Staff
The SIJHL family appears to have added another member.
The league announced Friday it has awarded a conditional expansion franchise to Thief River Falls, Mn. that, once confirmed, will join the SIJHL starting next season.
The league’s board of governors voted unanimously to award the franchise—contingent on approval by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League, as well as an arena lease agreement being made between the team and the City of Thief River Falls.
The franchise already was approved by USA Hockey during its annual winter meeting Jan. 15 in Orlando, Fla.
Thief River Falls will have the jewel of all SIJHL home arenas as it will play out of the 3,593-seat Ralph Engelstad Arena.
“We are extremely excited to bring Junior ‘A’ hockey to the great community of Thief River Falls and the beautiful Ralph Engelstad Arena,” SIJHL Commissioner Bryan Graham said in a press release.
“The franchise has a solid ownership group made up of some very familiar names to hockey fans of Thief River Falls and the surrounding area,” he noted.
Those names include former NHL player and current Thief River Falls high school boys’ head coach Tim Berglund, along with Northern State Bank president Dave Beito and former WCHA official Tom Goddard.
Also in the ownership group is Kevin McCallum of Thunder Bay, who at last report also was looking at bringing an expansion team to Kenora for next season.
A fifth member of the ownership group is expected to be announced at a later date.
Thief River Falls will join the Minnesota Iron Rangers as the only non-Canadian teams on the SIJHL circuit.
