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In 1997 Gene Krepekavich, the longtime Yorkton Terrier booster, volunteer and club president for six seasons published the history of the first 25 years of the junior Terriers hockey team. It starts with the 1972-73 season. 


But what few, if any, remembered then and now, and what is not recorded in recent official histories of junior hockey in Yorkton, is an earlier team, also known as the Yorkton Terriers, which also played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. It played one season, 1955-56, and hosted that season's SJHL all-star game. It was managed and coached by Bill Hunter -- THE Bill Hunter of World Hockey Association and Edmonton Oiler fame which came a decade and a half later.


On it was one player who still lives in Yorkton, Merve Kuryluk. He was 18 at the time and on his way up the hockey ranks. It was covered for CJGX Radio by a rookie reporter, also 18 years of age, Linus Westberg.


We talked with both of them 70 years later, and listen in on interviews Linus did with hockey and media luminaries who attended the game, and the preceding dinner at the Yorkton Hotel.

Yorkton Terrier Junior Hockey Club official program for the 1955-56 season (PDF) 

Courtesy Merve Kuryluk


Merve Kuryluk career stats on HockeyDB.com


Merve Kuryluk on the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame website


Linus Westberg on the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame website


Milan Marcetta career stats on HockeyDB.com


Wayne Hicks career stats on HockeyDB.com


All Yorkton Terrier teams from 1937 to present on HockeyDB.com


Bill Hunter on Wikipedia


Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Bill Hunter


Alberta Sports Hall of Fame member Bill Hunter


The Canadian Encyclopedia article about William Dickenson (Bill) Hunter


Coach and manager Bill Hunter, club president Elmer Lang, goalie ken Kuntz and other junior Terriers during the 1955-56 season.

Photo courtesy Duval Lang


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