Prior to the opening of the Comuniplex, hockey in Prince Albert had a long and interesting history, according to a Raider program from the 1971 –1972 season. It states that over the years four teams stood out as representing Prince Albert with distinction in the hockey arena.

The first was the Mintos of 1912. Seven men composed this team. They were: Bruce Wright, Archie MacDonald, Jim Sims, Jim Leach, Gordon Forbes, and Alf Holman. They fought for the Allan Cup against Melville and were beaten in a close 9-8 game, the closest any P.A. hockey team came to winning the Allan Cup.

The second team to make its mark was the Mintos of 1928. This team consisted of Larivell, Valois, Ashwin, Woodman, Hoffman, and Sinclair. The game to remember was the night they played the Moose Jaw Maroons for the Henderson Cup. 1800 fans jammed into the old Mintos Arena, situated in the west end of Prince Albert by the old railroad bridge. Several hundred fans, unable to get seats, almost completely tore out the south wall of the ancient stadium in order to gain a view of the memorial struggle. The Mintos won the game 6-4.

The Mintos of 1932-1933, which consisted of George Freeland, Scotty Milne, Mac MacFee, Red Hemmerling, George Freeland, Al Fowlie, Todd Klein, Bob McQuarrie, Jack Brown, Jack Dundas, Don Deacon, and Fred Mosher were the third team to represent Prince Albert with distinction. This team won the Northern League but was defeated in the playoffs by Regina, who went on to win the Allan Cup.

The fourth team, the 1949-1950 Prince Albert Junior Mintos was one of the best junior teams Prince Albert had ever had. They won the Northern finals by defeating Flin Flon three games straight. They also won the Alberta and B.C. championships. This teams’ roster consisted of Wayne Stepenson, Joe Palyga, Ron Clearwater, Hermie Merkowsky, Jim Wilson, Herb Jeffery, Chuck Holdaway, Harry Harasyn, Jack Drew, Don Crawford, and Bill Hunter.