Saskatchewan Hockey Association realigns midget AAA and AA programs

Saskatchewan’s midget hockey programs will look different moving into the 2020-21 season.

The Saskatchewan Hockey Association announced Tuesday that it has realigned midget AAA and AA programs following an application process which closed on Oct. 1.

The process included specific criteria for programs, which included perspective AAA centres having an “established Male Hockey Program,” enough local coaching resources, billeting options, educational consultants, and the ability to sustain a team with a minimum of 18 skaters and two goaltenders.

Another aspect was having the ability to sustain a midget AA program, which SHA president Kelly McClintock said was needed due to another change.

“You can’t affiliate bantam players to midget AAA starting next year. We wanted to have a strong midget AA program in each of these communities,” he said.

Bantam-age players will not be eligible to be called up for both midget AAA and AA starting in 2020-21.

With the realignment, two teams were dropped from the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) and two new programs were created.

The Beardy’s Blackhawks program, which has run since 1995, along with the Notre Dame Argos were dropped from the league.

The Beardy’s Minor Hockey Association (BMHA) has since responded to the loss of the AAA program.

In a release on Facebook, BMHA president Jason Seesequasis said: “Our AAA Blackhawks are the only AAA midget team in all of Canada to be located on, and operated by, a First Nation. The only one. In this era of reconciliation, this team should be a point of pride, and a flagship franchise for a sport’s governing body like the SHA. Instead, they take a one-of-a-kind team, and with the stroke of a pen, they kill it. This is 2019. How does such a decision make any sense? I’m sorry if this sounds harsh. But it is upsetting.”

In the statement, the BMHA said it plans to “take the time needed to consult with its member clubs, legal counsel and other stakeholders to determine its next step. It will issue further statements when appropriate.”

Meanwhile, Estevan and Warman were awarded midget AAA teams based on their applications to the SHA.

McClintock said the players remaining on the Blackhawks and Argos will have the freedom to go to any team they wish.

“Kids look at what the closest (program) is to their residence, but a lot of times there’s kids that play all over,” he said.

McClintock said the league had more than 50 players from Saskatoon, but not all players suited up for either the Blazers or Contacts.

“The freedom to be able to play anywhere is a positive thing in our minds, and it provides kids opportunities,” he said.

Additionally, AAA players in the league will now have to be from Saskatchewan. Teams can’t draw from other provinces or countries.

The midget AA programs that aren’t linked to teams in the SMAAAHL are Humboldt, Lumsden, Martensville, Melville, Balgonie (Prairie Storm), Shellbrook, Kerrobert (West Central), and Weyburn.

The SHA made a similar change for women’s midget hockey for the 2019-20 season.

Beardy’s not going down without a fight

Beardy’s, which also had a midget AA team, played on the Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation. It’s the only team in the SMAAAHL or the SAAHL that is on a First Nation and run by a First Nation and has been in the SMAAAHL since 1995.

It has played as the Beardy’s Blackhawks since 1999-2000.

“We’re not happy with (the decision) to tell you the truth,” said Beardy’s midget AAA Chairman Rick Gamble. “But it didn’t come as a shock. We heard over the last five or six months and there were murmurs on the outside that indicated that Beardy’s was on the chopping block.

“They basically put us through a process that was predetermined, they knew what their decision was going to be and we had to go through with it and we got suck up the pipe to say the least.”

Teams needed to send in applications that showed their criteria to hold a midget AAA team. For Beardy’s, Gamble said team officials thought they had a great application. He said they mentioned their AA program, their education opportunities and more. They even got letters of support from three Canadian universities including the University of Calgary, and the University of Ottawa.

Gamble added they also got support from Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and other First Nations in Saskatchewan. He added that there were also a few teams currently in the league that supported Beardy’s staying.

“I don’t know what the heck is going on, what their rationale is, we’d like to find out,” Gamble told northeastNOW.

Beardy’s could appeal the decision to the SHA, but Gamble mentioned that isn’t what they plan to do. He said they could take some sort of “legal action” but they’re going to sit down as an association and discuss their options.

Historically Beardy’s has had very good teams in the SMAAAHL. Just last season, the Blackhawks took on the Tisdale Trojans in a spirited first-round series.

The Blackhawks also won the title during the 2000-01 season. They were also Air Canada Cup Western Regional champions that season, earning their spot in the national championship tournament (now named the Telus Cup) where they went 0-4-1 against five of the best teams in Canadian midget hockey.

Gamble said through the years, Beardy’s has provided something different for players.

“Quite frankly we’ve opened doors for a lot of native and non-native people,” he said. “Kids that play hockey that otherwise probably would never play hockey.”

— With files from northeastNOW’s Mat Barrett