Burgeoning HTJHL adds three teams

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This article was published 08/10/2020 (2065 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Taking a quantum leap from six teams last year to nine this year, the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League is seeing unprecedented growth from one year to the next, even during these pandemic times.

The six teams returning to the league this year are the Springfield Xtreme, Lorette Comets, Red River Mudbugs, Steinbach Huskies, Grunthal Red Wings and La Broquerie Habs.

Three teams are rejoining the league, all three of which have been members of the league in the past. They are the St. Adolphe Hawks, Niverville Clippers and the Landmark Blues.

The Hawks are back in the loop after a one-year hiatus, while the Clippers last played in the league in the 2015-16 season.

But as far as the Landmark Blues are concerned, it has been more than 20 years, not since the 1999-2000 season, since they last competed in the HTJHL.

Although the new arena in Niverville is into final months of construction it is not scheduled to be completed until the spring so the Clippers will be playing this season in their return to the HTJHL in the familiar confines of Centennial Arena in Niverville.

That’s not the only major change in the league, there was also a change at the top as longtime president Ray Laing stepped back this year and Darrell Lupky, the vice-president of the loop the last few years, takes over as president. Laing remains on the executive as Past President. “We created that position new for Ray this year,” said Lupky. “He still has a lot to offer because of his experience, Ray has done a great job in this league over the years.”

Longtime Springfield coach Kevin Augustine fills Lupky’s position as HTJHL vice-president.

Lupky says getting ready for this season has not been an easy road. “We had to postpone our spring meeting and we only had that spring meeting in August.”

He says they go into the season with some unknowns because of the pandemic. “We have made our regular season schedule and it has been posted, but if for whatever reason games are postponed, it is often not easy re-scheduling those games.”

He says the individual teams and leagues will be taking as many precautions as they can, but he says a positive case might affect some teams or games. He also says situations may occur in what could be out of their hands such as if a minor hockey team gets a positive in one of the arenas in which they play in,  and that may have an effect on any games played at that arena.

The league will kick off the 2020-21 campaign on Friday, Oct. 23 at Grunthal as the Red Wings will host the La Broquerie Habs, with the puck drop at 8:00 p.m.

There will be a total of six games on the schedule on opening weekend as all nine teams will see their first action of the season.

Like most hockey leagues on the planet, the HTJHL did not declare a champion last season as COVID-19 hit the globe.

When play was suspended last March, Springfield had just taken a 1-0 lead on the Lorette Comets in the best of seven championship series. The Xtreme posted the best regular season record last year at 21-3-1-0, finishing just two points ahead of the Comets.