The Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League will operate with seven teams this upcoming season.

The Landmark Blues are back and will join the Steinbach Huskies, Springfield Xtreme, Niverville Clippers, Red River Mudbugs, Macdonald Swarm and defending champion Lorette Comets.

The Blues, who won the very first HTJHL championship in 1987-88, rejoined the league in the fall of 2020 after a 25-year absence and played only two games before the season was suspended after one week and eventually cancelled due to COVID-19.

Landmark took a leave of absence and did not compete last season.

The Blues, Huskies, Xtreme, Clippers, Mudbugs, Swarm and Comets will play a 24-game schedule with the start date still to be determined.

HTJHL president Darrell Lupky did confirm that during Tuesdays league meeting, all seven teams reported a good number of players had committed to playing this season.