Craig Gilbert | [email protected]
The American hockey league with franchises in Hinton and Edson wants to expand to Jasper.
Commissioner Ron White said the Western States Hockey League, a Tier II junior league, wants to seat a team in the Canadian Rockies.
“We’re extremely interested,” he said Friday. “Me personally, I’m sitting in southern California so it’s not like it’s a short trip to be there.”
White and Derek Prue, the international expansion rep for the Western Provinces Hockey Association, will present to Jasper town councillors at a meeting Jan. 29.
The Hinton Wildcats played the Seattle Totems in Jasper in November.
“We had a good feeling when we were there in November,” he said. “I personally was there and talked to as many locals and residents from surrounding area as possible. They were all pretty impressed with the hockey.”
The league has teams based in California, Texas, Colorado, Washington, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona, Kansas and Utah. It announced at the end of last year its intent to expand into British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
White said he’s in talks with groups west of Edmonton and in eastern B.C., too.
“Jasper fits the puzzle pretty good.”
Hinton Mayor Marcel Michaels wrote in a letter of support included in the council agenda that he is “amazed” at the success of the Hinton Wildcats Jr. A club and “the way the team, its players and the league have woven themselves into the fabric of our community in a few short months.”
He said there’s a waiting list to host billets.
“The Wildcats … are the buzz of the town.”
According to the WSHL’s slideshow, Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland told USA Hockey magazine in 2017 the league is “pretty fabulous” to allow Canadian teams like the Wings in.
“It’s all about the kids, it’s all about getting them the exposure to play college hockey.”
