The Prince Albert Titans will not operate in 2022-23 and the franchise could well relocate. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Titans Fold

No Titans hockey in 2022-23, future uncertain

Aug 12, 2022 | 11:48 AM

There will be no Prince Albert Titans hockey in 2022-23, and while the team may return at a later time, it’s possible that this iteration of the franchise never sees the ice in Prince Albert again.

The franchise is now in the hands of the league, who will be able to make a determination on what to do with them from there. No one will be able to take the team over in time for next season, however.

“Our coach and vice president, Kim Dryka, and I had talked about the long-term viability of a Junior B franchise in Prince Albert,” said Wayne Mesenchuk, former Titans president and general manager. “We came down to a decision that Kim has been coaching in PA right through minor hockey and into Junior B for 34 years, and I’ve worked managing teams for 17.”

Mesenchuk retired after 47 years of work with the government in April and wanted to step away and see if someone else could take over the franchise. They tried to find someone new to take over the franchise, with the league holding it until someone does. That person could bring it back to Prince Albert, but could also relocate the team.

“Prince Albert has been a great supporter, the business community and the fans, of the Prince Albert Titans and our group,” said Mesenchuk. “It was incredible, the support we got. It’s just a matter of how long do we want to do that in Prince Albert? We came to the conclusion that we just wanted to retire and move on to some other avenues and other interests.”

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With no Titans hockey for 2022-23, the league held a dispersal draft earlier this summer to decide where the players’ rights would go. Some of the players who are eligible to return next season will be able to do so relatively close to home, as their rights ended up with the Saskatoon Quakers.

“We’re really happy that some of the players ended up in Saskatoon,” Mesenchuk said. “They’re going to university. Other players went throughout the other PJHL teams, but I think for the most part they’ve all been picked up by other teams. It’s up to them to decide if they’re going to join those teams and play, especially if they’re from Prince Albert.”

“I’ve been involved in hockey for nearly all my life at different levels,” said Mesenchuk. “It came to a point where, good things have to come to an end. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of dedication, it’s a lot of volunteers. To some degree, people are getting played out.”

Mesenchuk added the team wasn’t in dire straits financially despite two pandemic years, though the loss of the Summer Fair for two years, where they did a lot of their fundraising, did hurt.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP