West Michigan Elite Hockey Club to be sponsored by Meijer, now known as Meijer AAA Hockey

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By @MichaelCaples –

The new West Michigan Tier I hockey association has a new name and a new sponsor.

It was announced today that The West Michigan Elite Hockey Club has entered into a new partnership with Meijer, Inc. Starting in the 2015-16 season – the first for the new hockey program – they will be known as Meijer AAA Hockey.

“We are pleased to have Meijer, a local family-owned company, be a part of our inaugural season of Tier I hockey in West Michigan,” said Jeff Mitchell, president of the WMEHC. “To have the support of one of the most prominent businesses in our state, we have even more confidence in our new hockey club as we progress towards our inaugural season.”

west_michigan_hc_circle2The financial support from Meijer will allow the WMEHC to support both their own players and the hockey community as a whole by offering opportunities for players to experience the game at the highest youth hockey level.

The WMEHC was formed during this past season as a parternship between the GBCHA (Greater Battle Creek Ice Hockey Association), GRAHA (Grand Rapids Amateur Hockey Association), Grand Rapids Blades Hockey Association, Grand Valley Amateur Hockey Association, Hockey Association of West Kent, JAHA (Jackson Amateur Hockey Association) Kentwood Hockey Association, KOHA (Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association), Lansing Hockey Club, Muskegon Chiefs Amateur Hockey Association and the Rockford Hockey Association.

“We are excited to represent the Meijer name and their values in the community we jointly serve,” said Tom Berry, director of hockey. “Our Meijer AAA Hockey boys teams will have Squirts (10 year olds) through Midget (18 year olds) and will be adding Girls AAA in the 2016-17 season.”

The WMEHC is the second West Michigan Tier I organization to announce a corporate sponsorship this year; in February, the Michigan Nationals announced a partnership with Fox Motors. They both join longtime businesses Little Caesars, Compuware, Honeybaked, Belle Tire and Victory Honda as Tier I organizations playing under a corporate name.