We truly appreciate everyone's individual and collective contributions over the years.”
The Radars celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2019 and won league championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
In a message to sponsors, the team said: “We endeavor to reinvigorate the organization to be worthy of a renewal of your support in the future.”
The club said it will post notices on its website and social media about “upcoming meetings this fall to enable the Clinton Radars’ return to play.”