Kyle Elks herding their way into Hall of Fame

A recent southwest Sask. hockey dynasty will be added to the Ted Knight Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame this summer.

The 2016, 2018, and 2019 Kyle Elks Senior hockey team will become only the second southwest team enshrined into the hall on July 12, joining the 1988-89 Swift Current Broncos who were inducted in 2012.

Kyle won Saskatchewan's senior D provincial title and the Sask Valley Hockey League championship three times in four years.

Jim Marshall, an assistant coach for the Kyle Elks, said when he was notified, they'd be inducted into the Swift Current facility, he thought someone was pulling a prank on him.

"I never dreamed in a million years that we'd be going into the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame," he said. "It's surreal, and to go in with Travis, Patrick Marleau, and that group is special. Travis grew up 20 minutes from Kyle and has family in Kyle."

Jim Marshall joined Magic 97 and Country 94 last week to recount stories from their championship teams.

The Elks first J. W. Hamilton Trophy, Sask.'s senior D championship, win came easily as they dispatched Eatonia, Craik, and Redvers to reach the finals outscoring the three teams 44-7. The onslaught by Kyle continued in the finals running over the Theodore Buffalos in two games 7-1 and 6-2.

"In 2016 it was really a spectacular year, we lost I think on Jan. 10 and then ran the table and went 22 games without a loss including (league) playoffs and SHSAA playoffs," he recalled.

Elks 2016 team

Following a quarter-final defeat by the Edam Three Stars in 2017, Kyle returned to the provincial bracket with vengeance and bested the Three Stars in the 2018 and 2019 finals. 

"We played eleven SHSAA series in those three years (2016, 2018, 2019) and we never lost a game," he said. "I guess you could call that dominance."

Marshall credited the Sask Valley Hockey League's tough competition for helping his teams prepare for the grind at the provincial level. During the trio of championship seasons, the Elks went 51-6-1 in the league's regular season.

Elks 2018 team