MOOSOMIN - The Big Six Hockey League is ready for the season to begin, minus the most decorated franchise in the history of the league, who won't ice a team in the 2024-25 season.
The Bienfait Coalers, who have won 15 championships in the league's 65-year history, have announced they will be taking a leave of absence this season, leaving the league with eight teams. It's believed to be the first time since the late 1980s, when the Estevan Bears were part of the league, that Bienfait hasn't had a team.
The remaining teams are the Carnduff Red Devils, Carlyle Cougars, Kipling-Windthorst Oil Kings, Midale Mustangs, Moosomin Rangers, Oxbow Huskies, Redvers Rockets and Wawota Flyers. The Rangers are the defending league champions.
League president Craig Barber is disappointed the Coalers won't be back. He cited a lack of players as the reason for the Coalers' departure.
"There should still be a team there. They're close enough to Estevan and should be competitive, but they didn't have enough guys," said Barber.
The league's rule on import and elite players is another potential factor, he said. Teams can carry up to four such players, and there is no longer an exception for home-grown or locally-based imports. Those over the age of 35, and those who played under 65 games of hockey at junior A or higher, are exempt from the rule.
The league will open the 2024-25 season with the Red Devils visiting the Mustangs on Oct. 25. The rest of the teams will start the following weekend.
Other than Bienfait taking a leave of absence, Barber said there weren't a lot of big issues brought forward at the fall scheduling meeting in late September. He noted the Round Lake Bears, who play out of the Ochapowace Nation, approached the league to see if they could join, but Barber said the meeting was to hammer out a schedule, and they had already decided on a format.
It's also a long way to Round Lake, he said. Barber estimates it would be a two-hour, 45-minute drive from Midale.
Teams will play a 16-game schedule this season, with two games against each of the other seven teams, and an extra game against two other teams determined randomly.
All eight teams in the league will make the playoffs. All playoff series are to be best-of-five contests, and there will be three weeks to play each series.
"For guys who are in provincials, it gives them a lot more window of opportunity [to play the games]. Now with a best of three in provincials, you got a weekend to go somewhere, you're not going to have to sneak a whole bunch of games in during a short time."
Barber is looking forward to watching some really good hockey this season, and he believes there are several teams in the league capable of winning the championship.
