Ball hockey league hopes to attract more players as it rolls into third season

While the ice outside may be melting and the temperatures are warming up, hockey is still being played.

But this version of the game has a bit of a twist, as it isn’t played on a frozen surface.

The Saskatchewan Premier Ball Hockey League (SPBHL) is entering its third season. The league brings in around 100 players for five weeks of action, and there are some big ambitions for the league ever since its inception in 2021.

“We built the premier league here in Saskatchewan with the idea that we will one day turn pro,” said SPHBL owner and commissioner Justin D’Entremont.

He said the interest is there from hockey fans, but he and the league just have to keep growing the game.

“There’s so many hockey players in Canada, in Saskatchewan, and everyone has played ball hockey at some point. Even if it’s nothing else, they’ve played it in elementary gym glass or just on the streets with their friends,” D’Entremont said.

“It’s a very familiar game.”

But right now, he said, it’s just about giving more access to athletes who want to continue playing the sport and making sure there’s a highly competitive league operating.

“It’s very easy and natural for people to play, so I just kind of believe that if we build a step up, like a more competitive avenue for the top-end players to play, I have full belief that it’s going to keep growing,” D’Entremont added.

The SPBHL is also attracting some high-level talent. D’Entremont said a player who signed an NHL contract a few years ago is competing in the league, as well as multiple players who’ve played professionally in Europe, played at Canadian and American universities, and competed at the junior A and B level.

But that isn’t a requirement in order to join the league.

“If they’re good enough, they can play in the premier league. That’s all there is to it,” D’Entremont said.

The league built its schedule from mid-May to mid-July, D’Entremont explained, as organizers know some players have other commitments to club teams.

“If we introduced another league where it was a full schedule, it would be too much for everyone to play. So we have a nice, short schedule, and this way it allows us to have the best players in the province,” D’Entremont added.

Currently, he said, there are four teams in the league, and the rules are almost identical to ice hockey except for offsides.

In ball hockey, there is a “floating” blue line, so once the attacking team crosses the blue line the offside line becomes the red line, giving teams half the rink to operate with while trying to score.

The Saskatchewan league is the only one in the country at the moment. D’Entremont mentioned there is a three-on-three league in Quebec, but it plays differently than five-on-five ball hockey.

But that doesn’t mean the interest isn’t there.

“Vancouver Island is going to have a league this year and New Brunswick is going to have a league. I have buddies in those areas that saw what I was doing and they reached out and they’re going to get the ball rolling those areas as well,” D’Entremont said.

He said the goal and plan in the coming years is for other provinces to start to build their own leagues and then potentially open up interleague play and even a national championship weekend.

D’Entremont said the league is also open to other ideas and options, like adopting a format similar to European hockey and soccer where there are tournaments throughout the year which teams can be invited to.

While there aren’t as many options for competitive ball hockey leagues across Canada, there is still a passion for the sport around the world.

The International Street & Ball Hockey Federation has held the men’s world championship since 1996, and a women’s world championship since 2007. The Canadian men and women are both defending champions and have the most titles (six each). The next world championships will be held in 2024 in Switzerland.

Some players from Saskatchewan have represented Canada at the world championships in years past.

The women’s game is also aiming to get more traction within the next year or two. A women’s showcase featuring two teams will be organized this year to play six games.

D’Entremont said organizers plan on attracting enough players in order to be ready for 2024.

“We’re not sure we have a deep enough player pool to get four teams. We think the calibre of play wouldn’t be quite high enough, but we certainly have enough players for two good teams,” he said.

The Saskatchewan Premier Ball Hockey League’s season gets underway in Warman on May 17.