Duluth native Butch Williams has memories of moving all the way to the Toronto area to play junior hockey in the 1970s.
Now he has helped bring junior hockey right to his hometown, serving as the general manager of the Duluth Clydesdales.
"We're able to give local kids the chance to stay home and play at home in front of family and friends," said Williams, who played in the NHL 1974-76. "This is a great place to mentor kids, help them reach their aspirations, and reach the next level of hockey."
The Clydesdales, who play their home games at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center (part of the old Clyde Iron Works, hence the name) and Mars Arena, recently kicked off their third season of play as a member of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. The league features three teams in northern Minnesota and four teams in western Ontario.
Most of the players on the team are ages 16 to 20 and from the Duluth area. Many go on to play for NCAA Division III schools after suiting up for the Clydesdales.
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The team is still young and not particularly well-known in Duluth -- something Williams hopes to change through promotions, partnerships and sponsorships.
"There's always a nice local presence on the team," he said. "We have a lot of ties and connections to the community."
One of the Clydesdales' outreach programs is a partnership with the Duluth Area Hockey Association, which enables youth hockey teams to compete on the ice before a Clydesdales game.
The team plans other promotions as well, such as a night when military members will get in free, another night when they will bring in residents of assisted living facilities and several nights throughout the year honoring corporate partners.
Evan Williams, Butch Williams's son, is the Clydesdales' assistant general manager and oversees many of the day-to-day operations of the team. He says he hopes to increase support for the team by reaching out to the community.
"We're trying to get out in community much more than we did in the past," Evan Williams said. "Within the league, we're on the forefront of social media. We've got live stats, the live stream, updates on Facebook and Twitter. We're just trying to make it as accessible as we can."
The team plays most of its home games early Sunday evenings, purposefully designed to avoid interfering with high school and college hockey. The team focuses its marketing on families, hoping to draw in fans with the early game times and low ticket prices.
"One of the things we've focused on here is that since the NHL is locked out, you can bring the whole family here for the price of what one Wild ticket might cost," said Evan Williams. "We're definitely trying to do more promotions this year, too. We have giveaways for fans; we're going to have contests, chuck-a-puck, "dress and dash" and trike races."
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The Clydesdales kicked off their season last weekend, but fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch the team in action through February, as it chases its first SIJHL championship.
Butch Williams says he is expecting a good year for the Clydesdales.
"Every year, the start of the year is a time of excitement and anticipation of a successful venture," he said. "Entering our third year, we've been more and more embraced by the community, and I'm encouraged about where we're headed."
