The Creston Valley Thundercats are preparing to usher in a new era, announcing plans to rebrand the junior hockey club after 25 years under the Thundercats name.
The organization announced last week it is adopting a new team name, colours and logo, with the final decision to be guided by community feedback gathered through an online survey that also went live last week.
General manager Brandon Buliziuk said the move comes after several seasons of increased engagement with fans and a strong response to a throwback jersey earlier this season.
“Over the past couple seasons, we’ve really been getting engaged with our fan base and just listening, and we heard a lot around the idea of what initially started with a potential change back to the Creston Valley Thunder, which was the team name prior to their joining the KIJHL,” he explained.
Last season, the team debuted a third jersey featuring the former Thunder name, which was well received not only locally but throughout the entire Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
“We made the decision that we were going to create a third jersey for this year in the Thunder name to see what the feedback was like. So we did that and we got tremendous feedback throughout the season on the logo and the name, not just locally, but around the league.”
Rather than settling on a new identity right away, Buliziuk said the organization opted to involve the community directly through a survey shared with fans, sponsors and the community.
“We would like to entirely make this decision based on community feedback. We’re a community-owned and operated club, and I’d like to see the direction that we go in be in line with what the community wants.”
While the Thundercats name will be retired, the team’s history will still be honoured.
“I think that that’ll be a piece of history going forward. there’s always the potential for certain elements to be retained,” said Buliziuk.
“All options are on the table for the board to consider. But I think we’re excited to look at something new going forward here or a modernized version of old, if that’s what the community vote on.”
He added the timing of the rebrand also aligns with practical needs, including uniform and equipment replacements.
“We have a lot of things that just, through time and wear and tear, now need to be replaced. We need to replace our centre ice logo, all our uniforms are due to get turned over. And so it fits with doing it this season as a lot of those financial commitments are going to take place regardless.”
The club hopes the rebrand will build on growing community support, with Buliziuk noting attendance this season has nearly doubled compared to previous years.
“We’ve seen a tremendous success this season with our commitment from our fans. Our attendance is almost over double the average that it’s been in the past. Great crowds at the games, and it’s about giving the community an entertainment piece and simultaneously providing a great hockey environment for the boys.”
The survey is expected to close in February. After that, the board will review the results.
Buliziuk said he hopes to announce the new team name in early March, followed by logo and branding development in the following four to six weeks.
“We’re really grateful for all the engagement. The survey has been getting huge numbers of responses. We love the community support. It’s the community’s team. And we’re really grateful for everything our fans and sponsors continue to put into this organization.”
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