The Executive of the North Central Hockey League are happy to announce that they will be recognizing many early league executives, team executives, coaches and players in a pre-game ceremony at this Saturday's game in Westlock to commemorate the league's 30th Anniversary.
The NCHL's original teams in 1995 were the Athabasca Aces, Edson Ice, Fox Creek Bandits, Hinton Heat, Mayerthorpe Hitmen, Slave Lake Winterhawks, Swan Hills Knights and Whitecourt Cats. Some of these teams didn't last more than a few years, and the last of the originals to close their doors were the Slave Lake Winterhawks and Edson Ice, who both suspended operations after the 2017 season. Westlock was chosen as the host site for a couple of reasons. Both Westlock and Devon are the longest tenured teams in the NCHL, and many of the invitees are from the north area, so their travel was considered.
The League is also happy to announce that a few players who had a significant impact on the league are also on the invite list. The ceremony should only last 15 minutes, so it you'd like to see some of the pioneers of our league, as well as some of the league's record holders, be sure to get out to Westlock on Saturday, the ceremony will start at 7:00 with the puck drop at 7:15.
As for the game itself, Westlock has had a slow start to their season going 0 and 3, while Devon has split their two games. These teams were 1-2 in the North Division last season separated by only one point, so this promises to be a good game.