New ‘elite’ hockey league gearing up for inaugural season

A new hockey league that surfaced earlier this month is hoping to catch the attention of hockey parents across Saskatchewan.

The unofficial launch happened when a website for the Sask. Elite Hockey League began popping up on screens ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend.

The new unsanctioned league is meant to serve as an alternative for young highly-skilled players looking to flourish and make the most of their potential.

Dayle Wilcox is part of the ownership group trying to introduce the new league as an alternative to the minor hockey programs offered by Hockey Canada.

“Hockey groups around Saskatchewan have been in talks for a number of years to have a different option for our higher-end players,” he said. “It’s never happened, so our ownership group got together and thought now was the time to do it.”

The concept has seen a similar league in Alberta grow to 60 teams and six divisions three years after launching.

“We want to use that and bring it to the people of Saskatchewan,” Wilcox said.

He’s aiming to have four teams in five age groups for players born between 2007 and 2011.

Power skating, professional skills coaching and what he called high-end practices will be emphasized over competition. A showcase tournament between the four teams every three weeks will take care of most of the games.

Interest for teams has come from small franchises looking to install one or two teams, as well as hockey academies looking to enter the league and run a program from their own location.

The idea for opening avenues for young elite players came from the popularity of spring hockey as many young athletes ditch playing a different sport in spring and summer months to remain on the ice.

Many spring teams consist of two or three top players from a variety of minor hockey teams.

Wilcox is hoping to eventually eliminate the skill gap.

“Instead of those three or four kids playing with average kids, we want to keep the top-end kids together for the whole winter season and into the spring season.”

SMHA executive director remains cautious

Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association executive director Kelly Boes thinks the popularity of spring hockey created the urge for elite hockey leagues, especially for novice- and atom-aged players that weren’t previously exposed to such competitions.

That urge grows larger as Hockey Canada attempts to grapple with the lack of available prime-time ice rentals across the country and growing costs, forcing moves to half-ice games.

“This is kind of the counter to that, to maybe get kids playing more full-ice hockey games, versus half and third-ice games,” Boes said.

The Sask. Elite Hockey League is fully insured, but Boes warns what the unsanctioned status could mean for parents.

“I would just use caution, because typically with these type of leagues, there’s no guarantee that they will last the entire season.” he said.

Hockey Canada could potentially stop players from joining its minor hockey programs until the following season if players are left without a team three months into the season.

Wilcox couldn’t estimate cost projections for players, but with the intention of using full sheets of ice, training sessions and travel costs, the prices could add up quickly.

The Hockey Super League in Alberta costs as much as $5,000 per player.

Boes is eager to watch how the new league develops but will soon find out how it impacts minor hockey in Saskatoon.

“You don’t like to see kids go, but they’re still playing hockey,” Boes said. “So at the end of the day, the kids at the upper levels have always had more choices and have usually taken care of themselves as they’ve gone along in hockey.”