Reserve-based team leads league

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The Lebret Eagles are turning heads all across Canada. Saskatchewan's first Aboriginal Junior A hockey franchise has climbed to top spot in the prairie province and their 22-7 record is good enough to rank the club in the top five in the country.

Not bad for a franchise entering its fifth year of existence. The idea to form a competitive Native hockey team became a reality in 1992 when a small group of people decided to grab the bull by the horns. Morley Watson, Vern Bellegarde and Noel Starblanket formally initiated the plan, taking their application to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's board of governors.

The governors came away from the meeting duly impressed with the trio's proposal and Lebret was subsequently granted an expansion franchise. After taking a year to put all the pieces into place, the Eagles finally took to the ice in the fall of 1993. The Eagle Dome, located on the White Calf reserve (a subdivision of Starblanket), is the site of the club's home games. White Calf Collegiate athletic director Tony Burge says forming an Aboriginal hockey team was long overdue.

"I think the idea has always been in the minds of a lot of First Nations people," Burge says, "especially former hockey players." Financially the franchise has been rock solid. Due in no small part, Burge says, to the fans. And the club's popularity hasn't been limited to the White Calf reserve.

"We have a very loyal fan base in the sense that our fans are provincial-wide. We're like the Saskatchewan Roughriders for First Nations people.

"We're the best draw in almost all of the rinks no matter where we play."

For example, Burge says North Battleford probably averages about 500 fans a game but when the Eagles pay a visit, it's up to 1,100 because there are several reserves in that area.

The team's province-wide exposure, in addition to its short, but winning tradition, has meant that a lot of players want to suit up for the Eagles. A lot has been made over the past few years about First Nations hockey players' unwillingness to leave the reserve. High-profile Aboriginal players like the Vancouver Canucks' Gino Odjick have said that Native players are good enough to play on competitive teams, but they are not prepared to suffer the culture shock of venturing off of the reserve.

Not a problem in Lebret, says the Eagles' head coach Doug Hedley.

"I think they feel a lot more comfortable culturally because there's obviously an emphasis on the Native culture and their way of life here," he said.

Which is good news for any coach. Happy hockey players make for winning teams.

The franchise has instituted a 51 per cent policy to ensure that the majority of players are Native. It's a goal the team has met and surpassed every year.

The Eagles currently pencil in nine Aboriginal players on the lineup sheet which, Burge said, is a testament to the entire organization's commitment to build a strong feeder system. The Eagles' impact has been felt throughout the entire Lebret minor hockey system.

"Since the Eagles have been here the minor hockey has improved 200 per cent," he said. "We try to develop the Aboriginal kids and I think we've been successful. That has been the goal all along.

"When we started, there were maybe five or six Native kids in the whole league. Now I'm sure there has to be 20."

In the club's first few years of operation, the organization scouted across the country, looking for the top Aboriginal players in Canada. If more than half of the players must be Native, they'll have to be good. They are.

The Eagles are led by captain, Jerry Cunningham. The 20-year-old First Nations player is also the SJHL's top scorer. Attracting top-notch Native players to Lebret is the key, Hedley said. "Any time you have a high-quality First Nations player, that's what we're looking for."

But with the addition of two Aboriginal teams based in Manitoba, and the SJHL's Beardy's Rage who joined the fold this season, the competition for playrs has increased dramatically.

"The good thing about it is that the Native players get an opportunity to play junior hockey," Hedley said. "But it makes it awfully difficult to find the players who we feel will benefit the program." The solution?

"I think you have to develop some from within your system as well," Hedley said. "That's a high priority for us.

"We bring them into the school and get them into our program. Then we can see how they will contribute when they get to the Eagles." White Calf Collegiate is conveniently located right next door to the Eagle Dome. Most of the players stay in the school's dormitory. Living so close to the rink and the school is an advantage that most junior hockey players don't have, Burge said.

"The dorms are a nice option for a lot of the players, especially those without vehicles. The just walk to the rink or school. Everything is right here."

Including educational opportunities, even for those who have finished high school.

"We have post-secondary classes," Burge says. "First-year university courses are offered right here on campus."

Burge, who is also in charge of marketing the team, is continually searching for new fundraising ideas.

"As everyone knows, it costs a lot to keep a team going. Fundraising is very difficult so you have to try and find fun things that people don't mind spending their money on."

Like country music concerts.

Saskatchewan is a country music hotbed. And Burge has found a way for the Eagles to cash in on it. The club usually hosts two concerts a year. Marty Stuart rocked the jam-packed Eagle Dome just last month.

The Eagles also put on a $50,000 cash lottery and the $100,000 Monster Bingo.

"Our summer hockey school also provides us with good revenue," Burge said.

The financial picture is clear and solid. The players are in place.

All that is missing is an SJHL championship. This could be the year that Saskatchewan's first Aboriginal hockey team wins it all.