Enderby Icemen coach‑owner Matt Stang aims to build development‑focused junior hockey team

The Enderby Icemen, a new junior hockey franchise in the North Okanagan, will launch its inaugural season this fall with a 44‑game schedule in the newly formed Western International Junior Hockey League (WIJHL). Owner, head coach and general manager Matt Stang, who also runs a hockey development company, says the team’s primary goal is to develop players for the next level, particularly as a feeder to the BC Hockey League (BCHL), rather than simply chase wins.

Stang’s ownership group includes the Farynuk family, the Mazur family and Mark and Eric Tevely. The franchise was created after the collapse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), which gave rise to the WIJHL and the British Columbia Hockey Conference (BCHC). Stang emphasized that his focus is on “churning out quality athletes,” believing that winning will follow a strong development model.