Township of Langley, BC, May-02-2011: As the British Columbia Hockey League announced on Wednesday of last week, Langley’s BCHL franchise has new ownership. On behalf of the Langley Events Centre, we would like to welcome the new group, the Henderson family, and are excited about their involvement with our team and our community.
As a part of the sale, the previous owners retained the rights to the ‘Chiefs’ name and branding. Therefore the Henderson family was required to submit, with their purchase proposal, a new name and brand for their hockey team.
On behalf of the new ownership group, the Langley Events Centre is excited to announce the new team name and logo. The Langley Rivermen will begin play in the BCHL this September with training camp taking place in August.
“We think it is a great name and a traditional look that will really connect Langley to their team” Roy Henderson said the group looked at a few alternatives but concluded the Rivermen was the right choice.
The Rivermen name is derived from the history of Langley. The early explorers and traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Northwest Company, the Rivermen, came to British Columbia’s West Coast to trade fur, carry goods, and create partnerships. These explorers are who laid the ground work for Langley. Like the strong and tenacious settlers who established the first roots in this community, the Rivermen are poised to boldly forge their way into a new era.
This is what makes the Rivermen the first hockey team to truly reflect our community and honour its history and heritage. The team’s colours are blue and beige, representing the water and agriculture that sustained the early settlers and continues to be a substantial part of Langley’s make up.
The hope is that the Rivermen are not just giving Fraser Valley residents an exciting hockey team of their own to rally behind but to create an opportunity to educate residents about the community’s past and commemorate those who made Langley what it is today.
The team will be spending the next few weeks connecting with existing season ticket holders and community partners with an official unveil on June 1 at the Langley Events Centre. More information on the hockey club will be available at that time.
