The Whitehorse Huskies will howl again this winter.

The senior hockey team was revived last season to take a shot at the Coy Cup – awarded annually to British Columbia’s senior AA champions.

The Huskies went 8-0 in a short regular season before getting swept by the eventual Coy Cup champion Fort St. John Flyers in the playoffs.

The Huskies are best known for winning the Allan Cup – the national AAA championship – in 1993.

The club held its annual general meeting yesterday afternoon at Sport Yukon headquarters, where a new board of directors was established.

Headlining the list of volunteer newcomers is president and general manager Matt King.

The 40-year-old grew up in the Yukon and fondly remembers serving as a backup goalie to Denny Salamandyk on a AAA Huskies road trip to Fairbanks.

“It was only a short trip, but it’s something that I’ve never really forgotten,” King said. “Senior hockey has that opportunity to inspire some of the younger kids in hockey.”

King continues to play recreational hockey in the Yukon capital to this day, facing rubber from plenty of the current Huskies on a weekly basis.

King, whose day job is as vice-president of operations for the Yukon Housing Corp., said he wants to see the team gain a foothold in Whitehorse and play competitive games for years to come.

Joining King on the Huskies board of directors are vice-presidents Matt Ordish and David Larkin, director of marketing and communications Josh Schroeder and treasurer/director of operations Jim King.

Jim King is Matt King’s father. He was part of the Huskies leadership team in 2009.

Head coach Mike Tuton will return to his position behind the bench, and is also director/team representative.

He will be joined this season by assistant coach Barry Blisner.

Tuton, 39, said he has no concerns about giving up control of the Huskies to a board of directors.

“We want to win a Coy Cup,” he told the Star. “And bringing in these guys puts us in the best position to do that. We’re ready to go.

“I believe we’re sitting on a winning team here. ... We’re going to win it within the next two years. My vision right now is to win the Coy Cup at home in 2017.”

The team intends to submit a bid to host the 2017 tournament, while the 2016 event is also up for grabs.

The team is expected to hold open tryouts later this month, and Tuton hopes to have players from the communities battling for roster spots.

He expects a solid core of players to return from last year’s squad.

The 2014-2015 Huskies were led offensively by Evan Campbell, Kane Dawe and Adam Henderson.

“We want to have a local team,” said Tuton. “With the group we have in town now, we’d be silly not to do something with it.”

Tuton’s younger brother, Jared, will continue to wear the ‘C’ this season, despite a move to Grand Prairie, Alta.

A former captain of the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, the 30-year-old defenceman anchored the Huskies blue-line last season.

“He’s a real big part of the team, and not just because he’s my brother,” said coach Tuton. “When you look at leadership, he’s a guy that everybody looks up to. He does a real great job of it.”

Coach Tuton will handle the lineup and style of play while King will take care of business operations.

Meanwhile, Ordish has a background in sports team management while Schroeder previously ran the website for the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The schedule for the season has not yet been hammered out, but the Huskies hope to renew rivalries with the Fort Nelson Yeti, Powell River Regals and Fort St. John Flyers at Takhini Arena.

The ultimate goal is to build a winner, said Matt King.

Financial stability will help ensure that happens, and King hopes to garner sponsorships from the local business community – including a major sponsor for the squad.

“It’d be great to put a sponsor’s name on the jersey,” King said.

He also hopes the Huskies can be a positive influence on the minor hockey community.