The Saanich Summit, the Saanich Predators, maybe the Saanich Squid? Saanich’s junior hockey team has a shortlist of possible new names and is inviting the public to help make the final decision.
On Friday (Aug. 28), the owners of the team announced five new names being considered. Earlier in the summer, Greater Victoria’s longest-running junior hockey team quietly did away with its name and logo – which featured the profile of a First Nation’s man with feathers in his hair – out of respect for local First Nations.
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“We started with a huge list of names that mostly came from the community and we’ve even had some very creative folks develop logos and jersey designs,” owners Ed Geric and Norm Kelly said in a written statement.
Now, Saanich’s junior hockey team has a shortlist for the public to weigh in on. The list includes the Saanich Riptide, to convey the team’s energy, unpredictability and speed; the Saanich Squid, to remind opponents that this team is fast, clever and able to adapt, the Saanich Defenders, to remind athletes of the importance of teamwork when facing the opposition, the Saanich Predators, to pay homage to the former Victoria Predators team and portray stealth and strength; the Saanich Summit, to convey strength and connection to the environment.
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The Braves name and logo had been with the team for 53 years. The name change didn’t come after complaints or pressure from the community, but rather a feeling that it was time for a refresh, Kelly told Black Press Media in July.
“We’ve had positive relationships with our First Nations players, with the local First Nations, and never had any [negative] input,” Kelly said at the time.
Feedback will be accepted until Sept. 4 with the final decision expected shortly after. Until then, the team remains “the Saanich Jr. B hockey team.”
For more information or to weigh in, visit the team’s social media pages or email SaanichJrBHockey@gmail.com.
–With files from Travis Paterson.
@devonscarlett
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