A Port Aux Basques man hopes to rekindle some of the hockey rivalries that used to stir up fans in western and central Newfoundland.

Shannon Battiste knows that people in his town love hockey, and he's hoping there's enough of an appetite to bring back a junior team.

What's more, he's putting out feelers to see if Stephenville, Corner Brook and Deer Lake want teams, too, in a resurrected West Coast Junior setup.

"Every year, people in Port aux Basques keep asking, 'Are we going to have any junior hockey? Are we going to have any junior hockey?'" says Battiste.

Shannon Battiste would like to bring back junior teams like the Port aux Basques Mariners and Deer Lake Red Wings, seen here in a 2013 photo. (Facebook)

Senior hockey rivalries in western Newfoundland have faded away over the years as teams dropped out of the league — Port Aux Basques Mariners, Stephenville Jets, Deer Lake Red Wings and, just this past season, the Corner Brook Royals.

Battiste, who is the former president of the Port Aux Basques Junior Mariners, said a league would serve a double benefit: give young players a few more years of hockey, and satisfy the fan base.

"When we had [the Junior Mariners] ... the stadium was always three-quarters full."

Old wounds

The Central-West Junior League ended on a sour note in 2013. Bishop's Falls was having trouble getting a coach, and Stephenville and Port Aux Basques were involved in a dispute with HockeyNL, the sport's governing body.

HockeyNL had fined Stephenville and Port Aux Basques $400 each for missing the annual general meeting, and the teams refused to pay.

Every year, people in Port aux Basques keep asking, "Are we going to have any junior hockey?" - Shannon Battiste

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Teams were also smarting from a decision by HockeyNL that year to demote the league from Junior "B" status to the less-competitive "C" level because of teams' poor showing in provincial competition against St. John's-based clubs.

Still, Battiste thinks a reformed league can put those problems behind it. He said it could play as a self-contained Western Newfoundland league in the winter of 2017, before competing with outside teams.

"We've still got the option, we could play in Junior "C" [under HockeyNL in 2017-18] and play for the Junior "C" cup in Nova Scotia."

Battiste said he's already had indications of interest from Deer Lake and Corner Brook, and will give it until late this week to see whether a league is feasible.

While all four potential teams would be responsible for their own expenses, Battiste is confident Port Aux Basques would be able to raise enough in sponsorships from the town and local businesses to keep the Mariners afloat.

He says anyone interested in playing in a west coast junior league or helping out can e-mail him or call at 709-685-8877.