Regina hockey leagues face off over ice time at Brandt Centre
CTV
Ice time at Regina’s Brandt Centre is causing a controversy as a new privately owned league has bumped some long-time users of the space on short notice.
Ice time at Regina’s Brandt Centre is causing a controversy as a new privately owned league has bumped some long-time users of the space on short notice.
Young Guns Hockey Academy is part of the Hockey Super League, which is a non-sanctioned league growing in North America. The hockey academy recently acquired a significant portion of the ice time at Regina’s Brandt Centre.
“Queen City Young Guns isn’t going to use every single hour of ice time. I’ve been really fair in my discussion with these past Brandt group users that ‘you’re still gonna be able to play your rec hockey here,” Coach and founder of Young Guns Hockey Academy, Mike Reich said.
Those who have used this ice time for senior and recreational hockey expressed frustration with a private organization taking over their space without due notice.
“The lion’s share of ice time in Regina is actually consumed by youth hockey. There are many programs and they are well developed programs and they have developed many players that have gone on the NHL when an organization like Young Guns comes in they are just looking at elite hockey players of rich parents,” said Mark Burton, a recreational hockey player and former head of player development for Hockey Regina.
Burton’s hockey team, in addition to many other organizations such as Hockey Regina and Hockey Saskatchewan are sanctioned programs, meaning that they operate under the umbrella of Hockey Canada.
Being a sanctioned hockey team comes with the benefit of subsided cost when booking ice time. As a private, non sanctioned organization, Reich explained that his program pays the full cost, something that makes it worthwhile to many of the players and families involved.
