LAC LA BICHE - What's the latest on the Lac La Biche Junior A hockey team? Well, that long name for one.
Team owners are now running a 'name that team' contest for the proposed new hockey team that will call Lac La Biche's Bold Center their home ice to start the 2024 National Junior Hockey League (NJHL) season this October.
Announcing in January that Lac La Biche will be the latest Alberta franchise in the seven-team league, team officials have spent the last few months scouting new talent, promoting the new club and attracting skaters between the ages of 16 and 21 to the community. Just last week they also announced a contest for local residents to play a role in naming the new team.
"It really gives the community members a sense that they are part of the team. We want this to be a community-owned team," says Jacob Hegerfeld, one of the actual owners of the Lac La Biche franchise team.
Enter contest
The contest itself asks residents to submit their choice for a team name to the organization's email address at [email protected]
Three of the best names will be selected by team officials by March 15, with the final vote going back to community members on the team's Instagram social media page. The person who submits the winning name will be treated to team merchandise and four free "VIP" tickets to the season home opener in October.
As the contest rolls out, the team will also be hosting an invitational training camp at the Bold Center over the May 11 weekend. Hegerfeld says many of the invited skaters have already been scouted from arenas across the region, around Western Canada, and even from American and international locations. He expects up to 40 prospects could be at the camp, trying out for the team and also learning about the academy-style, skills development business that supports the team.
The ownership group behind the team signed a three-year agreement with Lac La Biche County and the NJHL in January to create a hockey development training centre in the community that will ice a competitive hockey team. With full-time professional coaching staff, the league and individual teams operate on a tuition-based model like a hockey academy where players who are recruited, scouted and selected, pay to benefit from the professional coaching and training.
The NJHL has no affiliation with the existing Alberta Junior Hockey League, and operates as an independent body.
