WHL and AJHL hit the jackpot
By Dale Woodard on February 24, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDsports@lethbridgeherald.com
The Western Hockey League and the Alberta Junior Hockey League are inviting Alberta fans to get onside as both leagues prepare to play after being iced by the COVID-10 pandemic.
When the puck drops, fans will have the chance to support junior hockey in their communities with a new 50/50 draw that will help local teams maintain operations impacted by COVID-19 with Jackpots For Junior Hockey presented by RE/MAX, a joint 50/50 draw launched Monday by the WHL and AJHL.
Alberta’s government, through Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, is supporting the lottery by allowing the leagues to conduct 50/50 draws with Albertans able to purchase tickets online from anywhere in the province.
The five WHL teams and 15 AJHL teams will share proceeds to help offset revenues lost because of the pandemic and the suspension of play.
The WHL Central Division — consisting of Alberta’s teams including the Lethbridge Hurricanes — starts Friday with the AJHL getting back on the ice next month.
Budgeting for a worst-case scenario of a $1.3 million loss in 2021 due to the pandemic-shortened season with no fans in the stands, Hurricanes general manager of business operations Terry Huisman took stock of Monday’s announcement
“Based off the announcement today and the situation we announced at the Annual General Meeting (last month) that we have some financial obstacles we have to overcome this season, I thought today’s announcement was significant in turning that another direction for us, which is fantastic. It really comes down to their support and realizing what we bring to all the communities, whether it’s the AJHL or the WHL, and how we’re like the life blood of these communities in some aspects and we’re big financial drivers from those communities. So this will help immensely.”
Last month, the Saskatchewan government announced a specific amount — $4 million — to help its five WHL teams as well as its Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League teams with each WHL franchise getting $600,000 each.
Huisman said as of Monday afternoon the Hurricanes were unsure of how the money will be divided between the teams in the two leagues or what that will look like for the charities the team donates to.
“We’re going through this ourselves with this coming to us (Monday) morning,” he said. “I don’t know a lot of the details as far as how they’re going to be split between the 20 teams in Alberta. Obviously, we face different challenges than the AJHL does, but that’ll remain to be seen.
“I don’t know what that will look like as far as the charities we donate to within our communities, but I’m sure in the coming days we’ll have some of that outlined for us so we have a proper direction. I guess a lot of it will obviously depend how well the 50-50 does, too.”
On the plus side, a 50-50 ticket at past Hurricanes home games have become the equivalent of an “impulse buy,” said Huisman.
“We get to a certain level and then all of a sudden it just explodes and everybody gets on board. I think what it will hinge on a lot is the early buy-in. Hopefully people jump on board and realize by buying this 50-50 what it’s doing to all the communities in Alberta and if they get on board with it hopefully we see the growth some NHL teams have seen. That will remain to be seen.”
But Monday’s announcement will certainly help the bottom line if the fans snap up the tickets.
“My palms have been a little sweaty every day for the last little while trying to figure out ways to overcome this year’s financial losses,” said Huisman. “But for us, it’s huge as long as we get the buy-in on the 50-50. Every dollar that gets spent on those 50-50 tickets gets us a little closer to that break-even. I’m not by any means saying we’re going to get close to a break even, but there’s wishful thinking.”
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