The Cranbrook Bucks generate an estimated $6 million annually in community impact spending per BCHL season, according to a study presented by club representatives to mayor and council during a meeting at city hall on Monday, March 10.
Nathan Liewuen, owner of the franchise, along with Kevin Boehmer, Boehmer Consulting Group, spoke about the club's presence in the community, on both the economic and social impacts generated by the junior hockey club.
"The Bucks are a lot more than just a number and economic impact and wins and losses," said Lieuwen.
The study, led by Boehmer, focused on tangible local spends such as what players and billets are spending, salaries, supplier costs, what visiting teams spend when they come to Cranbrook, scouts and bussing and much more.
"It's based on actual data, of local inputs by the Bucks and associated branding with that," said Boehmer. "We really wanted to focus on tangible local spending that happens in the community."
It also encompassed the Kootenay Hockey Academy, which is a a partnership between the Cranbrook Bucks and Kootenay Christian Academy.
The club has 83 part-time and 10 full-time employees as well as a successful 50/50 partnership with the Cranbrook Rotary Club that has donated over $100,000 for various local causes over the past five years.
Further, the Bucks are involved in roughly 800 hours of community volunteerism, such as reading and playing floor hockey with elementary school students and are regular visitors at REALM, Salvation Army, youth hockey, Joseph Creek and more.
But beyond the economic and social impacts, the club also remains proud of the players who come through the organizational ranks.
"One of the things we're most proud of here, beyond the dollars and cents, is there's actual human beings who come through our organization and go places," said Lieuwen, name dropping Tyson Dyck, the club's top scorer in the 2021-22 season.
His performance caught the attention of NHL scouts and he was selected in the 7th round by the Ottawa Senators in that year's draft.
In the study, Dyck reflected on his time in Cranbrook with the Bucks.
"The city and organization offered strong support while at the same time challenging me in order to get me ready for the next level. I am forever grateful for my time in Cranbrook and the role it played in my hockey career."
Over 95 per cent of Bucks players have advanced, or are committed, to higher levels of hockey such as college and university programs.
The Kootenay Hockey Academy is a key element of the Cranbrook Bucks, both as a potential feeder system into the junior hockey club, but also as a option for young hockey players to remain in Cranbrook while playing high-level hockey.
As part of the study, Lieuwen surveyed parents with kids enroled in the academy program, and asked if they considered moving away to out-of-region hockey opportunities if the academy program was not available in Cranbrook. Lieuwen said 75 per cent responded that they were willing to move away to pursue those opportunities.
"We're happy to provide the service and keep some of the professionals, as parents of these kids are able to stick around," Lieuwen said. " I know a few years back we lost some doctors and that has an impact on our community. So we're proud to fill that gap and be a part of a solution for that."
The current academy program has roughly 15 players from the Kootenays and a half dozen more from the rest of B.C. or Alberta.
In the study, Cranbrook resident Tom Shypitka described how his son, Adam, was able to transfer from a Kelowna-based hockey academy — where he had been playing for two years since he was 14 years old — to the Kootenay Hockey Academy, once the program was operational in Cranbrook.
"KHA changes the game," Shypitka wrote. "It stops the exodus of families seeking better hockey development elsewhere and instead positions Cranbrook as a destination — a place where players and their families want to be. These families often include highly skilled professionals, business owners, and community contributors."
"My son decided to leave Kelowna this year and to give the KHA a shot. In the five months that we have been with the program I can validate that the KHA is top notch with incredible coaching, training, and education. The additional support from the Cranbrook Bucks and their training blends well for those players that want to make the next level to Junior hockey. This program needs to be maintained so Cranbrook can continue to be recognized as an evolving regional hub."
With an eye towards the future, Lieuwen said he continues to look for community collaboration and support to build out the vision of the Bucks being a leader and model junior hockey franchise in B.C. and beyond.
"We're looking at expanding the academy, we're looking at what we do," Lieuwen said. "We're entrepreneurs. We just continue to look at the opportunities in front of us. I've got a passion for the game and we're going to continue to grow it here the best we can."
