Clinton Radars on hiatus, aim for comeback in 2023

BY DENNY SCOTT

The Clinton Radars are taking a one-year hiatus from the Western Ontario Athletics Association Senior Hockey League with Manager/Treasurer Brian Wightman saying  that decision is due to a number of issues.

The announcement was made late last month and Wightman spoke to The Citizen about the decision recently, saying it was a difficult decision to make.

“It was a combination of factors,” he said. “We didn’t have as many returning players as we’d like to see and we were a bit short on bench staff, trainers and equipment people. It was really a collection of issues.”

Wightman said the club, which had made it to the AA Championship Final last year, falling to the Seaforth Centenaires in five games, would be holding meetings later this year to help plan for a return in the 2023-2024 season.

He said there could have been some exhaustion among the players and volunteers as, for six seasons, the team has progressed through the postseason, including winning the championship in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Wightman said he didn’t believe COVID-19 cancellations, including the 2020-2021 season and the brief hiatus in the 2021-2022 season, played a part in the decision, and that he hopes the hiatus doesn’t last longer than one season.

He said the aforementioned meetings would focus on retooling and getting new volunteers and executives in place, as well as looking at recruiting new players.

“We are just going to try to get back on track and move forward,” he said.