While there is a lot of hockey action going on in the Battlefords right now, it’s still a few weeks before the season starts up for teams in the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League.
The popular league is heading into season number six, and teams have begun preparations for the new season.
Last week, the Battleford Beaver Blues held open tryouts. The tryouts were last Thursday and Friday nights and were open to anyone looking for a roster spot.
League rosters are due by Nov. 1, according to the league’s website.
This upcoming season will see a total of 10 teams in the league, the same number as last year but with a couple of changes.
One change for the upcoming season of the SPHL is the departure of the Perdue Pirates, who have taken a leave of absence from the league after losing their home arena during the offseason.
The Perdue arena burned to the ground in a massive blaze May 23, leaving the Pirates with nowhere to play. The leave is for one year.
The other change is the addition of the Edam Three Stars. The long-established hockey club joins the SPHL from the ruins of the now-defunct North Saskatchewan River Hockey League.
The NSRHL collapsed this past offseason after seeing a number of teams leave the league over the past few seasons, leaving the league with too few teams to carry on.
A year earlier, the defending league champions Wilkie Outlaws departed for the Sask West Hockey League. This season, the Maidstone Jets and Paradise Hill Hawks have joined the SaskAlta senior league.
Meanwhile, the other two NSRHL franchises, the St. Walburg Eagles and Meadow Lake Stampeders, have announced they are taking the year off.
The other teams in the SPHL are all returning to action, including the Meota Combines (playing out of North Battleford Civic Centre), the defending champion Hafford Hawks, Cut Knife Colts, Radisson Wheatkings, Maymont Settlers, Glaslyn North Stars, Shellbrook Silvertips and Spiritwood Timberwolves.
The SPHL resumes play Nov. 14 in Spiritwood as the Timberwolves take on the Edam Three Stars. The first home game for the Meota Combines is Nov. 20 against Edam at the Civic Centre. Game time is 7:30 pm.
The first home game for the Battleford Beaver Blues is the following night, Nov. 21 against Hafford. Game time is 8 p.m. at the Battleford Arena.
