U.S. club wants in SIJHL

The Wisconsin Mustangs want to put the International back in the Superior International Junior Hockey League on a permanent basis.

The Spooner, Wis.-based franchise is playing a part-time schedule in the junior circuit this season and plans to petition the sport’s governing body in the U.S. For Mustangs owner Donnie Roberts, a self-described jack-of-all-trades who even drives the team bus, the planned move is all about giving his players better hockey exposure.

"I think there’s a little more exposure up here because the level of competition up here is a maybe a touch better than in our league that we’re playing in right now," said Roberts Tuesday at the Tournament Centre, before to a 4-3 overtime loss to the K&A Wolverines.

The Mustangs, 3-14-1 in the SIJHL, currently compete in the Tier 3 Minnesota Junior Hockey League, where they are a middle-of-the-pack team boasting a 26-16-4 record. Roberts, whose team has played in the American circuit for eight years, said the MJHL won’t lose a franchise; instead the new SIJHL club would essentially start from scratch.

It’s just makes hockey sense, Roberts said.

"Talking to college coaches down and around the area we send our players to, they feel this would be a better testing ground for them," said Roberts, dismissing questions about increased travel costs, noting that the team already regularly travels four and five hours to games.

Attendance, an issue for the two Thunder Bay-based teams in the five-team SIJHL, should help offset the costs, Roberts said.

"We’re here to play hockey. We’ll let the other stuff sort it out. It’s definitely going to be an increase in costs, but we’re a fan-driven team. We’re very attendance driven … and we draw big crowds at our games, so it helps offset the bills."

Roberts plans to petition USA Hockey after the 2009-10 season concludes, and said he doesn’t expect much opposition when he presents his case at the organization’s annual meeting in June and seeks permission to play in a Hockey Canada-sanctioned league.

"Our league that we’re participating in right now has given us the green light to do it because we’re leaving the franchise in there. We’re not pulling our team out, per se. That team is going to stay in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League, but not out of Spooner. It’s moving to another arena," he said.

SIJHL president Ron Whitehead said he’s been in discussions for years to bring an American team back to the league. Teams played shortened schedules the first couple of years the SIJHL was in existence, but none since until the Mustangs began play last fall.

Whitehead said he welcomes to move, which could lead to a much larger American presence in the Junior A circuit.

"We’re more than happy with his intention of coming this way. We’d like to see a division out of the Americans if we can. But for now we’ll be more than happy to take (Donnie). He’s a got a long track record and a good team," Whitehead said.

The SIJHL has seen its share of ups and downs since its inaugural 2001-02 season, with only the Fort William North Stars and Dryden Ice Dogs being constant franchises throughout. Teams have come and gone in Schreiber and Marathon, Fort Frances has been in and out and other clubs have faced financial uncertainty throughout the years.

Whitehead said this might be a great way to strengthen the league, and add competition in markets that can sustain a team.

"I think that Northwestern Ontario is limited to its population. It’s limited by its economy at the moment, and I think there’s an opportunity for us south of the border whereby we can give our fans something different to look at on a regular basis," he said.

The Mustangs are in Dryden this weekend for games against the second-place Ice Dogs on Sunday and Monday.