After fifteen years the next generation of Emerson A's will hit the ice this season as part of the Scratching River Hockey league. The Emerson Skating Rink will be home base for the team. Organizers hope the league will give the diminishing community arena a financial boost, and entice youth in the community to get into the sport.

"As the home team we have to pay for ice time, anything that we rent from the rink and it will bring more spectators to utilize the canteen bringing in more funds for the rink," said Emerson A's Manager Darryl Roadwald.

Roadwald mentioned, the next generation of Emerson A's consists of seventy-five percent Emerson residents with sixteen players and two goalies. There are five teams in their league they will compete against throughout the season Roseau River First Nations, Lettelier, Vita, Dominion City, and St Jean.

"The cost to restart the league was somewhere in the range of $10,000," said Roadwald.

Roadwald explained that enormous financial support from local businesses has been received.

"The teams rearing to play and happy to be a part of a area function that will support the arena and the community a little bit at a time," said Roadwald.

The Emerson A's first game will be held November forth at the Dominion City Arena which holds artificial ice. The Emerson rink still uses natural ice, the rink historically is ready by mid December. Roadwald said the first home game is tentatively planned for December seventeenth.