It’s said that per capita, Saskatchewan produces the most professional Hockey players than any other province in Canada. Part of that journey for up and coming players is the WHL (Western Hockey League). While the W might steal most peoples attention in the bigger cities, throughout prairies the SJHL rules supreme. The SJHL (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League), is a Junior A ice hockey league and part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Anyone twenty years of age or younger can play in the league, as long as they were born in North America. It’s one of the pillars of the communities throughout a dozen small towns in Saskatchewan. American’s have their Varsity Football, Saskatchewanian’s have their SJ.

About the League

The league was founded in 1968 and was originally called the Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League. In 1973, they changed the name and dropped the word ‘amateur’ until 1980 when they resumed using it until 1988. This league was one of the original ones from the Tier II Junior A leagues that were realigned back in 1970.

The SJHL has three separate divisions that include the Olympic Buildings, Sherwood Division, and Viterra Division. Every season, more than 400,000 fans crowd around the ice to watch these teams play their hearts out and try to reach the playoffs and the coveted Western Canada Cup.

Part of the excitement for these hockey teams is traveling from one small town to another as they go against their rivals. There are twelve different teams, which means twelve small towns that are waiting for hockey players, their families, friends, and hockey fans to come and explore and have some fun.

The 12 Teams and Their Small Towns

Battlefords North Stars – North Battleford

The city of North Battleford is directly across the North Saskatchewan River from the town of Battleford and the locals call the two communities the Battlefords. When the teams are not playing in North Battleford, they can explore the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum, which focuses on agricultural history and has a pioneer village. One of the other popular features at the museum is the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool grain elevator No. 889 that was originally in Keatley. Everyone can also go to the Allen Sapp Gallery and the Canadian National Railways Station which was built in 1956. Another historical building in the city is the North Battleford Public Library which was built in 1916 using a grant from the Carnegie Foundation of New York.

Estevan Bruins – Estevan

Estevan is approximately ten miles to the North of the border of Canada and the United States. There are two museums in this town, the Souris Valley Museum and the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum. The Souris Valley Museum was founded in 2001 and quite a bit of the collection was donated by Stan Durr. Inside the museum, people can see the Heritage Mining Display, a Homesteader Shack, the Schneller Schoolhouse, and two of the original firetrucks from Estevan. The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum contains contemporary artwork along with woodblock prints by Andrew King. The North West Mounted Police Wood End Post Historical Site is also located within the gallery and museum and the house is the oldest mounted police post in Saskatchewan.

Flin Flon Bombers – Flin Flon

Flin Flon is in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but the majority of it is in the latter. The town was founded in 1927 and was a mining town due to the abundance of copper and zinc in the area. The name of the town came from the main character of J. E. Preston Muddock’s book, “The Sunless City”. Everyone who visits the town can stop to see the statue of Josiah Flintabattey Flonatin or ‘Flinty” according to the locals. To see magnificent views of Lake Athapapuskow and the surrounding landscape, people are encouraged to climb to the top of the Bakers Narrows Tower.

Humboldt Broncos – Humboldt

The small town of Humboldt began as a telegraph station along the Carlton Trail. Some of the historic attractions in Humboldt include the Humboldt Water Tower, the Humboldt Provincial Court House, the Post Office, and the Canadian National Railways Station. The town holds many festivals, especially during the summer, and the locals and visitors all enjoy themselves, whether they are celebrating during the Summer Sizzler or the Humboldt Street Fest.

Kindersley Klippers – Kindersley

The town of Kindersley is continuing to grow and it has come a long way since it was incorporated back in 1910. There are two interesting attractions in Kindersley, the Addison Sod House and Johnson’s Great Wall of Saskatchewan. The Addison Sod House has been lived in by the Addison family since 1910 and it is the oldest inhabited sod building in Saskatchewan. Albert “Stonewall” Johnson built the Great Wall without using cement or mortar and it took him more than thirty years to complete it.

La Ronge Ice Wolves – La Ronge

La Ronge is a smaller town that seems to be destined for destruction due to the number of forest fires that have either threatened or gone through the area. The locals keep fighting and rebuilding though, because they love their town and the surrounding First Nations reserves. Everyone loves going to this town, because there is always something to do. Whether it is white water rafting, canoeing, fishing, or cross-country skiing, people will find themselves busy at any time of the year.

Melfort Mustangs – Melfort

Melfort officially became Saskatchewan’s twelfth city back in 1980 (towns only need a population of 5,000 to be declared a city in that area), but they had achieved that level population wise much earlier than that. Anyone that visits Melfort will want to see if they can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, because they appear in that area quite frequently. While in Melfort, people can also visit the Melfort Exhibition Grounds and the Melfort and District Museum.

Melville Millionaires – Melville

Melville is the smallest city in all of Saskatchewan and it was named after Charles Melville Hays, who was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Unfortunately, Hays did not get to enjoy the fact that he had a town named after him for too long, because he was on the Titanic when it sunk and he did not survive. The Lutheran college is the first place that everyone should stop at when they arrive in town, because it is full of items from the early days.

Nipawin Hawks – Nipawin

The town of Nipawin is located between Codette Lake and Tobin Lake. Each one of those lakes were created by dams and earned the town the nickname of ‘The Town of Two Lakes’. Nature lovers will want to explore the Maurice Street Wildlife Sanctuary and see if they can spot one of the black bears or cougars that call it their home. The Living Forest Museum is another popular attraction that was founded in 1967. There people can see an antique sawmill, antique farming equipment, a one-room schoolhouse, and clay ovens.

Notre Dame Hounds – Wilcox

There are many museums, historical sites, and monuments in Wilcox. People can begin their time away from the ice with a stop at the Chiricahua National Monument before venturing over to the Fort Bowie National Historic Site. All the adults will want to stop at the Coronado Vineyards for a taste or two of wine along with the chance to see the spectacular vineyards.

Yorkton Terriers – Yorkton

The town of Yorkton was founded in 1882 when businessmen and investors purchased land and established the York Colony. There are plenty of historic buildings in Yorkton including St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Yorkton Armoury, Yorkton Court House, the Old Land Titles Building, and the Yorkton Tower Theatre, which is a single screen theatre that was built during the 1950s. In the downtown Yorkton area, people can spot multiple murals that depict historic personalities.

Don’t forget to explore the region, drive south east from Yorkton and experience small town living in Esterhazy. There’s recently been a burst of interest in country real-estate in Esterhazy. Driving around this part of the prairies, it’s easy to see you can grow your own rural life nearby, and the prices are nice compared to the bigger cities.

Weyburn Red Wings – Weyburn

Weyburn is approximately ninety miles to the North of the North Dakota border. The Canadian Pacific Railway reached this town from Brandon in 1892 and from the United States border in 1893. The post office opened in 1895 and the Knox Presbyterian Church was founded in 1899. Anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the town will want to visit the Soo Line Historical Museum as well as the Weyburn Area Historical Village.

Visit small towns in Saskatchewan

Hockey is a way of life in the prairies. If you’re traveling during hockey season make sure you take the time to explore the region before or after a game. The rinks might be a bit smaller than you’re used to, but it’s clear there’s an unbridled passion for this game. You might want to change your thinking when it comes to travel throughout small western Canadian towns. Small local hotel bars, old historic streets, and a hockey rink that brings thousands of people from the surrounding area in to experience Canada’s favourite game while experiencing these unique towns. So, hockey players and hockey fans, step out of the arenas and off the ice, and begin exploring.

Visit the SJHL website for more information and upcoming games.