TRU drops support of WolfPack hockey team

SPORTS — Thompson Rivers University (TRU), which is based in Kamloops, has dropped its support of the WolfPack hockey team after six seasons.

The hockey program was operated by a society and was a ‘club’ team that played with the support of the athletic department but wasn’t a varsity team. There are baseball and swimming teams that operate under the same system at TRU. A golf team was dropped earlier this year.

The hockey program was established “for student/athletes who wanted to continue to play competitive hockey while pursuing their education,” Ken Olynyk, TRU’s athletics and recreation director, said in a news release.

“They made every effort possible to maintain the program to this point, but due to economics and a lack of a sustainable model, we have no choice but to dissolve the program.”

Former WHLer Ryan Hanes (Kamloops, Prince George, 2008-13) was planning on playing for the WolfPack this season.

The WolfPack played in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League, which is left with five teams — the Eastern Washington U Eagles, who play out of Cheney, Wash.; the Selkirk College Saints (Castlegar); Simon Fraser University (Burnaby); the Trinity Western University Spartans (Langley); and the University of Victoria.