New league sign of changing times?

David Willberg Willberg’s World

Saskatchewan seems to be embracing a new model when it comes to developing young hockey players.

Hockey Sask. announced last week the creation of a new AA hockey league for second-year players at the U15 level. The eight-team loop will begin play next season. Weyburn has a team, Estevan does not. (More on that in a bit).

It will be interesting to see the impact of this league. Would the top U15 players from a region wind up on a team? Would they go to school there during the hockey season, like what we see with the Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears, or would players travel to a city for games and practices?

What kind of impact would it have on the existing Saskatchewan AA Hockey League and its U15 AA circuit? Will it become a league for those in their first year of U15 hockey?

And will the players who aren’t in this new U15 AA league suffer from reduced visibility?

Will there be a trickle-down effect that impacts house leagues?

These are questions that are going to be answered in the next two years, not in April, as Hockey Saskatchewan tries out this new system. It’s apparently worked in other provinces.

It’s worth noting that Estevan wasn’t the only city snubbed for the new league, so don’t go blaming Estevan Minor Hockey and its efforts. Moose Jaw doesn’t have a team in the new league. Martensville has a team rather than Warman, while Melville has a team instead of Yorkton.

So there does seem to be a bit of a trend of putting teams in markets that don’t have U18 AAA hockey.

I think this new team should have been here. We have the Bears. Kids who will play in the new league would get a head start on their playing time in Estevan.

And frankly, Affinity Place is a much better venue than Weyburn’s Crescent Point Place, and I think the kids would far rather play here.

It’s also worth noting there are a few really talented local products who will be heading into their second year of U15 hockey next year. Estevan had a powerful U13 AA team in 2021-22; I was looking forward to seeing how those kids fare in their second season of U15 hockey.

At the same time, I do understand the challenge that adding another team would create for our already-loaded winter ice sports schedule. This year was obviously particularly daunting for those allocating ice time. And while next year should be more normal, another team would force more teams to head out of town for ice time.

This new league comes at a time of growing change in Saskatchewan minor hockey and where young athletes play. Fifteen years ago, the Western Hockey League’s draft was almost entirely kids from U15 AA or AAA leagues. In the most recent WHL draft, 17 of the 22 players selected were from hockey academies, such as the famed Notre Dame Hounds program in Wilcox or the Prairie Hockey Academy in Caronport. It’s hard to say whether this was a high-water mark for the academy system, but the shift to prep leagues has been happening for a while.

A new league for second-year U15 AA players might help keep kids playing in their hometowns, or they might be closer to home.

This announcement comes at the same time as we hear that the B.C. Hockey League is talking of separating from Hockey Canada and creating a new elite junior A hockey league that could also have some teams from Alberta.

This new league would likely attract even more top under-20 players from Saskatchewan than the B.C. and Alberta junior hockey leagues do now. Consequently, it would mean even fewer scouts coming to watch games here. I’m not sure how many top-end prospects would opt for the B.C. league over staying in Saskatchewan, but even if it’s two or three players per team, it’ll impact the calibre of play.

And if the new B.C. league does proceed, then the efforts of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to promote players and their accomplishments will be more important than ever.

Lots to consider. I think I’ll put it at the back of my mind and go watch the Estevan Strippers’ tournament. Lots of fun, recreational hockey to enjoy.