Preston, proud sponsor of
The Langley Rivermen Junior A Hockey Club.
www.langleyrivermen.com
The Preston Player's Lounge
The Preston Player's Lounge is a luxury suite at the Langley Events Centre provided to a Langley Minor Hockey or Langley Minor Girls team at each Langley Rivermen home game. Below is a list of the teams who have taken advantage of the Preston Player's Lounge so far this season (2011/2012).
Langley Minor Hockey Association (LMHA) Atom Tryout Group D
Article
See below for the original article announcing the Preston Player's Lounge at the Langley Events Centre:
Langley, BC, Friday, August 13, 2010: The Langley Events Centre and The Langley Chiefs are excited to announce the creation of the Preston Player’s Lounge at all Langley Chiefs home games this upcoming BCHL Season. Preston Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac, a long time supporter of Junior A Hockey in Langley, will be providing a Luxury Suite for a lucky Langley Minor Hockey or Langley Minor Girls team at each Chiefs home game. Not only will Preston be donating the suite, they will also be providing hot dogs, popcorn and pop for each player and coach.
“This is a terrific example of an outstanding and willing partnership between The Langley Chiefs, The Langley Events Centre and The Preston organization. We all share a true dedication to minor hockey and the many benefits it brings to the kids and the families of this community. Together we are able to offer experiences that could not be achieved otherwise.” Peter Heppner, General Manager of Preston GM hopes this year’s event will exceed the tremendous success seen last year at the event.
The Chiefs have established a strong working bond with Langley Minor Hockey which will only be enhanced by this feature being added by Preston. Every Langley Minor Hockey team will get their name in a draw and the first Monday of every month the Chiefs will draw a team from that group to be selected to come to a game the following month. The game will also feature a visit from some Chiefs players during the game as well as the team’s mascot!
Preston Ltd. is also participating in the annual Chevrolet Safe & Fun Hockey program which will be at the Langley Events Centre for the second year on September 10 & 11. This year will be extra special as it will feature a visit from former Women’s National Team member and current Chevrolet Safe & Fun Hockey Ambassador Cassie Campbell-Pascall. Preston has sponsored all of the young women participating in the camp from Langley Girls Hockey to attend the Langley Chiefs Home Opener the night of September 11. Once again, Preston will be providing the girls with some pop and hot dogs and a visit from the Chiefs.
About The Langley Rivermen
The city of Langley got its first taste of junior hockey in 1973, when the Langley Lords became a member of the BCJHL. The Lords competed for 3 seasons in the league which saw them experience regular season success without anything materializing into playoff success.
In 1976, the Lords changed their team name to the Langley Thunder. The team were a bottom feeder for all 3 seasons and ceased operations in 1978.
For the start of the 1981-82 seasons Junior A hockey returned to Langley, as the Langley Eagles returned to the BCJHL. The Eagles competed for 6 seasons in Langley with 1983-84 being the most successful. That season saw the team finish 40-8-2, placing third in the league. In the playoffs the team flew past the Abbotsford Flyers and Nanaimo Clippers to face the Pentiction Knight - placed first in the league - in the finals. That series saw the Eagles sweep the Knights to become the League Champions. The team went on to beat the Prince George Spruce Kings - the Peace Caribou Junior Hockey League champions - two games to none to win the Mowat Cup. In the BC/Alta Championship, Fort Saskatchewan Traders were out bartered, 4 games to 2. The team failed to capture the Abbott Cup as they were ousted 4 games to 0 by the eventual champions, Weyburn Red Wings. The Langley Eagles ceased operations in 1987.
Eight years later, the Langley Thunder reappeared in 1994. The Langley Thunder would compete for 5 seasons with the highlight being a league finals appearance in 1996, which the team lost to the eventual Royal Bank Champions, the Vernon Vipers, 4 games to 1.
The Thunder went on to change their team name to the Hornets. The team experienced some success under the guidance of Rick Lanz however his termination occurred during the 2002-03 season. A league worst team in 2001-02, the team finished 4th the following year, with a first round exit in the playoffs. The Langley Hornets existed until 2006, when the team was relocated to West Kewlona where the team is known as the Westside Warriors.
Following the move of Hornets to Westside, it was the Langley Chiefs' turn to take up residency in Langley. However, upon the introduction of the Chilliwack Bruins as a brand new member of the WHL in 2006, the Chilliwack Chiefs Junior A team was relocated to Langley. 2006-07 was the inaugural season for the Langley Chiefs, which played at the George Preston Arena. The Langley Chiefs transferred to the brand new state of the art Langley Events Centre for the 2009-10 season. After two seasons, the current owners of Langley's BCHL franchise put in a bid to purchase the team and were successful - however the previous owners retained the name 'Chiefs'.
From there, the Langley Rivermen were born. 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 the 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.
www.langleyrivermen.com
About The Langley Events Centre
The Langley Events Centre (LEC) is a 260,483 square foot state of the art facility which includes an Arena Bowl, Gymnasiums, Banquet Hall and Meeting Spaces all in one. Built in 2009 with the latest technology the LEC is home to over 15 teams and 15 businesses. Events we host include NCAA Exhibition games, BC Summer Games, Cheer Alliance Championships, Western Hockey League, Provincial Gymnastic Championships and CMA Country Artist of the Year Paul Brandt.
Visit www.langleyeventscentre.com for more information.
www.langleyeventscentre.com
Additional Information
Ticket Availability - For tickets to the Langley Rivermen and other events at the Langley Events Centre visit www.langleyeventscentre.com
Langley Rivermen Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club - www.langleyrivermen.com
British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) - www.bchl.ca
Chevrolet Safe & Fun Hockey - www.gm.ca/gm/english/corporate/chevrolet/ton/ne_hockey