The Sarnia Legionnaires won't be joining a proposed new super league after all.

Club president Tom Knight said Wednesday the team will not be applying for membership to the Ontario Hockey Association's proposed Premier League next fall because the costs are too high.

In fact, it would cost about $500,000 a year to operate in the new loop, which would essentially be a Tier II Jr. 'A' circuit. By way of contrast, it costs about $250,000 to $300,000 to run a Jr. 'B' club.

The OHA hopes to form a 16-team Premier League made up of existing Tier II Jr. 'A' and Jr. 'B' clubs. At the same time, it proposes to merge Jr. 'C' and 'D' teams into one category, essentially eliminating Jr. 'D.'

Knight said last month that the Legionnaires would probably apply for membership in the new league because, if if they didn't do so, there was some danger that they could be relegated to Jr. 'C.' But the team has been assured that will not be its fate.

He said all nine teams in the Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior 'B' Hockey League have decided not to apply for the Premier League.

"We are a volunteer based, non-profit entity with a mandate to give local talent a quality place to play junior hockey,” he said. “Without the strong corporate and individual (seasons ticket holder) support we receive we could not exist.”

Knight also had words of praise for the Mooretown Flags, saying the Jr. 'C' club has been "outstanding in their co-operation and support this season of the Sarnia Legionnaires. The Legionnaires and the Flags, who are both playoff bound, will finish the regular season and playoffs by developing the players currently on their rosters and moving players up and down depending on each others' needs, using the affiliation agreement in place as it is intended."

The Legionnaires, he added, "will not take players away from our Jr. 'C' affiliate."