Back in October, I spent some time talking with a few hockey fans at one of the Fergus Devils' games when the subject of the high school team came up. Since the Falcons had yet to play a league game, I didn't really think about the question very much.

As November wore on and the Falcons took to the ice, the question came back to me a little. The more I thought about it, the more valid the question seemed.

Can the Falcons and Devils co-exist as successful (winning) programs?

The query was posed to me with successful in the mix, but I knew that if I went around asking that question then those who answered would undoubtedly find the loophole at the end of the rainbow - yes, they can be because success would be judged in different ways since the rules by which both play are different.

I altered the question when I talked with both teams, consulting Devils GM Brian Morrison for the junior perspective and Falcons coaches Brett Turner and Murray Skerritt for the high school's point of view. Each man offered some interesting points towards the ultimate question - can the Falcons and Devils win at the same time?

Skerritt made the point that high school hockey, at least for he and Turner, tends to lean towards teaching the game and preparing players to possibly make the jump to junior hockey once they finish high school (or sooner, if the move is warranted). He also pointed out that three seasons ago, the Devils were in the Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario league finals while the Falcons were heading off to CWOSSA.

As hosts of the provincial qualifier this year, Skerritt and Turner have a vested interest in making sure their team is strong enough to be there - simply hosting the tournament doesn't get the Falcons a spot there. Their team this season has benefitted from the departure of defenceman Shayne DeBoer from the Devils in favour of high school hockey, while Shane MacDonald left the Elmira Sugar Kings to come play at home.

In total, I estimate there are six to seven players that Morrions and the Devils would love to have on the team or at least have regular access to, DeBoer and MacDonald being two of them.

While Skerritt and Turner give themselves the task of preparing players to move up, Morrison said the Devils are suited to do likewise - pointing out that players like Jeremy Machin and Dane Dobbie both got their start in junior hockey with Fergus before moving on to Elmira. He believes that there is a misconception about Junior 'C' hockey at large, which leads some players and their families to steer clear (but not always in favour of the high school hockey option).

Perhaps the biggest factor against both enjoying long-term, sustained winning seasons simultaneously are the rules governing each league. OFSAA rules prohibit any player on a junior hockey team's roster from playing high school hockey past December 1 (November 1 is the CWOSSA cutoff date), and that essentially shields players from either side of the fence for at least half a season.

Morrison said he'd be in favour of an amendment to the rule that would allow a junior team to call up a high school player much the same way minor hockey players are allowed to be called up - Skerritt opposed the idea, saying too many teams would try to find a loophole in the rule and abuse it.

Another aspect is geography, and it's one that can clearly favour the Falcons. At the junior level, especially in 'C', good teams become elite teams when they're able to build around a core of local players and add imports as they're needed. For a high school, that's not an option and they basically go with the hand they're dealt - which this year means a small windfall of talent for Skerritt and Turner.

Without actually seeing the likes of DeBoer and MacDonald in the Devils' lineup it would be tough to say what kind of impact they would have. Their skill would be an upgrade without a doubt, but if they were joined by some more of the other skilled locals the picture could be radically altered in favour of the Devils.

In the end, putting winning teams on the ice at either the high school or junior level comes down to a player's choice. All three men were in agreement - the choice has to be in the player's hands on where they want to be.

For now, the question remains unanswered but the debate could go on for some time.