Metal Jackets announce AAA affiliate

The Motor City Metal Jackets have announced their affiliation with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, a AAA organization based out of Troy.

Grizzlies' club president Terry Bishop, Metal Jackets owner Kenji Yamada and all related organization personnel have worked hard to building a successful affiliate program within the Metro Detroit area and look forward to great mutual success this 2010-11 season and beyond.

Bishop offered the following statement:

I am pleased to officially announce the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies formal affiliation with the Motor City Metal Jackets of the NAHL. The Grizzlies will be the only youth program in the Detroit area to have official ties with a Jr team. With this partnership with the Metal Jackets we are also expanding into AAA hockey at the Bantam Major, Midget Minor and Midget Major levels.

The new teams will be called the Motor City Metal Jacket Grizzlies and will compete in the NAPHL. The AAA organization will be run by the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies Director of Hockey Terry Christensen.

The expansion into AAA and the affiliation with the NAHL will give a growth path for our boys that no other organization in youth hockey can give. The three new AAA teams will skate out of the Troy Sports Center, which will be a major plus for our A/AA teams. We plan on several joint "skill" sessions monthly where our A/AA and AAA teams will share ice and coaching staffs.