HUMBOLDT — Over the last year, one question hung over the Humboldt Broncos like a spectre: would there be a hockey season?
In the end, the 2020-21 season saw the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team play four exhibition and six regular season games.
“In the end, the hockey season was not decided by hockey games but rather by a numbers game,” said Andre Kruger, who was acting president during the team’s annual general meeting on June 21. He added it was the COVID-19 numbers that won out over hockey.
Yet the team kept the coaching staff on board and the players billeted in town, in case the season started back up again, possibly within a bubble based in Estevan.
“It was stressful on the kids keeping them motivated and not knowing whether we're going to have a season or not,” Kruger said.
From June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021, the team saw around $939,000 in income and around $780,000 in expenses.
Major sources of income included the federal government’s wage subsidy, the provincial government’s support funding towards the SJHL, the Lottery for Cash, advertising sales and the Seed for Green farming program. Major expenses included the expenses for the Lottery for Cash, salaries, equipment costs, admin costs and player costs.
The team also spent some time upgrading its bylaws. Kruger said they haven’t been touched in a long time, so the team has been working on bringing it up to date, cleaning up the verbiage and making sure everything is current and where they want it to be. The amended bylaws are currently being examined by lawyers and will be approved at a special meeting.
Work has also begun on upgrading the team’s locker room. Scott Barney, the team’s head coach, said the team is expecting the project to be completed by the end of July or early August.
Kruger acknowledged the community’s support of the team.
“I just want to thank the fans and our season ticket holders for supporting us in the tough times.”
