CIHL looks to Northwest development
The Canadian International Hockey League — an Ontario-based loop operating under the auspices of the United Hockey Union and sanctioned by the Amateur Athletic Union — has announced the appointment of an experienced manager to oversee development and expansion to Northwestern Canada.
CIHL founder president Tim Clayden has appointed 44-year-old Todd Howarth as the new league’s director of Northwestern development.
Howarth brings a full hockey resume to the CIHL.
The Dryden, Ont. native first made waves in the hockey world as a high-scoring forward at the junior level with the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League. He later took his talents to the Saskatchewan Jr. Hockey League with the Weyburn Red Wings.
Howarth also made stops along the minor-pro circuit in the Central Hockey League and United Hockey League.
After his playing days, Howarth turned his attention to coaching, where he guided the Thunder Bay North Stars of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League to three straight titles from 2004 to 2006, winning the Dudley-Hewitt Cup in ’06.
“I am a winner at whatever I do,” boasted the three-time SIJHL coach of the year. “And I never give up, I succeed at whatever I put my mind to and I want the CIHL to have a future presence and succeed here in Northwestern Ontario.
“I have been involved in junior hockey here a long time and I see the CIHL as an exciting junior hockey opportunity that many of our Northwestern Ontario kids and their parents have been seeking for a long time.
“We already have teams interested now for the 2015-2016 CIHL season from Wawa to Thunder Bay to Winnipeg,” Howarth added.
Clayden, meanwhile, said “it is exciting to add a person of Todd’s hockey knowledge and junior hockey experience to our CIHL Executive Branch.
“Todd has always been a straight shooter, always has been and quite frankly more junior hockey straight shooting at this level needs to be done. What you see is what you get with Todd Howarth. He’s a black-and-white type of person and we are lucky to have him and his knowledge sitting around our CIHL table.”
(with files from Brent Cooper)