The Stumptown Ice Den rink advisory board gave unanimous approval Aug. 24 to a proposal to begin a Northern Pacific Hockey League team in Whitefish. The new team, dubbed the Glacier Nationals, would bring a high level of junior hockey to the Flathead Valley, where it would compete across the state with other teams in Nor-Pac’s America West division, like the Missoula Maulers, Bozeman Icedogs and Billings Bulls.
Butch Kowalka is pushing the proposal, and hopes to buy the franchise and eventually coach the team in some capacity. He gained the approval of Nor-Pac following a presentation in Eugene, Ore. earlier this year, along with a new franchise based in Great Falls.
“Everything was kind of hinged on working to get through these hurdles,” Kowalka, a local coach who helped build and organize the Kalispell rink, said. “So we’re feeling pretty confident moving forward.”
Now that he has gained the approval of the rink advisory board in Whitefish, Kowalka’s proposal goes before the Parks and Recreation Board Sept. 14, and from there it must gain approval from the city council.
If everything goes smoothly, the Glacier Nationals could take the ice for their first season in November of 2011. Kowalka envisions the Friday or Saturday night games drawing crowds of roughly 400 in the first season, with tickets costing $8-$10. Games in Missoula regularly draw as many as a thousand spectators. Kowalka plans a fundraiser during Missoula Maulers games scheduled for Whitefish in January where the very first ticket to a Nationals game the following season is raffled off.
“Somebody’s going to win that collector’s item ticket,” he said.
Some modifications to the Stumptown Ice Den are necessary before it meets Nor-Pac standards, like locker room upgrades providing showers for visiting teams and referees. Kowalka thinks these changes are in line with what those running the rink planned to make already.
Parking could also prove an issue, so Kowalka plans to organize a service that could allow fans to park in downtown Whitefish and hop a shuttle to the rink. Such a system would provide the added benefit of encouraging spectators to eat and drink in downtown Whitefish before and after hockey games.
Players in the Nor-Pac Tier 3 Junior A league are between the ages of 16 to 20, and are usually promising athletes not yet ready for college or pro hockey. Such stars as Mario Lemieux, Mike Modano and Joe Sakic played in Nor-Pac prior to joining the National Hockey League. And though Kowalka plans to hold tryouts in Detroit and Milwaukee, he also sees the Glacier Nationals as a natural progression for the youth hockey programs developing in Whitefish and Kalispell over the last several years.
“The whole effort kind of started from something that’s going to benefit the minor program,” Kowalka said. “Plus, it gives our kids a team to go play for if they’re not ready to play at the college level.”
“We’re hoping that once this thing gets going that we’ll get the players to come down and skate with the kids,” he added. “This team is really about the community.”
Players, most of whom are ages 18 or 19, would live with local families that receive a stipend for their room and board. Kowalka said the players would be expected to hold down jobs and attend classes at Flathead Valley Community College, which could prepare them for the next step of their career.
“They go to school and they play hockey,” Kowalka said. “So when they do go to college, they already know what the program is.”
Kowalka played college hockey for Ohio State University, and has been coaching his kids in teams at various levels for years: “I’ve played hockey pretty much my whole life.” But the work involved in launching a successful junior hockey franchise is substantial, with the franchise fee alone costing $50,000. Kowalka is currently seeking investment partners and corporate sponsors to help with the venture.
“There’s only one business in the world that’s harder than the restaurant business and that’s the junior hockey business,” Kowalka said. “I know what I’m getting into.”