Chad Farr says bringing midget AAA hockey to Estevan has been a dream for people on the Estevan Minor Hockey Association (EMHA) board and in the community for a long time.
That dream is now a reality.
The EMHA has been awarded an expansion team into the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League for the 2019-20 season. The team, to be known as the Estevan Bears, will allow top young hockey players age 15-17 in the Estevan area to continue to play hockey locally, while bringing in players from elsewhere in southeast Saskatchewan and other parts of the province.
Previously the top 15-17-year-old players from the southeast have had to go elsewhere in the province to play at the highest level of minor hockey in Saskatchewan.
Farr, who is the vice-president of the EMHA and the chairperson of the committee trying to bring midget AAA to Estevan, said other groups have tried to bring that level of hockey here previously, but the EMHA decided to try one last time, especially with the changes occurring in the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, and due to the number of players in their zone.
“Sask. Hockey has changed their views, they’re more looking at it for the zone representation for associations for total number of kids, quality of kids, and so on and so forth,” he said. “It’s really exciting to know that we’re in a really populated zone that produces many quality hockey players that move up on through the ranks, not just in the last couple of years, but in the last 10-15 years.”
A lot of kids have left Estevan and other communities to further their hockey skills once they were in midget or even in bantam.
“Now there’s opportunities to stay at home and play through the system and play at the highest level that we offer in minor hockey in the area,” said Farr.
The support from Estevan, Weyburn and other communities in the region was “overwhelming,” he said.
Players can come from anywhere in the province to try out and play for the Bears, but Farr said the focus will be on kids from this zone, which extends from the Manitoba border to Highway 6, and from the U.S. Border to Highway 1. While the zone doesn’t include Regina, it includes Regina suburbs to the east.
“Our zone has a wide range to it, it’s a good region and it’s well populated with minor hockey associations that help populate the zone with quality kids,” said Farr.
Bringing the proposal together took three to four months, and Farr said the EMHA was proud of the document they submitted to the SHA. The focus now shifts to putting a team on the ice. They will need to hire a coaching staff and set up a board.
“There’s going to be a lot of work ahead us. We understand that, and we’re all excited to get going on it,” he said.
The coach would be a paid position. It could be somebody brought in from outside the region.
As for the executive, it will be a subcommittee of the EMHA. That subcommittee will work separately, but if anything goes sideways or if there is turmoil, then Farr said the EMHA will step in and help straighten the situation out.
“Most clubs are run in a similar fashion, where it’s a subcommittee with a board of directors … branched to the minor hockey association.”
Billets will also have to be found for the team due to the players who will be coming in from outside the Estevan area.
The Bears will also need to find scouts to locate talent for next season. The Estevan Bruins and the Weyburn Red Wings sent in letters of support for the Bears, and Farr said they have scouting staffs that can assist the Bears. Bantam AA coaches are combing through the league this year for talent and to see what’s out there.
“Now that we’re confirmed and it’s official, we can start understanding and identifying kids that may want to play at this level,” said Farr.
Home games will be played in Estevan at Affinity Place.
Warman was also welcomed into the league for next season. The Beardy’s Blackhawks and the Notre Dame Argos will not be returning; the Notre Dame Hounds will still be in the league.
The formation of the Bears will not affect the Estevan Apex midget AA Bruins, who will continue to play in the Saskatchewan Midget AA Hockey League.
