St. Marys Academy U18 prep hockey team crushed after program gets slashed – Winnipeg [Video]

The St. Mary’s Academy Flames prep team is getting ready for playoffs, despite it being a very emotional time.

The all-girls private Catholic school is cutting the program and this will be the final season.

“It took everybody by complete surprise,” Jamie Bettens, who has a daughter on the team, said.

This elite sports program prepares girls to play at the highest level, with many going off to play university hockey. The Flames are part of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) and are often travelling to play other teams.

Bettens says St. Mary’s Academy knew they would shutter the program last May, but the team wasn’t told until November.

“Due to the notification so late, we passed deadlines that were crucial to the CSSHL, which handcuffed our ability to get this off the ground and and has essentially killed the program at this point,” Bettens said.

The athletes …