In a time where a number of Junior A teams find themselves in precarious financial situations, the Battlefords North Stars are in fairly good shape.
Although the team鈥檚 expenses increased compared to last season and their net income dropped as a result, the North Stars came away with a net income of $9,768.46 and saw their total income increase to $541,281.70 for the 2016-17 campaign.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e one of the stronger teams in the league at the moment,鈥� North Stars president Troy Slywka said following Monday鈥檚 annual general meeting at the Civic Centre.
鈥淲e鈥檙e one of the teams that does well on an consistent basis, so we鈥檙e not in the dire straits that some of the other teams find themselves in. A lot of that has to do with having the right people in place on our board of directors, as everyone is free to give their input on making the team succeed.鈥�
That hasn鈥檛 been the case for other teams in the league over the last couple of seasons.
The Weyburn Red Wings were nearly $200,000 in debt two years ago but have since turned the corner financially, while the Yorkton Terriers were just able to turn a profit this past season thanks to a $40,000 donation from the Terrier Trust Fund that was set up when they hosted the RBC Cup in 1999.
It鈥檚 not just teams in the SJHL, however, that have found themselves in challenging situations lately.
The West Kelowna Warriors, who won the British Columbia League, Western Canada Cup and RBC Cup titles in 2016, suffered six figure losses over a number of seasons and almost moved after this season before local investors helped to keep the team in West Kelowna.
Over in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, the Olds Grizzlys found themselves $300,000 in the hole and in danger of not playing next year until a new ownership group helped to keep the team afloat.
鈥淓verybody in our league is financially able to put a team on the ice this year, so the SJHL is strong in that sense,鈥� Slywka said.
Helping out the North Stars to stay in strong financial shape is the revenue that they bring in from corporate advertising, game day sales and their agricultural project.
They also earned $31,699.74 in playoff income from their six home games against the Red Wings, Estevan Bruins and Flin Flon Bombers, though that was down dramatically from the $63,429.48 that was brought a year ago from six playoff home games with the Kindersley Klippers and Bombers.
鈥淚 think our financial picture would of looked a little bit rosier if we had those two extra playoff games, but that鈥檚 the drawback when you go 12-0 in the playoffs,鈥� Slywka said.
The North Stars also lost $9,838.45 as a result of their trip to the Western Canada Cup in Penticton, B.C. at the end of the season.
With that tournament being scrapped in favour of the return of the Anavet Cup against the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions, next year鈥檚 Canalta Cup winner will have a chance to add more money to their coffers.
鈥淭hat鈥檒l be two more home playoff games at least, so that will be a nice bonus for whoever goes that far,鈥� Slywka said.
The biggest issue that the North Stars face at the moment is finding a new head coach and general manager, as that position remains open after Nate Bedford left the team on June 16 to become the head coach of the Portage College Voyageurs in the ACAC.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to get that filled before the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame event on July 22,鈥� Slywka said.
鈥淥nce that happens, we plan to go forward in filling the vacant assistant coach and trainer jobs.鈥�
Those two positions were left open earlier this month when Braeden Johnson and Robbie Tanner left the team.聽
The North Stars also welcome two members to their board of directors Monday night, as Karen Rosen and Brody Malek replaced the departing Karen Reid and Eric Mody.聽
