A shortlist of new, potential team names have been released by the Saanich Junior B Hockey team after dropping their former moniker.
Last month, the Saanich Junior B team announced that it would be changing its name from the ‘Braves’ amid an ongoing international conversation surrounding racism.
The former Braves name and logo had been used by the club since 1967, but ownership came to the decision that the former name was “not respectful to our First Nations.”
Now, the hockey club is seeking input from the community on choosing its next name from a select few monikers that have been shortlisted.
“We’ve had an overwhelming response from the community and from the world of sports in recent weeks as we have begun the work of renaming our team,” said Edward Geric and Norm Kelly, team owners.
“We started with a huge list of names that mostly came from the community and we’ve even had some very creative folks develop logos and jersey designs. We’ve now shortened the list to five names that we think would represent our team really well and we want feedback before we make our final decision.”
The five potential names being considered are:
The Saanich Summit – a strong and steady team, the Saanich Summit are connected to their natural surroundings and stand in the way of their opposition as they strive for the top.
The Saanich Riptide – energetic and action-oriented, the Saanich Riptide is an unpredictable, powerful team that surprises their opposition with their speed and skill.
The Saanich Predators – a throwback for the team owners and local hockey lovers who remember The Victoria Predators, a team of high performance players managed by the same ownership group. The Saanich Predators play with honour, using stealth, strength and teamwork to thrive against their opponents.
The Saanich Squid – clever and quick, the Saanich Squid adapt to anything their opponents throw at them on the ice and proudly play in a place surrounded by the ocean.
The Saanich Defenders – a team that knows there is strength in numbers, the Saanich Defenders work together, look out for each other and build momentum the opposition can’t handle.
The Saanich Junior B team is taking input from the public up until September 4.
The club adds that a new name and logo will be developed, based on feedback, and announced in the weeks ahead.
Graham Cox
