CONNECTICUT – With the introduction of the Utah Hockey Club to the professional ranks, the Beehive State has also welcomed a host of other new hockey franchises – Papa Bull 1891, the Salmon Snappers, Ice Ice Joey, and the Valorous Gophers among them.
As is probably clear, these are not real franchises in the National Hockey League or any minor, or even youth, hockey league. They are, however, real teams – fantasy hockey teams – each led by a priest of the Diocese of Salt Lake City who are all vying to win the “Stanley Chalice.”
Inspired by the inaugural season of the Utah Hockey Club, Father Stephen Tilley got himself and eight other priests together to create the league, and in turn create another vehicle for priestly comradery in what can be, at times, a very isolating vocation. In a sense, he said it’s an extension of the poker night they have at his rectory once a month for the same purpose.
“It’s an opportunity just so that we don’t kind of go weeks and weeks without and kind of priestly fraternity, and the nice thing about fantasy sports is it gives us something to talk about other than work, or priests, or parishes, and stuff like that and we just want to see each other in a more fraternal light,” Tilley explained. “It might be low brow I guess, but I like it.”
Tilley is commissioner of the league, which is named “The Stanley Chalice” after the championship trophy. The trophy itself is a 14-inch plastic replica of the NHL’s Stanley Cup that he bought on Amazon before the start of the season. Next year, he said they might make a championship ring.
“It’s organic,” Tilley said.
“The main thing is to just be with each other, have fun, have it be a place where if somebody is having a kind of rough day … they feel comfortable shooting a text message to one of the brother priests,” he continued. “One of the dangers of the diocesan priesthood is isolation sometimes, and if you’re really struggling with something you want to be able to reach out to somebody so we’re very intentional about being there for one another in that capacity.”
The league also provides a glimpse into how a new professional sports franchise can excite a community, and usher in a new wave of fans. Tilley said another reason he and a couple of other priests wanted to create the league was because they were excited about the team, and thought fantasy hockey could be a reason for them to watch and learn more.
“It’s an exciting thing to get to enter something at the ground level, and so maybe for some of the priests who never really considered themselves following a sports team it’s kind of a cool opportunity to follow a sports team at the beginning,” Tilley said. “We get to see all of the firsts and stuff like that.”
In the fantasy league, Tilley’s team is Papa Bull 1891. Papa Bull is a play on papal bull, which is a public decree, charter, or letter issued by the pope, and 1891 is an ode to the year the Diocese of Salt Lake City – the only Catholic diocese in Utah – was formed.
The Salmon Snappers, he said, was created by a priest from the northwest. The Valorous Gophers are the team of the diocese’s vicar general, Father John Evans, who chose the name because the two words begin with a “v” and “g,” respectively; the same as his title.
In addition to Ice Ice Joey, the other teams in the league are the Skating Moose, the Utah Slashers, Anthony’s Astronauts, Briese’s Bullies, and the Bermuda Barbarians. Because there are only nine priests in the league, they added a 10th team of third line players to give them an even number.
With third line players, the team was expected to come in last, so they named it the BYU Cougars, as they’re on the University of Utah Utes side of the universities “Holy War” rivalry. Unfortunately for the priests in “The Stanley Chalice” league, the BYU Cougars team is 1-0 after the first week.
As for the teams themselves, Tilley said after one week it’s too early to say if they should’ve taken different draft strategies or anything like that. He did, however, admit they all underestimate how important a good goalie is to a fantasy hockey team.
Some of the Utah Hockey Club players have also found their way onto a fantasy roster. Tilley drafted forward Clayton Keller and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Since the season began, another priest has also picked up defenseman Ian Cole after Tilley had a chance encounter with him after Sunday Mass.
One thing still left for the priests to do is attend a Utah Hockey Club game. Tilley said since it’s the inaugural season tickets are still a little too expensive, but they’re eyeing the team’s March 10 matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs as a possibility.
“We’re hoping we can get some tickets to the March 10 game with the Toronto Maple Leafs because that’s a Monday, which is easier for us. Saturday nights aren’t that easy, and I have faith formation on Tuesday nights and confessions on Wednesday nights, and every priest has different days that are easier or more difficult for going out,” Tilley explained. “But I think before this season is gone I’m pretty confident I’ll be able to get to one game.”
Evans, in an email to Crux, acknowledged that he doesn’t know anything about the NHL. Still, a chance to partake in something new with his brother priests wasn’t something he was going to pass up.
“[I joined] just to be fraternal and join in with some of the guys,” Evans said. “I can always learn.”
Follow John Lavenburg on X: @johnlavenburg
