BILLINGS — The Billings Amateur Hockey League is launching a major revival effort after years of declining registration, leaning on a new arena, a full-time youth director and upcoming free programming to draw kids back to the ice.
Registration numbers have steadily dropped over the past two decades and now hover around 150 players, according to Al Bloomer, a BAHL coach and player development director who for decades has been involved with the league as a volunteer, coach and president, and has also served with USA Hockey.
BAHL president Monica Anderson said the league's new mission is bigger than producing professional players.
"(It’s) being able to understand that the end goal isn't the NHL. I mean, if that's the journey, that's great. But the BAHL journey is … it's hockey for life," Anderson told MTN Sports.
WATCH to learn how the BAHL plans to re-energize youth hockey in Billings and to see vintage photos:
Vintage photos shared with MTN Sports show the league has been a cornerstone of Montana hockey since the mid-1970s, including the Billings Bighorns, a major junior team that began play in the late 1970s. Arena West on King Avenue opened in 1978.
Joe Studiner, one of the league’s original coaches, recalled the welcoming turnaround at Arena West after facing limited hockey time during its inaugural season due to lack of ice.
"The second year out there, we had ice. We didn't have to wait until nighttime to skate because it held ice all day long," Studiner said.
Legendary coach Herb Brooks, who led Team USA to a stunning Olympic hockey win over Russia — the Miracle on Ice — in 1980 on the way to a gold medal, visited Billings a year later to help fundraise for Centennial Ice Arena, which opened in 1982.
Bloomer was part of that effort.
"We went fly fishing. We sat in bars and drew drills on napkins. And he spoke at what is now the Billings Convention Center and we raised $25,000 for Centennial Arena. And I still have the cocktail napkins," Bloomer noted, adding that the event wouldn’t have been possible if not for his friendship with fellow coach Craig Dahl.
The BAHL dominated through the 1990s and into the 2000s, becoming one of the region's top youth hockey programs. But registration has steadily declined since.
Now, with the opening of the new Signal Peak Energy Arena and the arrival of the North American Hockey League's Cattle Punchers, BAHL leaders said it is time to reorganize, rebrand and refocus on building players from the ice up.
Bloomer said the league has lost sight of a critical step in that development.
"Successful players make successful teams. Successful teams win banners. And we've skipped that step,” he explained. “We've kind of gone to team success and we've forgotten about this part. We need to rebuild that lower part. We need to rebuild player success.”
To support that goal, the league has hired Cam Bruns as a full-time youth hockey director as the organization prepares a shift to Signal Peak Energy Arena. Bruns is available to answer questions at (815) 954-3321.
The BAHL’s regular season begins Sept. 9, but this month the league is offering a "Try Hockey for Free" event on July 25, along with “Learn to Skate” and “Learn to Play” opportunities July 27 through Aug. 21 at the new arena.
League leaders said the biggest challenge now is spreading the word and drawing kids into the program.
Times and additional information for upcoming opportunities are available on the league's website.
