YORKTON - The Yorkton Terriers are headed to the 2024-25 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season on a stable financial foundation and with optimism for a return to the playoffs.
That was the dual message those attending the team’s annual general meeting Monday heard from both outgoing president Corvyn Neufeld and general manager and head coach Emery Olauson.
“The season was very challenging in many ways,” said Neufeld.
The president – who did not seek a return to the board Monday after five years as board head – said the team had significant turnover ahead of the season opener, including the need to find and new head coach and GM, and then started the season with only eight wins over the first half.
“To say the least it was a very tough start to the season,” said Neufeld.
It was a theme picked up on by GM and head coach Emery Olauson.
“It was a year, that’s for sure,” he began his report at the AGM.
Olauson arrived in the city literally hours before last year’s fall camp, and admitted he was not aware of what was to come.
“We really didn’t know the challenges that laid ahead,” he said. “To say unprepared would be an understatement.”
And things actually got generally worse.
“Unfortunately we didn’t make the playoffs,” said Neufeld.
While the on ice playoff miss was disappointing in February the board of directors realized the team was basically broke and needed a cash injection to continue operations.
“In mid-February it was clear the team was in a financial crisis,” said Neufeld.
“It was a huge distraction,” said Olauson
Neufeld would later tell Yorkton This Week that as he looked back on his five year’s as president his biggest regret is not focusing more attention on fundraising, noting while the team managed a profit last season, the post COVID time put them in crisis.
That realization saw the team institute a massive season ticket drive for the upcoming campaign which sold more than 900 tickets – which Neufeld noted is by far the highest of any SJHL team.”
Those ticket sales, coupled with a successful sportsman’s dinner, a ‘harvest for hockey’ project and other efforts put the team on a better foundation financially moving forward, said Neufeld.
In terms of finances, the team reported revenues of $844,500 up to the club year end in May, compared to $523,915 a year earlier.
Expenses were $695,061 compared to $559,461.
“There’s lots of room for optimism,” he said, adding he “very excited” for the 2024-25 season.
Olauson shares that optimism, noting his returning players “want to be contenders.”
But, there is work to be done for that to happen.
“We still have some holes to fill,” said Olauson
The Terriers also held board elections with 11 seeking selection to eight spots.
Those elected were Pat Koskie, Jason De Ruyck, Sarah Nelson, Kurt Karcha, Scott Hoffart, Josh Garbutt, Ed Witherspoon and and John Collins.
The board would then elect Curtis Malysh as the club’s new president, with Koskie as vice president.
