After more than 30 years filled with success, the Bruno Axemen Broomball Club will be inducted into the Humboldt & District Sports Hall of Fame in November.
The team began in 1980 as a high school team and has seen many members come and go over the years, although all were originally from Bruno. They played alongside another team called the Prime Timers, which was a non-contact team, meaning no hitting allowed.
"Probably none of the current players are the same, although there might be one or two still playing," said Ray Bender, the team coach and one of the original members. "I've played since the beginning and in '89 or '90, I started coaching. Been there ever since."
Thus far, the team has won 17 provincial titles and finished second five times. By winning provincials, they were also eligible to represent Saskatchewan at nationals the subsequent year. As such, they went on to win three national championships in 2004, 2006, and 2007. In that last year, they won 35 out of 37 games and then triumphed in six consecutive games at nationals, taking home the gold in overtime.
"It wasn't easy against Quebec or Ontario because they have numbers and they're powerhouses," said Bender. "We probably won because of lots of hard work, practice, and determination. You just got to stick with it."
The game itself is nearly identical to ice hockey, the only differences being that the red line is offside instead of the blue lines and the net is a little bigger. Also, the fitness required is different since you're constantly running. There's no opportunity to just stop and glide on skates at any point.
Yet, despite these similarities to a nationally acclaimed sport, the popularity for broomball seems to be dwindling. Saskatoon's league of teams seem to have all but vanished, the only remnants left it their lady's league.
On the upside, Bruno's team seems to be holding strong, possibly because the sports isn't just about the competitions for them.
"For the players, it's about getting out, getting some exercise, and having some fun with the guys," said Bender. "For the competition, we go provincials and from there try to go to nationals."
Currently, the team is made up of individuals between the ages of 20 and 50 and they practice once a week. Some of the younger players also have other sports on the go at the same time.
According to Bender, Canada is the best in the world for broomball. If those athletes are winning nationals, it could potentially mean that they're essentially the best in the world.
Seems to be just the right fit for the Humboldt & District Sports Hall of Fame.
