Chris Clegg

Matters looked very bleak June 2 when the High Prairie Regals’ bid to rejoin the North Peace Hockey League for the 2024-25 was rejected at the spring meeting.

But, as the team has shown many times since the 1950s, it rallied, rose from the ashes and found a way to rejoin the league.

It was the first win of what we hope are many this coming season.

NPHL bylaws allow for teams to join the league only at the spring meeting. The Regals used an obscure clause in the NPHL constitution and were allowed to submit a late bid. The bid was 50 pages long and probably the best ever submitted to the league. Newly-elected president Lindsay Davies and the rest of the executive did an amazing job. In the end, after rejecting multiple bids from the Regals to re-enter the NPHL, they were accepted. The majority of teams, who vote and not the league executive, could not say no. The bid was that good!

So now begins the work of icing a team. There are a million and one things to do to organize an NPHL team. The average fan has little idea how much work is involved, how many rules have to be followed, and – most importantly – how much money has to be raised to maintain a team. The fact is, no team in the NPHL makes money during the regular season.

Calls to South Peace News indicate the region is hungry for senior hockey to return. The trick now is to ice a competitive product that will attract fans.

The interest in the Regals has always been sky-high, but getting paying bums into the seats is another matter, especially with NHL games on TV every night. In the 1950s until the 1970s, the NPHL was the only game in town. It now has to compete with the NHL and a myriad of other recreation opportunities.

And in High Prairie’s case, with the well-established four-time champion Junior A High Prairie Red Wings. Can the region support two teams? Absolutely! This is a hockey mad market!

The Regals last played a regular season game Feb. 2, 2019 when they defeated the visiting Manning Comets 5-2. The Regals won only four of 24 games that season. Ten days later, the arch-rival Falher Pirates celebrated a four-game playoff sweep with a 7-2 win in High Prairie.

The Regals open the season Oct. 26 when they play the defending champion Spirit River Rangers at the Sports Palace. The last regular season home game was 2,092 days ago. Too long!

The Regals are tied with the Grimshaw Huskies for most league titles at 13. Names from the past who contributed to such a great tradition: Ted Oliver, Danny Mullion, Tony Doll, Jim Kozie, John Czuy, Pete Czuy, Jack Boehm, Bill Dyck, Bob Smith, Reg Bentley, Jim McLean, Rick McDonald, Dwayne Pollack, Rod Berg, Tom Iannone, Ron Rose, Rick Dumont, Ed Fudali, Steven Matthews and many more.

In the non-title years we were entertained by Tyler Shantz, and a slew of players from the Gauchier and Cunningham families. And many more!

It is time to ‘restore the roar!’