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
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
Have a comment or story suggestion?
Copyright © YorktonStories.ca. All rights reserved.
Presented by Harvest Meats and Grain Millers Canada
with the support of Miccar Group of Companies, BakerTilly, and Drs. Popick and Caines and Associates, Haas Nissan
all in Yorkton.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.