Merritt Centennials practice on April 3 (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

51 YEARS OF HISTORY

‘The well is dry’; As the BCHL postseason begins, the Cents prepare for one final ride

Apr 3, 2024 | 5:30 PM

MERRITT B.C. — The longest continually operating franchise in the BCHL. It’s a moniker and title that the Centennials have proudly held for a vast majority of their tenure in Merritt. However, in the aftermath of COVID-19 and the 2021 floods, the teams future became untenable.

“If you want to call it the perfect storm, it sort of was,” said Merritt Centennials Past President Kelly Bartch. “And it was a very difficult decision for the board members to make, but at some point you have to face reality and say this is beyond of what we are capable of moving forward.”

Part in parcel with the move was the new trajectory of the BCHL.

“It was a success if we broke even every year and we managed to do that,” Bartch told CFJC News. “As far as the new BCHL — or ‘modern hockey,’ as the new moniker goes for it — there are a lot of increased costs for the average team and when you are playing catchup and you have limited financial abilities, well you have to come to a decision at some point to say, ‘Okay, the well is dry.”

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Over the course of 51 years, no one man has earned the title of Mr. Centennial more than Brian Barrett, who has worn every hat imaginable for the franchise from head coach to general manager and even owner.

“It definitely was a bit of a shocker, and of course you always hope that it could carry on for another 50 years but you have to face reality that times are tough and the economy is tough and you could only go to the well so many times,” said Barrett.

The small market, community-owned team that could, the Merritt Centennials are personified by heart, determination and fight, which saw the town rally on multiple occasions over the years to keep dream alive.

“There were many times during those 51 years that, myself included, maybe didn’t think we could continue. But somehow, people rallied together, kept it here. We had a year where the BCHL basically gave us an ultimatum that we had to sell 500-to-600 season tickets and find a new ownership or they were going to pull the franchise,” said Barrett.

From the ashes of the BCHL franchise will rise a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team that will be the Merritt Centennials in name alone. While the connection will not be directly tied to the years gone by, it will ensure junior hockey remains.

“Maybe it’s an opportunity for some of our own kids or kids that are local to have a dream again to take part in a local team. I think it’s a great thing,” said Bartch of the new team coming to town for the 2024-25 season.

While the book will finally close on the Merritt Centennials’ 51 years of history, this year’s team will have a chance to pen one final chapter, as the BCHL playoffs open this Friday (April 5) in Salmon Arm versus the Silverbacks.