With the Highway 10 playoff series between the Yorkton Terriers and Melville Millionaires heating up this season, one of the rivalry’s most iconic figures is reflecting on what made those matchups unforgettable.
“Anything you could do to beat Melville… that’s just the way it was,” says Darrell Spelay, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s all-time leading scorer, whose 436 points in 239 SJHL games remain atop the league’s record books.
“Every game was fights, brawls, packed rinks… you could feel the hatred back then,” Spelay says. “Now you laugh about it—but at the time, it meant everything.”
As the current Terriers and Millionaires clash in the playoffs, Spelay’s memories highlight just how deep the rivalry runs.
His hockey journey began at a young age, but a defining moment came at 12—when he was cut from a traveling team, only to earn a second chance and find himself coached by Gerry James, a mentor who shaped his development.
“I learned more about hockey—and being a better person—that year than anything,” Spelay says. “He was tough, but fair. Like a second father.”
That foundation helped shape a remarkable four-year junior career in Yorkton. Spelay’s time with the Terriers was highlighted by the memorable 1983 SJHL championship—a season that still stands out in franchise lore.
“We just seemed to peak at the right time. A lot of local guys, a tight group,” he says. “Winning that first title for Yorkton—that was special.”
Spelay still holds the SJHL record for most career points (436), scoring 244 goals and adding 192 assists between 1979 and 1983.
“When you’re 20, you don’t really realize what’s going on,” he says of his scoring feats. “Now, looking back… yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
After his junior career, Spelay chose not to pursue hockey beyond that level, instead transitioning into the workforce during a very different era of the game.
“You were working during the day, then playing at night—it was a different time,” he says. “But I wouldn’t change it.”
While today’s game is faster and more skilled, Spelay believes the emotion tied to rivalries like Yorkton and Melville remains as strong as ever—especially in the playoffs.
“When you’ve got a full rink and that atmosphere, it just makes you want to win that much more,” he says.
As another chapter of the Highway 10 rivalry unfolds, the echoes of its past continue to shape its present—driven by the same pride, passion, and intensity that defined Darrell Spelay’s era.
