White Mud Hockey League welcomes Leader and Eatonia to the fold

By Jordan Parker

The White Mud Hockey League will look a little different this season.

The Leader Flyers and Eatonia Huskies have both rejoined the league after some time away and are excited to be back in the action.

“We first folded in 2016, and we’re finally back,” said Riley Feiffer, player and driving force behind getting the team going again. “We are so excited. We went a couple of years without a team, then there was COVID, and now people are just itching to get out again.”

He and a friend decided to fight to get the team back, and the greater community has supported them for it.

“I have two brothers (Travis and Nick) on the executive, and my friend and I figured we’d fight to get this going again. If it didn’t happen, at least we could say we tried,” he said.

“If you asked me six weeks ago, I wouldn’t have been sure this would happen. But now, we’re sitting with over 20 players. The start was a struggle, but with lots of work, things changed.”

The team struggled for a long time due to a lack of players, and eventually just didn’t exist at all.

“They were just taken for granted, and next thing you know, there was no team,” he said. “It was a much-needed break and a fresh start. There are now new guys and new ideas.”

When the team first folded, there was a sense of disbelief in the town. But bringing a team back was crucial to Feiffer.

“Some of the locals played elsewhere, but we’ve had a lot of guys come back. People are happy to be involved, and they missed it,” he said.

“It’s huge for our community. Everyone is talking about it, and people are asking how the team is coming along. I hope the arena is packed.”

He isn’t sure how the team will be together at first, as many haven’t played together in years. But he’s confident in the squad.

“We have forwards with firepower, and we have a good shot at ending up in the middle of the league. Our core is dedicated and will carry the team,” he said.

“The majority of them have never played together, and they all got together for practice last week. I can’t wait to see where it goes.”

Feiffer wanted to thank the people and businesses for their donations. “Our coach and manager are amazing. The community is excited, and this was a long time coming,” he said.

“As a young kid, I loved going to Flyers games. I’m so glad we have that back, and now people who never got to go to games can see it.”

The Eatonia Huskies were part of the SWHL for years, but this is their first time in the White Mud Hockey League.

“We took two years off of the SWHL but decided to go back in the White Mud league. Here we are now,” said Eatonia Head Coach Ryan Adams.

“It’s really exciting, and the community and players are excited. Some of our guys played last year in Cabri and Eston, and some may not have played for ten years. It’s going to be fun. We’re all locals, and we want to win.”

He said not having a team was a significant loss for the community and rink, and he’s happy they’re back.

“Things are looking good. We have tons of guys (25+) ready and lots of young guys,” he said. “We have players who’ve never played senior who want to play. Through an exhibition game and a few practices, we’re looking good.”

He knows there were some big teams in the SWHL, but he felt the Eatonia team would fit well in the White Mud.

“For a town like us, it would be hard to compete. But we decided on this league because we have three guys who played in it last year,” he said. “It’ll be a cool experience, and I’m looking forward to it.”

The White Mud Hockey League will feature seven teams for the 2022-23 season. Returning are the defending champion Cabri Bulldogs, Gull Lake Greyhounds, Shaunavon Badgers, Maple Creek Hawks and the Frontier Flyers. As well, the Leader Flyers will have a team for the first time since the 2015-16 season and we welcome the Eatonia Huskies to the WMHL. The season will feature a 12 game schedule. First place in the regular season standings will get a bye in the first round of playoffs while teams 2-7 play a best of three. The 2nd and 3rd round will be a best of five series.