BARRHEAD - The Barrhead Bombers are no more.
In the July 30 issue of Town and Country This Week, we stated that the future of the franchise and the league it played in, the Canadian American Junior Hockey League (CAJHL), was in doubt following the league's announcement that it was suspending operations for the upcoming 2024-2025 season.
CAJHL commissioner Norm Shaw confirmed that the franchise folded at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season. The Bombers, in some form, have been in Barrhead for four years.
"It is really too bad. The Agrena is a wonderful rink and is one of my favourite facilities to visit," he said.
Shaw, who lives in Alberta Beach, noted before he became commissioner of the league, he was a referee for the CAJHL.
Shaw noted despite the team’s struggles during their regular season campaigns, the Bombers’ last season really came together and pushed Hinton to the brink in a three-game playoff series.
“I worked that second game, and it really could have gone either way, especially if Barrhead would have had a full bench,” he said.
The CAJHL is a Tier II Junior 'A' hockey league. It differs from traditional junior hockey leagues because it is tuition-based, meaning its players have to pay a fee to play.
It formed in January 2022 when all six teams of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL), also tuition-based, broke away from the league mid-season. The founding members of the CAJHL were the Barrhead Bombers, Hinton Timberwolves, Cold Lake Aeros, Edmonton Eagles, Vegreville Vipers and the Vernal Oilers out of Utah.
Impact on the community
For the immediate future, the Barrhead Minor Hockey Association (BMHA) and other youth sports organizations will gain from the loss of the junior hockey league franchise, as the Bombers' ice time will become available.
However, Town of Barrhead chief administrative officer Edward LeBlanc said at the Aug. 13 council meeting that the amount of useable ice time might be less than youth sports groups hope.
"It was a bit of a perfect marriage," he said. "The Bombers were using ice in the early mornings for their practices when the kids were getting ready for or were at school, during dark-ice when no one else was using it."
In an interview in January, BMHA president Tyler Batdorf said the lack of useable ice time has been an issue for the association for some time and limits the association's potential growth, adding that some teams have looked outside the community for practice ice at the rinks in Fort Assiniboine, Rich Valley, or Linaria, adding that depending on the age group, some of those rinks might not be suitable.
Coun. Dave Sawatzky asked about the financial impact of losing the junior hockey franchise.
LeBlanc replied that the Bombers paid roughly $22,000 in ice fees last season.
Suspension of the season and the future of the CAJHL
Shaw said there was little choice but to mothball the league for a year to give the CAJHL time to get its house in order.
At the end of the season, the Bombers' owner, Edmonton-based property, investment and hospitality entrepreneur and general manager of Barrhead Inn and Suites Aly Virani informed the league that they would not be returning.
Shaw added that the Cold Lake franchise was attempting to join the Alberta Junior Hockey League. If successful, it would have left the CAJHL with three of the five teams it finished the 2023-2024 season with: the Hinton Timberwolves, the Vegreville Vipers, and the Calgary Amps.
"There was also the potential of the American teams [of the former WHSL] wanting to join back up with us, and when discussing cross-border travel, that is something you cannot put together in two or three months," he said.
Shaw added that continuing with the season would also disadvantage the CAJHL franchises when filling out their rosters, saying most leagues already have or soon will hold their evaluation camps.
"So we decided to park the season," he said.
However, Shaw noted that the CAJHL has been very active, adding that several teams have expressed interest or have already committed to joining the league when it resumes for the 2025-2026 season.
"The Calmar Riggers and Lamonte will be in the league, and we will soon be announcing another franchise joining the fold in a week or two," he said. "If everyone comes to the table that we expect, we will have at least nine teams."
Shaw added the CAJHL has yet to close the book on a Barrhead franchise.
"Aly had some good support in the community from local businesses and the Fun Hockey program, but unfortunately, it did not translate to success in the stands," he said, adding from his understanding there was some friction from some people in the Barrhead Minor Hockey Association (BMHA).
Over the four years of the Bombers’ tenure in Barrhead several people with connections to the U18 Steelers, voiced their displeasure of the top BMHA team losing exclusive use of their dressing room to the CAJHL team.
In October 2023, the Barrhead Steelers players asked town councillors for exclusive use of a dressing room. Later, in January 2024, Amanda Batty headed an online petition, signed by close to 100 people asking Town of Barrhead councillors to re-evaluate the municipality’s agreement with the Bombers’ franchise, saying the team "takes away valuable ice time from [Barrhead] taxpayers, as well as the [Agrena’s ice rink] largest user, the BMHA."
Despite the struggles the Barrhead franchise had, Shaw believes, given the right circumstances, a CAJHL team could make a real go of it.
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