Gibbons Junior Broncos going to the playoffs

By Grant Cree

February 4 was hockey night in the Gibbons Arena, where fans of the Gibbons Junior Broncos cheered their team as they faced off against the Edmonton Mavericks. The Broncos are one of 11 teams in the Noralta Junior Hockey League (NJHL), which is online at www.njhl.ca.

“Our last regular season game is Saturday, February 12 here at home,” said Adrian Mifflin, the Broncos Media Coordinator. “After that is playoffs, and we’ve made the playoffs, so our first home game should be February 19.”

The average age range is 18 to 20 for most of the players. When the Broncos arrived at the arena, many of them wore suits as they carried their hockey sticks and gear bags into the change room.

“It’s like the old saying, ‘Dress good, feel good, play good,” said Mifflin. “So if you dress good, you’ll feel better coming out here, and you’re going to play better.”

Many Broncos team members played with the CNN Spurs when they were younger. “On our team roster of 23, I believe 15 are former Spurs,” said Mifflin. 

“A lot of the parents are aware we have a relationship with the Spurs, and the Redwater Rush and a few other teams.”

As the Gibbons Broncos Media Coordinator, Mifflin manages the team’s social media presence and encourages potential new players to reach out. “If you come to the Broncos, you’re going to enjoy it,” he said. “The few kids that do come from out of town fit in like just like a glove and it’s like family.”