Written By Jan Sims
KOMOKA - The puck is set to drop at the Komoka Wellness Centre on another season for the Komoka Kings. The Kings will face the LaSalle Vipers for their home opener on September 12th.
Kings President and General Manager Roop Chanderdat says there’s a lot for fans to look forward to in the 2026-2027 season. “We have a new Head Coach behind our bench, in Brett Hope, who is motivated to help build a strong team and continue building upon a strong culture in Komoka. We also have six OHL-drafted players on the roster as of right now.”
There will be a mix of new and retuning Kings players on the ice. Behind, the bench. the coaching staff is entirely new this season, with the exception of goaltending coach, Brendan O’Neill. “Brett Hope now serves as Head Coach after six years at the helm of various teams, including the Blenheim Blades of the PJHL and the Chatham-Kent Cyclones minor hockey program. Also joining the staff are Sean O’Brien, Michael Woolley, and Dylan Thomas as assistant coaches. Dave MacDonald returns to the organization as Assistant Goaltending Coach and Hockey Operations Assistant,” says Chanderdat.
Earlier this summer, the Greater Ontario Hockey League announced adoption of the Ontario Hockey League Playing Rules. In a statement, the GOHL says: “By operating under the same playing rules as the OHL, our athletes, coaches and officials will benefit from greater consistency, preparing players more effectively for advancement to the next level.”
Roop Chanderdat calls this an “exciting development” for the league. “With that said, not much impact is expected on the day-to-day. Players will still have full facial protection as in previous years and the fighting penalties will not change,” says Chanderdat. “The icing rule was already updated to reflect the OHL’s rule last year. The one impact we may see around the league is the delay of game - puck over glass penalties. In Komoka we are lucky to be in a state-of-the-art facility with consistent, NHL-sized rinkboards around our ice surface. Some of the older venues in our league have smaller glass. Now, as players can be penalized for shooting a puck directly out of play, there could be a larger number of penalties for those playing in those venues,” adds Chanderdat.
