A short run in the 2026 Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs has resulted in a financial loss for the Dauphin Kings.
A year after reporting a profit of more than $47,000, the Kings are reporting a loss of $44,308.
In terms of revenue, the biggest fall came in ticket sales. In 2025, the local junior A hockey club reported ticket sales of $339,727. That number fell to $186,448 this year.
Total revenue in 2025 was $835,599, while revenue in 2026 was $644,534.
Expenses also fell, from $787,927 in 2025 to $688,842 in 2026.
Fund-raising increased from $174,833 to $182,020 on the strength of the tractor lotto, which raised approximately $130,000 and the Par 3 Golf Tournament, which raised about $14,000, almost double from the year before.
Despite the shortfall, the Kings still have assets totalling $27,996.
Bryan Romanow was named interim team president last August.
He faced a number of challenges over the course of the season, noting there is a new era in junior hockey.
“It’s tough when you lose a player like Havryil Simchuk at Christmas time to B.C. He would have helped us out immensely in the playoffs, for sure” he said.
“I think stuff like that is the biggest impact now. Losing players at the wrong time of year.”
The Kings have been searching for a new head coach and general manager since parting ways with Doug Hedley at the end of the season.
Romanow said the team was close enough to hiring someone new to offer a contract.
“And we thought we had one locked up and then they had a family meeting and had a change of heart,” he said.
“There were a couple more that we were just about to offer contracts to, but then they backed away. We’re working really hard. It’s tough. Coaching nowadays, too, they want a lot of money. But hopefully, in the next week to 10 days, we’ll have somebody in place.”
Romanow will remain on the board as vice-president with Jason Gibbs stepping into the president’s role. Romanow hopes to use his time as vice-president as a learning experience.
“I was only on for about six months, so I have quite a bit to learn yet. So it will be nice to follow Jason’s lead for a while and then hopefully, I’ll step back up into president or remain a vice-president, which is fine,” he said.
As for the financial situation, Romanow said the loss shows how important a long playoff run can be. He also noted while the Kings appreciate the support from sponsors, the team lacks a major industry to support the team, unlike other teams in the league
“Our sponsorships are awesome in Dauphin, don’t get me wrong. But you’re dealing with the Steinbachs, where they have HyLife. And you’re dealing with Portage, with McCain. They back their teams fairly well,” he said.
“We are very happy with the support we get in Dauphin. It’s just we don’t have any industry, basically. What it comes down to is we’re a farming community. So we try to make the best with what we have.”
Gibbs joins the Kings after serving as governor a few years ago, before moving on to the Parkland Rangers program.
“I still love the game of hockey and, obviously, my kids have moved on, so we have a little bit of empty nest syndrome and I still want to give back. So I just thought coming back to the board and helping these folks get through things was the right step,” he said.
Among the challenges will be to right the ship financially.
Gibbs credited director of business operations Christian Laughland for his work in securing sponsors.
“But just keeping the team afloat and, obviously, we need to focus on getting a head coach signed and announced,” he added.
The Kings are also looking for added revenue streams to help the bottom line.
One thing Gibbs hopes to do is to get players back out into the community.
“Giving back to the sponsors, helping out wherever they can. We’re hoping that we’ll get more folks in the stands and get them excited about the players and the team,” he said.
Recognizing time is of the essence, Gibbs hopes to have a new coach and general manager is place soon.
While there were no resignations from the board, a number of people stepped up and joined the team.
Cam Abrey will be the billet co-ordinator, Jason Alf joins as community relations, Joey Pasternak and Troy Steeves will serve as game day directors, Craig Kaminski will serve as information technology and Dave Campbell will join Rob Hrechka and Rae Csversko in external relations.
Remaining on the board are Laughland, who will also serve as the team’s governor, Erin Sigvaldason in finance and Scott McCallum as director of hockey operations.
The Kings recently announced its schedule for the 2026-27 season.
Of note, all but one home game will be played on weekends, with 15 Friday games, seven on Saturdays and six on Sundays. The lone weekday home game will take place, Dec. 31, a Thursday.
The season opens, Sept. 18, when the Kings are in Selkirk to battle the Steelers, with the home opener the next night at Credit Union Place also against Selkirk.