Notice of Termination by St. Albert Minor Hockey Association (SAMHA) to St. Albert Raiders Hockey Club (Raiders) on May 31, 2022
Jun. 03, 2022
SAMHA has misled the membership and the St. Albert Raiders Hockey Club. SAMHA speaks of collaboration however the Raiders Hockey Club can attest to the fact that this is not the case. On the evening of May 31, 2022, members of the Raiders board attended a meeting for what we believed was part of a joint plan to continue dialogue towards collaboration and cooperation between both societies. It was shocking and disappointing that we were notified of the termination of our collective agreement at this meeting.
SAMHA has unilaterally decided that it is no longer in its members best interest to remain engaged in the existing Collaboration Agreement. Rather, SAMHA has advised that it will form a new standing committee, known as the Raiders Hockey Club Committee. All of this occurred without the courtesy of prior notice to the Raiders.
The Raiders was created as an independent and duly registered Society, designed to assist, and develop athletes in the Elite stream of hockey, as defined by Hockey Alberta. That was, and always remains, its mandate.
This will affect the operations of Elite Hockey for St. Albert.
SAMHA has terminated the agreement for the Raiders Hockey Club to run elite hockey for St. Albert. This means SAMHA will be running and operating Elite Hockey. The published document on the SAMHA website misleads the membership. It states the Raiders Hockey Club and SAMHA will work collaboratively to form and support the program. The Raiders will not be involved. This decision was not made collaboratively, it was SAMHA who terminated the collaborative Agreement. SAMHA will not have access to Raider experience, resources, expertise as alluded to in the document.
What this means?
The St. Albert Raiders Hockey Club is a legal entity independent of SAMHA. Once this agreement was terminated the Raiders are no longer associated with or a part of organizing elite hockey operations for St. Albert. SAMHA will be running elite hockey. There will be no involvement from the Raider Board as stated.
Next year players will be using SAMHA jerseys and gear. All Branding, use of the Raider name and associated graphics are owned and operated by the Raiders Hockey Club. SAMHA cannot use graphics, logos, or anything associated with the Raiders. That means Jerseys and Team gear will have to have SAMHA branding, NOT Raider Branding. The reality is the ‘Raider’ Brand will no longer exist for St. Albert Elite Hockey.
SAMHA will be forming new elite teams. That means all existing Raider teams, names, websites, coaches, team staff will no longer exist. It will be the responsibility of SAMHA to organize and form the new teams, interview coaches etc…
The John Reid Memorial Tournament will change next year. The tournament is run and operated by an independent committee called the John Reid Memorial Tournament Society since 1979. This elite level U15 AAA tournament is known around the world. The committee supports the St. Albert Raiders Hockey Club and is a key source of funding for the Raiders board.
I personally wish to express my extreme gratitude to all of Raiders coaches, managers and team staff, as well as all of its volunteers, over the last fourteen years, who have worked tirelessly to allow it to achieve its goals. I am proud of what we have accomplished. We are well known across the province for having a professional, successful hockey club. Other organization look to the Raiders for inspiration and guidance on how to run their clubs. This has everything to do with the volunteers who have committed endless hours for the development of elite hockey players in St. Albert.
