The Deer Lake Red Wings will not be participating in the Allan Cup this year in Conception Bay South.

President Bern Dolomount says the decision was made after consultation with their players because of what he calls continual and “evolving player eligibility.”

He says they feel that will water down the team’s current roster to make them less competitive.

The Allan Cup is no longer a Hockey Canada sanctioned tournament but instead is an invitational one run by a committee of the Ontario Hockey Association.

Dolomount says despite attempts to meet the “changing requirements of the tournament, they’ve concluded that their efforts would be best spent on ‘exploring other more potentially exciting opportunities for fans’ and the team.”