It was short and to the point, but there are big things ahead for the club.The Humboldt Broncos held their annual general meeting at the Uniplex on July 6 with about a dozen people in attendance. According to out-going president Lee Dufort, the Broncos' 2009-2010 season was shorter than they were used to after the previous three seasons, but with the returning veterans and prospects coming to camp in the fall, the 2010-2011 season looks pretty bright.Part of that brightness can be attributed to the 2012 RBC Cup that Humboldt will be hosting, he added."It's fantastic for the club and the community," Dufort said. "The Humboldt Broncos are a big part of it, but the event has its own identity and will run with its own non-profit status and volunteer base."Dufort announced season ticket prices at the meeting, with an adult season ticket costing $279, a student $189, and a Youth ticket $109. Walk-up tickets will range in price from $7 to $13, he added.The season ticket also includes the pre-season and Green and Gold games.Season ticket holders will also have the first opportunity to purchase a tournament pass for the RBC Cup at a lower price, Dufort said. Details of that offer are still being worked out with Hockey Canada."We urge all our season ticket holders to take advantage of that offer as that will be the lowest price available," he stated.Bronco camp will open on September 3 this year, a little later than usual, Dufort explained. The Green and Gold game will be on September 5 and there will be three pre-season home games.The regular season homeopener will be on September 17.The team will play a 58-game schedule this year, with 28 home and 28 away games, along with two games at the SJHL Showcase, Dufort said.The Broncos are also hosting the SJHL Hall of Fame weekend in November. Details of the event are still being worked out, he added.All of the coaches and staff are returning this year, Dufort noted. But the team will need more volunteers and more billets this year as people are stepping down from those positions, he added.Three board members are also stepping down this year, including Dufort, Dan Fox, and Kelsey Lindal.Elections for the board were held that night and the positions were all filled. Clayton Armstrong, Trevor Gulka, and Russ Gehlen are the new board members.Dufort noted that the hockey club is trying to work within a budget, but expenses such as transportation, equipment, and ice rentals keep going up.Bob Johnston gave the financial report for the team, noting that they didn't do so well financially last year, losing $106,000."We have significantly less assets this year, most from the loss last year," he explained. "We had a big drop in cash holdings. If you don't make the playoffs, you don't make money."The 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons aren't really comparable when you look at the difference in the playoff runs, he explained.But there is a bright side to the financial picture."We still have money in the bank to start the season," Johnston said.The team made money on its biggest fundraiser, the spring lottery, he added. There was also a small increase in profits for the Bronco Bucks lotto.
