A successful season on the ice for the Big Six Hockey League continued into the offseason as a new team could be joining the senior hockey league next season.

The Kipling/Windthorst Oil Kings were unanimously voted into the league during the Big Six spring meeting on Thursday night. The representatives from Kipling/Windthorst, Coach Dean Harcourt and Manager Robbie Barath, will now take the decision back to their players and executive and a final decision will likely be made in the next month or two.

"I think the possibilities of coming over to the Big Six are pretty good for our organization," expressed Harcourt following the meeting. "All nine teams here were very receptive to allowing us to come in. I think joining this league would cut down on our travel immensely and I think it would be a good change for our squad."

The Oil Kings currently play out of the Triangle Hockey League (THL) and have since joining the league in 2012. Geographically, the team will be central to other teams in the Big Six Hockey League on the north end. 

Robbie Barath and Dean Harcourt Represented The Oil Kings.

"We're basically a team full of local guys, we had terrific fan support last season and we're just hoping it's onwards and upwards from here," added Barath, who says there are about 15 players on the roster with many of them recently coming out of the midget hockey program in Kipling.

After Carlyle and Yellow Grass were added into the league in 2016 and Arcola/Kisbey rejoined the league after a one-year absence last season, the addition of Kipling/Windthorst would give the Big Six at least ten teams for the first time since 2010/11.

Big Six President Rae Wright, who will serve another term in 2018/19, says the growth speaks well about the quality of the league and the team representatives on Thursday night had no reservations when Kipling showed interest in joining.

"With their location, it's not going to be a long drive for any other team. And they said they're going to run a team with local players and that's what the Big Six is all about," stated Wright on the 8-0 vote in favour of adding Kipling to the league. Yellow Grass, who will remain on probation for the 2018/19 season, were not permitted to vote.

Kipling/Windthorst will hold their annual awards night during the 'KW Oil Kings Sportsmen's Banquet' on April 7th in Kipling, with keynote speaker Clint Malarchuk in attendance. During the night, it's expected that all the current players and most of the executive will be brought up to speed and shortly thereafter, a team decision will be made. Barath and Harcourt estimate that about 70% of the players were in favour of joining the Big Six earlier this winter.

"They've been voted into the league, and now it's up to them," added Wright. "We'll be glad to have them join us if that's what they choose."

The Oil Kings play the majority of their home games in Kipling, with two games this past season being played on the natural ice in Windthorst.

Kipling/Windthorst finished last overall in the highly-competitive THL this past season with a 1-16-0-1 record.

The Big Six Fall Meeting will take place in the fall, likely in October, where the 2018/19 schedule will be created.