Air Force One Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 I saw the media release late Friday. A Superior International Junior Hockey League expansion team is moving into the REA in Thief River Falls, MN. I thought an interesting aspect was that current TRF boys hockey head coach, Tim Bergland, is one of the owners. After attending the EGF @ TRF game last Tuesday and looking at the TRF roster, I wonder if if Bergland might end up at the head coach of this new jr team. The cupboard is looking pretty bare after this year for the Prowlers and the one talented kid might be the first tender of the new jr team. The building will immediately become the best in the SIJHL. http://sijhlhockey.com/5144-2/ SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE Release Date: Friday, Jan. 22, 2016 SIJHL announces conditional expansion franchise in Thief River Falls, Minn. THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Superior International Junior Hockey League announced Friday that it has awarded a conditional expansion franchise to Thief River Falls, Minn., which once confirmed, would begin play in the 2016-17 season. The SIJHL’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 between TRF Junior Hockey LLC and the City of Thief River Falls. The franchise already received formal approval from USA Hockey during its annual winter meeting on Jan. 15 in Orlando, Fla. The expansion team will play out of the 3,593-seat Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, a community of 8,700 located in northwestern Minnesota, less than an hour from the North Dakota border. "We are extremely excited to bring Junior "A" hockey to the great community of Thief River Falls and the beautiful Ralph Engelstad Arena", stated SIJHL Commissioner Bryan Graham. "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", added Graham. The ownership group consists of Kevin McCallum of Thunder Bay, Ont., Dave Beito, President of Northern State Bank, Tim Berglund, former NHL player and current head coach of TRF High School boys’ hockey team as well as local businessman and former WCHA official Tom Goddard. A fifth member of the ownership group is expected to be announced at a later date. "Myself and my fiancé Natalee Maxwell are very excited for this opportunity to be involved with such a great ownership group and we look forward to being members of the SIJHL for many years to come", said McCallum. "We believe we have a great city and arena that will be a diamond in the league. Commissioner Graham has worked hard to improve the league both on and off the ice and I hope hockey fans in northwestern Ontario and northern Minnesota take notice with their support of their local junior programs", added McCallum. Thief River Falls is set to become the second SIJHL franchise in the state, joining the Minnesota Iron Rangers, who are based out of Hoyt Lakes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetch Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Must be a sign that the AHL will soon be coming to the Ralph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoneySIOUX Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 What does everyone think this means for our team just 45 minutes down the road from TRF? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bypolairxam Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 TRF......A town full of clueless dopes.... .... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoneySIOUX Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 26 minutes ago, bypolairxam said: TRF......A town full of clueless dopes.... .... That was unnecessary and stupid. I am biased, since I am from TRF, but that brought literally nothing to the conversation and you were just being a jerk. Btw, Ralph Engelstad was from TRF. Zane McIntyre, too. Dolt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cberkas Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Looks like the SIJHL doesn't produce any D1 talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoneySIOUX Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 2 minutes ago, cberkas said: Looks like the SIJHL doesn't produce any D1 talent. So pretty much no impact on UND. Good to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 8 minutes ago, cberkas said: Looks like the SIJHL doesn't produce any D1 talent. I thought UND had a goalie who played in the SIJHL. (He wasn't here long.) It wasn't Siembida or Sedevie. ... Darn brain ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cberkas Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Just now, The Sicatoka said: I thought UND had a goalie who played in the SIJHL. (He wasn't here long.) It wasn't Siembida or Sedevie. ... Darn brain ... Looking at committed players that play in the league only one played/committed to D1 at Bemidji State, the rest played/committed to D3 or ACHA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siouxkid12 Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 35 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said: I thought UND had a goalie who played in the SIJHL. (He wasn't here long.) It wasn't Siembida or Sedevie. ... Darn brain ... Sedevie never played at UND, did he? I thought he was committed and then later went to Bemidji State Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratter Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I don't believe Sedevie played at UND and might have had his scholarship withdrawn due to an injury concern from the USHL. He's now the head coach of the Bismarck Bobcats, his former team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiouxFanatic Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said: I thought UND had a goalie who played in the SIJHL. (He wasn't here long.) It wasn't Siembida or Sedevie. ... Darn brain ... Darn brain? You've got a pretty good recollection to even remember this. You are thinking of Graeme Harrington. Link: http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1582072 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 45 minutes ago, SiouxFanatic said: Darn brain? You've got a pretty good recollection to even remember this. You are thinking of Graeme Harrington. Link: http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1582072 Hokey smokes! I knew we'd had an SIJHL goalie but didn't recall that name. Kudos to you for finding the name. I'm guessing Harrington was at UND in 2008-09 as that's the gap in his HockeyDB.com profile:http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=93297 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.