The start of the 2022-23 Tiger Hills Hockey League season is just over one month away.

Representatives of the 15 teams who competed last season along with two additional teams and the league executive met in Wawanesa Monday night to work out plans for the upcoming season.

"It was a good meeting," said league president Rodney White. "We had 17 teams in attendance. Miniota-Elkhorn and Rivers both applied to get in and both were successful. Boissevain is a question mark. It sounds like they may not be back in so we might be 16 teams."

Earlier this summer the Miniota-Elkhorn C-Hawks informed the North Central Hockey League executive that they would be applying to join the THHL.

The C-Hawks went 12-0 in the regular season and then swept both the Waywayseecappo Warriors and Swan Valley Axemen en route to winning the NCHL championship this spring for the sixth time since 2012.

President White says Miniota-Elkhorn and Rivers are welcome additions to the league.

"It's some added competition and some new rinks to see. Miniota-Elkhorn has been strong for a number of years with a very local team and Rivers will have a good young team. It'll be great. It makes scheduling a little bit harder but it will be good."

Miniota-Elkhorn and Rivers will join the Killarney Shamrocks, Hartney Blues, Neepawa Farmers, Gladstone Lakers, MacGregor Wild, Cartwright Clippers, Pilot Mound Pilots, Minnedosa Bombers, Souris Elks, Deloraine Royals, Melita Bisons, Wawanesa Jets, Virden Oil Kings and Carberry Plainsmen.

The defending champion Boissevain Border Kings are looking for player commitments and have until Friday to inform the THHL of their status for the upcoming season.

White says the Border Kings situation is unfortunate.

"We've had Carberry take a couple of years off and now they're back and the same with Wawanesa and Gladstone. It happens - senior hockey is very reciprocal. It all depends on what's coming up in your system and there are years when there's no players coming up."