NIPAWIN — The Nipawin Hawks have a bit of a rebuild this summer as they prepare for a first game against Humboldt this fall.
The first game will be in Humboldt Sept. 12 to be televised on TSN, followed by a home game Sept. 14.
“We’ve turned over a lot of 20-year-olds so we’re going to have a younger team,” said Darren Opp, the team’s outgoing president, after the team’s annual general meeting June 19.
Doug Johnson, the team’s coach, said the team still has a core of experienced players in goal and in the defensive end it can build upon.
“Our backend is very solid and the recruiting on the backend’s been very good. Up front, it’s going to be interesting,” he said. “We’ll have a new look and we’ll have to bring some new guys in and maybe make some trades this summer, try to acquire some guys through the cash we made in playoffs to offset some of the losses.”
The coach said he’s happy with the people he looking at recruiting so far.
“It may be a different looking team but it’s still going to be a competitive team,” he said. “We have to be in Nipawin.”
A strong season for the Hawks during the 2017-18 year has also meant a strong balance sheet. The team saw a $72,000 profit, compared to $14,000 in 2016-17.
Opp said the team’s farming project keeps it in the black, with the long playoff season being an extra revenue generator.
The extra money has already been allocated towards the team’s needs. One project the team wants to look at is a new dressing room. The team also wants to increase the amount it gives to its billet families.
Yet the solid fiscal year is no reason for the team to rest on its fundraising laurels.
“We’re going to budget like we’re starting at $0 for next year,” Opp said. “We’re not stopping any fundraisers because we made a few more dollars.”
The president was also excited about the new boards and glass the town will install in the Centennial Arena, noting the old ones were there when he played for the Hawks in the early 1990s.
“It will perk this old rink up huge.”
Opp will also be stepping off the board for a year due to other commitments, but he said he’ll still be involved with the team.
