FERGUS – Junior hockey is being revived in Fergus under a new name.
The Fergus Whalers will be joining the PJHL’s Pollock Division, a Junior C league, for the 2023/2024 season.
Jason Baier, the team’s owner, said he was contacted by the league as they wanted to bring a team back to Fergus after the Devils folded years back. Baier is joined by Ryan Duck, the team’s alternate governor, who worked with him most recently with the Mitchell Hawks.
“It’s a new team, it’s a new face and starting with that new team name I think it gives us some fresh new identity and that’s kind of what we were hoping for,” Duck said.
Baier said there’s around 60 teams in the PJHL and there is no team called the Whalers.
“I grew up as a young kid with those colours of the Hartford Whalers, they’re pretty distinguishable colours,” Baier said. “I really wanted to bring some uniqueness to the brand.”
Baier said with the growth of Fergus and Centre Wellington population-wise, it makes sense to have a junior hockey team in town for local athletes.
“When Centre Wellington hockey players are done with their minor hockey, there’s no place to play in Centre Wellington. At that point some really good players are playing in different communities, different areas, because there’s no option to play in Fergus,” Baier said.
Being part of a different division will also be a benefit as Baier said he understands there will be less traveling than the Fergus Devils did.
The two aren’t rushing into building a hockey organization or team as Baier explained starting in 2023 was one of his mandates for taking this team on.
“I wanted to start next season so we have lots of time to include the community, include local business down there, support local and get a lot of people behind us and work with us on a great program,” Baier said.
This means they won’t be signing players until this time next year but will soon start the process of building the management team.
