It has been an eventful year both on and off the ice for the Humboldt Broncos over the last year. A coaching change created a busy summer as Scott Barney stepped down as Head Coach in June to accept the Head Coach/GM job with the Sudbury Wolves of the Onario Hockey League. Brayden Klimosko eventually became the team’s new head coach in July.
On the ice, the season was shorter than what everyone would want, following an exit in the opening round of the playoffs.
On Wednesday, the Broncos held their Annual General Meeting as they looked at the past year. President Amanda Schlachter noted some of the highlights off the ice included the introduction of the Car Bingo and the Alumni Game.
Schlachter says the Car Bingo was an excellent icebreaker event for both the players and the fans.
“The car bingo was great for having the team get out there and meet the fans, have some fun, a lot of them come in not knowing what a car bingo was. Obviously very popular in the Humboldt area.”
She noted that another Car Bingo will take place on a Monday night in September featuring the players, a barbecue, giveaways and much more.
With the alumni game, Schlachter felt it was great to have different generations of Broncos come together for the event.
Great to see alumni here from the 70s, 80s 90s, 2000s, with families who have never seen them play, and everyone had a great time. It was entertainment was great, provided by Kelly Taylor.”
She noted plans are underway to bring the alumni game back in 2026 but no confirmed dates as of this time.
On the books, the Broncos posted a loss of $160,132 following an income of $1,382,649.47 and expenses of 1,542,781.46. One reason was the short playoff run for the Broncos as they were eliminated by the Flin Flon Bombers in the opening round.
Schlachter noted that a lengthy playoff run for the Broncos is beneficial for the organization.
“When we see Flin Flon, there's a lot of travel, hotels, extra meals, so the first round you’re not seeing a lot of revenue coming in.”
She noted the previous year, meeting the Melfort Mustangs in the postseason is helpful for costs for the team with less time spent on the road, no overnight stays, less meals and more fans from both teams attending games at the rink. After a first round exit in 2025, Schlachter hopes the Broncos can go on an extended postseason run next year.
Heading into the upcoming season, the Broncos Board of Directors will be at full capacity with 12 members. Schlachter says it’s great to have stability at that level for the hockey club.
“Everyone kind of brings different things to the table and you know, sometimes not everyone can make every meeting. So, you can at least have a quorum to make a vote, or, you know, make a motion happen. If you have enough people.”
Another positive from a board perspective said that the 12-person group will consist of six men and six women.
“You don't always see a lot of women on hockey clubs in the boards, but you're seeing more of it happening and it’s great to see a mixture on the board.”
One change that will occur at Bronco games for the 2025-26 season is the start time for home games. The team will be reverting to a 7:30 start after beginning at 7:00 for the last couple of seasons.
Schlachter noted the home playoff games at 7:30 pm, and the organization decided to keep the start times consistent throughout the season.
She was also grateful for the support the Broncos received from the community this past year, whether it was from fans, sponsors, volunteers, and billets.
While summer is on the forefront, the Broncos President is looking forward to the 2025-26 campaign with the green and gold, noting having a full offseason with Klimosko should be an advantage for the team and is hopeful that the team will have better luck with injuries.