By Ned Bekavac
Guelph Tribune

The cat is finally out of the bag for the Guelph Ringette Association.

Local ringette players sporting the association’s cat logo on their attire over the years have spent lots of time answering a certain question from others: What is the name that goes with the cat?

Is it cougar?

Mountain lion?

Perhaps panther?

“We’ve put the mystery to rest,” says GRA president Doug Davidson.

From now on, the Guelph Ringette Association will use “Predators” as its handle.

Guelph ringette hasn’t really had a moniker before – “I guess that’s unusual,” says Davidson – but the slick cat logo seen on their jerseys and merch has been around for some time.

Now they have a hard-edged handle to go with the feisty feline.

The prez says several potential names were put forward, and Predators was ultimately decided as the go-to name.

“We’re proud of it,” Davidson says.

One of the new looks has a ring for an “O” in “Predators,” which gives it a look that distinguishes it from hockey, says the president.

The cat logo, as before, has a ring dangling from the “h” in “Guelph,” but now has “Predators” written underneath.

Approximately 250 players are registered for the 2012-2013 Guelph Ringette Association season.

For more information on the local loop, visit www.guelphringette.ca.

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Ringette history

The year 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of ringette in Canada. Below is a look at how the sport got its start in Guelph. The information comes from guelphringette.ca.

Ringette in Guelph was originally run by recreation and parks, for five seasons.

During the latter four years, Shirley Reynolds, alone, coached, refereed, kept time and organized the girls.

At the end of the 1975-76 season, an executive was elected.

By the beginning of the 1976-77 season, Guelph Ringette was a registered minor sport.

At that time there were approximately 95 girls playing on  seven teams. They used four and a half hours of ice time at Victoria Road Arena.

The first executive was made up of Jack Hendershott, president; Alex Campbell, vice-president; Marlene Gazzola, treasurer; Shirley Curtis, secretary; Shirley Reynolds, past director.