Years ago, when Saskatchewan was less populous and prosperous than it is now, Bill Hunter, of blessed memory, tried to bring the NHL's floundering St. Louis Blues to Saskatoon. He failed because the league governors concluded there were neither enough people nor enough money in the province to support the team. All Mr. Hunter gained was the unofficial title of patron saint of Saskatchewan hockey.
Lately there has been a spate of words honouring his memory by arguing that an NHL team based in Saskatoon is not only possible but inevitable. Perhaps it is, but not now.
Alberta has a large enough population base to support two NHL teams, two CFL teams and the WHL, besides. Saskatchewan doesn't. We aren't even close.
The NHL and CFL teams in Alberta and elsewhere are privately owned and the owners expect to make a profit. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are community owned, and profit or no, have an enduring life as a symbol of provincial pride. Our team requires widespread support, but one would be hard pressed to find a Saskatchewanian who would approve of selling the team to a private owner. We're funny that way.
Thus far, a single CFL team in the province encourages interest in football. A sport played in the summer on a patch of grass doesn't gobble up cash like hockey.
We know our province is wealthier, but we don't know, in total, what free cash our citizens have after meeting basic household expenses. We don't know how much individual communities can dedicate to sports, the arts and religion. (Church funding comes out of the same money pot as sports arenas and art galleries.) Even now there are signs of volunteer fatigue in rural Saskatchewan and some communities have been forced to jettison activities which, in more frugal times, were an essential element in every village.
Some day, a team called the Saskatoon Quakers might be in the NHL. It won't be because Bill Hunter dreamed a dream or because Saskatoon needs a big league team, too.
In 2012, neither reason is good enough.
