The Merchants name has a storied history in fastball in the Northwest Territories. In 1974, the Yellowknife Merchants won the territory’s first national championship in a team sport; in 1979, they followed that up with a silver medal. Teams carrying the Merchants name represented the city and territory in the decades since at both the junior and senior levels.
The name itself represents the backbone of the team: Yellowknife’s small business community. Players wear the names of individual sponsors on their jerseys when competing at tournaments; in doing so, literally carrying the city of Yellowknife and its business community on their backs.
In 2023, the Merchants name was resurrected for a men’s team comprising of players from the Yellowknife Fastball League. The team competed at the 2023 Alberta Provincial Championships, finishing fourth.
In 2024, the Merchants returned to the Alberta Provincial Championships, winning their first title, and competed at the North American Fastball World Series in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
In 2025, they Merchants attended the John Cho Cup in Prince George, British Columbia, winning the intermediate division title.
The Yellowknife Fastball League proudly supports the Yellowknife Merchants and its backing sponsors:
2025 Yellowknife Merchants
Andy Williams – backed by Flash Pilot Car & Hot Shot Services
Brent Hinchey (coach) – backed by Avery Cooper & Co.
Brian Couvrette – backed by True Value Hardware
Chad Hinchey – backed by Century 21 Prospect Realty
Devin Case – backed by Sutherland’s Drugs
Devin Hinchey – backed by Cabin Radio
Garrett Hinchey – backed by Yellowknife Racquet Club
Johnny White
Rob Johnson (coach)
Ryan Nichols – backed by Fuel Flo Logistics
Ryan Simpson
Ryan Theil – backed by Northern Employee Benefits Services
Steve Thomas – backed by B&D Plumbing and Heating
Trent Dundas
To learn more about the Yellowknife Merchants, including sponsorship opportunities, email yellowknifemerchants@gmail.com.
Yellowknife Fastball League 