Dynamiters Demise signal end of an era

By Jeff Bromley


The Kimberley Dynamiters are ceasing operations at the cusp of their 2001 AWHL playoff run. A club so entrenched within the psyche of the Bavarian City that the Dynamiters themselves predate the moniker adoption of the now-famous Bavarian theme by some 40 years. Save for perhaps the Sullivan Mine, that enabled Kimberley’s existence in the first place, it was the Dynamiters hockey club over the span of almost 75 years that most identified the city Kimberley with.

It would be easy to dwell on the many reasons and theories for the demise of the AWHL Junior A Dynamiters. An attendance ceiling that could seemingly never be surpassed, the economic reality of the Sullivan Mine on the verge of closure in the city, the glaringly obvious economic discrepancy for the Nitros playing in a league populated with mostly American clubs and even the arrival of the Kootenay ICE to the region three years ago could all be counted as reasons for the folding of the Dynamiters. Instead we can remember the stories, anecdotes and players of all incarnations of the Nitros that wore proudly the stick of Dynamite emblazoned on their jerseys. The fierce rivalry of Cranbrook Colts/Royals and the Kimberley Dynamiters that on many occasions and in many different eras required police escorts for fans and players alike returning back to their respective cities. The RMJHL Dynamiters becoming the first club to even win a game against the BCJHL Champions in the Doyle Cup in more than eight years of trying. The great Nitros club of 1997 who only lost five games all season. Of course the most poignant edition of the Dynamiters was the old Senior WIHL edition of 1977-78 that culminated in an Allen Cup Championship, which at that time was arguably second to only the Stanley Cup. Such an effect that club had on me that I can still name most of the players from that squad; Goalies Wayne Bell and Barry ‘Moose’ Mackay, Jim McCrimmon, Dallas Ellerby, Barry Cummins, Brian Macklin, John Migneault, Dale Booth, Aurel ‘Frenchie’ Beaudin, Ken Ireland, Captain Glen ‘Shaky’ Walton, Len Hicks, Jeff Ablett. The miraculous playoff run of the Nitros that year were so special that my mum let me attend games on school nights for the first time. Over 2000 screaming fans packed the Civic Center in the days before music between face-offs, marketing gimmicks and plexiglass surrounding the ice surface. City after city came to Kimberley only to be defeated. Places such as Drumheller, Brandon, Brantford that a seven-yr-old fan had never heard of. It was indeed a special time for the city of Kimberley and its rabid hockey fans. Of course there were many from that era that contributed to the league’s flamboyance. Del Iannone, father of current Kootenay ICE player Pat Iaonne who toiled for the Trail Smoke Eaters. Leroy Heustis, (Trail) arguably the most hated player in the league, Leo Karchie (Cranbrook Royals) among countless others. There are probably thousands of stories held in the hearts of old-timers of the Nitros escapades over the years including many from the powerhouse club of 1936 that won not only the Allen Cup but the World Hockey Championship the following year. The truth is that the Kimberley Dynamiters as we now know them are no longer. Only the memories of a franchise that will live long in our hearts and never be forgotten remain.

What does the future for hockey hold in store for Kimberley? Does the possibility of a Junior ‘B’ franchise, with its lower operating costs relative to the existing fan base, emerge as the Junior ‘A’ clubs from Creston, Nelson and Castlegar have done? Only time will tell but if anything, hockey in Kimberley has proven it’s been a survivor from era to era. Don’t bet against the Nitros rising from the ashes once again.