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, the Merchants had their best result yet, attending the John Cho Cup in Prince George, British Columbia, where they won the intermediate division title.
In 2026, the Merchants hosted the inaugural Northwestern Invitational Fastball Championships, the first ever ISC qualifier held in Yellowknife.
The Yellowknife Fastball League proudly supports the Yellowknife Merchants and its backing sponsors:
2026 Yellowknife Merchants
Andy Williams – backed by North of 60 Construction
Brent Hinchey (coach) – backed by Avery Cooper & Co.
Brian Couvrette – backed by True Value Hardware
Bruce Waugh (coach)
Bryson Helyar
Chad Hinchey – backed by Century 21 Prospect Realty
Cole Woodland
Cooper Finch
Devin Case – backed by Sutherland’s Drugs
Devin Hinchey – backed by Stewart Weir MacDonald Ltd.
Herb Mathisen – backed by Erasmus Apparel
Johnny White
Landon Cooper
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
More information on the Merchants can be found on their Facebook page.
To learn more about the Yellowknife Merchants, including sponsorship opportunities, email yellowknifemerchants@gmail.com.
Yellowknife Fastball League 