The ‘Holy Grail’ of NL hockey returns with the Herder Provincial Championship slated for April
One of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most famous ice hockey championships is officially back.
The long-awaited return of a Herder Memorial provincial championship series is over as teams from western and eastern Newfoundland wrap up their respective seasons and look forward to the top teams from both leagues going head-to-head on April 14.
It has been three years since the top two senior A teams from the Newfoundland and Labrador regional leagues went head to head to play for the 87-year-old’s historic trophy.
“The Herder is really important to all of our players, all of our coaches,” Avalon East Senior Hockey League president Jack Casey told CBC News.
“Every senior hockey player, every coach on a senior hockey team, when they start in the fall of the year, they really come back to senior hockey for one reason, and that purpose is to hopefully get to a Herder at the end of the season. “
The pandemic years have dashed Herder’s hopes. Last year, the trophy was presented to the Southern Shore Breakers as winners of the AESHL, the only senior A league in the province at the time.
But the return of the West Coast Senior Hockey League this year means the return of a traditional Herder series.
“It’s so great to have even some hockey back. We’ve had a few winters without hockey during the pandemic. Getting our league up and running this year has been phenomenal. The response from the fans is phenomenal,” said Andy Brake. President of the WCSHL.
“We’re very happy to be playing in the provinces again and fighting for the Herder for our fans and our players.”
Brake said the honor of winning a Herder title comes to mind for most hockey players coming through the system in NL
He said the dream begins at a young age.
“It’s a wonderful title. It’s the holy grail of hockey in this province,” said Brake.
“Hopefully it will stay that way for many years to come.”
Hit the street
Casey said it will be a seven-game series, with the first two games played on the west coast before heading to the Avalon Peninsula for three and then back west for the last two if necessary.
“It has a lot to do with the availability of Ice Age. It begins in April with what we in the hockey world would traditionally refer to as the end of the Minor Hockey Week provincial tournaments,” he said.
“The ice rinks on the east coast are not necessarily available. Turns out it’s best to start on the west coast.
The Avalon League has six teams playing in Outer Cove, Conception Bay South, Clarenville, Harbor Grace, St. John’s and Mobile.
The western league has three teams based in Port aux Basques, Deer Lake and Corner Brook.
Winners of both leagues will compete in April for the Herder Memorial Trophy, first presented in 1935 by Ralph Herder of the Evening Telegram in honor of his family, who founded the newspaper in 1879.
“The fans are coming back in slightly larger numbers but the excitement isn’t really there yet. I think we’re still recovering from the COVID hangover,” Casey said.
“We’re really looking at that as a first step and making sure it’s a good step, that we’re solid. Then it will be a build-up situation.”
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