Sask. senior hockey team surprised after acquiring sizable fan base
A senior “A” hockey team from southeast Saskatchewan is quietly gaining a huge following.
The Round Lake Bears, who play out of Ochapowace Nation, have drawn over 1,100 fans to each of their last three home games. The games were also watched by hundreds via live streaming.
The nation says it’s been an incredible run.
“We have people coming from Regina, Brandon, Winnipeg. We never thought there would be this many people here,” Chief Shelley Bear told CTV News.
“It’s just overwhelming but we carry a lot of pride in [it].”
Farley Allary is a member of the Ochapowace Nation and has worked at the hockey rink for many years. He said what’s happening is a new feat for the location.
“This brings back the excitement to our community. It’s a great atmosphere, this is the fullest I have ever seen this rink,” Allary said.
The fanbase also travels with the team, filling up neighbouring rinks.
Norman Krahn is a fan of the team, as well as a father to one of the Bears’ players.
He said the quality of the hockey is bringing the people out.
“The level of hockey is just great to watch,” he said. “It’s good, rough hockey and it’s such a high pace.”
The players on the ice have taken notice and know it’s a special time for the teams.
“I never thought it would be like this,” said forward Tyler Fiddler. “It keeps on getting bigger and bigger. We appreciate in the locker room – all the support.”
The Bears were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday night, losing to the Lumsden Monarchs 7-2.
However, the team will be playing tournaments in the near future, the first being in Prince Albert at the end of March.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
'Giant-killer' Kazushi Kimura to race in Kentucky Derby this weekend: 'I'm representing Canada and Japan'
Six years ago, at age 18, Kazushi Kimura left his home and family behind in Hokkaido, Japan to chase a dream. This weekend, he'll ride in the Kentucky Derby.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
Quebec premier asks police to dismantle camp at McGill University
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has called on the police to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the lower field of McGill University's downtown campus in Montreal.
TD Bank hit with $9.2M penalty after failing to report suspicious transactions
Canada’s financial-crime watchdog has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.