Yorkton Terriers at risk of folding amid financial crisis

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Yorkton Terriers are facing an extreme financial crisis.

On Saturday, the Terriers posted a statement to social media saying the club is struggling financially, and that’s been the case for a few years.

Terriers in Financial Trouble in Midst of Playoff Push.
Need the Public's Help to Keep the Team in Yorkton#yorktonterriers#SJHL#supportlocal#ittakesavillage pic.twitter.com/D2llyU0wyk

— Yorkton Terriers (@SJHLTerriers) January 27, 2024

Calvin Tokarchuk, the team’s director of marketing and public relations, said there is real concern about the future of the Terriers in Yorkton, and there is a chance the team will fold.

“There is definitely a risk,” said Tokarchuk. “We need some finances soon to be able to keep the team going.”

Tokarchuk said he hopes the team can make that happen with the support of the community.

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Despite the Terriers pushing for a playoff spot, the club has really struggled to draw crowds. The team’s last home game was Jan. 6, when they announced a crowd of 580.

Over 18 home games so far this season, the Terriers have had just one game with a crowd of more than 1,000 people; that was on Dec. 30 against their rivals the Melville Millionaires.

“There’s a lot of different avenues grabbing people’s attention, whether it’s phones (or) streaming services,” Tokarchuk said. “COVID didn’t help.”

The marketing director said the Terriers have plans in place to enhance the fans’ experiences at games.

The Terriers also have a plan in place that the club hopes will rebuild their finances.

“We are going to be doing a ‘Save-the-Terriers’ season-ticket blitz,” said Tokarchuk. “The reason we’re going this route is we’re not looking for handouts. We want to make sure we get butts in the seats.”

Tokarchuk said he hopes the campaign will be enough to give the Terriers better financial stability for the next 10 seasons.

The season ticket packages will cost $200, which averages to $7.70 a game for 26 games, according to Tokarchuk.

The goal is 1,000 tickets sold and, according to Tokarchuk, that will get the Terriers to where they need to be financially.

The team hasn’t reached out to the league for help yet, as the club hopes to be able to do this on its own.