HUNTSVILLE - Yet another hat for longtime hockey supporter Andy Cooke.
Cooke was elected as the regional executive member, Region 5 at the Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s annual general meeting on June 11.
Among Cooke’s accomplishments during his 18-year involvement with minor hockey, he has served as president of Huntsville Minor Hockey Association, president of Muskoka Parry Sound Hockey League, OMHA convenor for Region 5 and served as OMHA centre contact for the Huntsville minor association.
Cooke was also the co-general manager for the Huntsville Otters when it was a junior A club and is presently the interim president of the new junior C team.
He was voted unanimously onto the board at the annual general meeting.
“We are delighted to welcome the new and returning members to the board,” said OMHA executive director Richard Ropchan. “Their combined professional expertise, as well as passion for minor hockey, will undoubtedly help the OMHA continue to be a leader in minor hockey within the province and across the country.”
For his part, Cooke said that he is pleased to be working with the board. “I will sit on the board and represent the OMHA region from Owen Sound to Haliburton in the east, north to Almaguin and sound to Elmvale. I will still stay focused on Muskoka-Parry Sound area as there are two representatives from this region. I will act as a liaison between the two centres and the OMHA now.”
He said that he relinquished the vice-president’s position with Huntsville minor hockey at its April general meeting so he can concentrate on his new OMHA job.
“That (dropping the Huntsville minor job) will take a ton off my plate,” he said.
As for his job with the Otters, Cooke said he plans to stay on the board as interim president.
“Right now I am continuing with the Otters until we drop the puck then we will re-assess that. Right now I am really enjoying (being with the Otters). This has been a very exciting work in progress. I am really happy with this. My long-term plan is for someone to step in and take this over.”