(Photo courtesy/Broad Leaf Media, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

Championship Drought

How the SJHL, province of Saskatchewan is behind this year’s Mustang group

May 11, 2024 | 1:46 PM

The Melfort Mustangs are 2-0 so far in the Centennial Cup.

After winning the SJHL Championship last Tuesday, they now have more than just the support of Melfort and the area, as both the entire league and province are fully behind them.

“I think you’ll see that amongst the 11 other franchises, people will cheer for whoever is going to represent the SJHL and are going to jump behind and get on that bandwagon with them. Yes, we battled all year and sometimes it might seem adversarial, but I think at the end of the day, everyone is pulling for them to do well, especially at the national level,” explained SJHL Commissioner Kyle McIntyre.

“The Mustangs’ never-give-up attitude and dedication are truly inspiring, showing the power of perseverance and teamwork. Your success unites the city in celebration, showcasing the true spirit of sportsmanship. Best of luck at Nationals in Oakville, and may you bring home the Centennial Cup, making your city and fans proud once again,” added Melfort Mayor Glenn George.

It has now been 10 years since a Junior A hockey team from Saskatchewan won a National Title, with the Yorkton Terriers having done so, back in 2014.

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Meanwhile, the Mustangs have yet to win a title in their franchise’s history, with their best finish all the way back in 1996, when they hosted the RBC Cup.

Despite that fact, McIntyre is very confident in this current Stangs group, which may have to do with them taking down the Flin Flon Bombers in the league final, who were ranked number one in the country, by the CJHL, for about 2-3 months.

“I don’t think there’s any added pressure that an SJ team hasn’t won in 10 years… I know they’re going to be excellent ambassadors and they’re gonna play to the best of their abilities, and legitimately, I think they have a very good chance of coming away with it,” McIntyre told northeastNOW.

“Melfort really demonstrated throughout the playoffs that they’re a team who had excellent chemistry, a lot of depth, and were prepared to compete and do whatever it took to win. I think as long as they keep playing hard and with the character and chemistry they played with earlier, they’re going to be successful.”

Now, as the Centennial Cup is underway, one can only dream of what a championship would mean.

Whether it’s putting the Blue and Green on the Canadian map or validating the level of hockey being played in Saskatchewan, all would surely be a welcome site.

“I’ve gone on record saying that the SJHL is probably one of the most competitive and premier junior leagues in Canada, and I truly believe that the team that comes out of our league really has an excellent opportunity at the national level,” McIntyre said.

“It would be a feather in the cap for the league, and certainly for the franchise and community who commit to a franchise like the Mustangs. I know everyone is proud to be a league champion, but obviously, a national championship too would be just that much more special.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8