Decompress...Crossover... it will be fun

The KIJHL Governors had a meeting last weekend where they disscussed several different things including marketing ideas and scheduling that will get finalized at the KIJHL AGM in June so are not out to the public yet.

However, there was some news coming out of the meeting that KIJHL Vice President Phil Iddon was able to talk about and that was a bit on scheduling. You may remember the that there were some complaints from Kimberley about how many playoff and total games the Nitro's had to play compared to the other teams from the PIJHL and the VIJHL. Kimberley played 4 playoff rounds and 26 games in 46 days while Campbell River played 3 playoff rounds and 17 games in 59 days. Taylor Rocca's story is here  

Overall in the KIJHL we play more games, the VIJHL (Campbell River Storm) play a 48 game schedule and the PIJHL who hosted the Cyclone Taylor Cup a few weeks ago, play a 44 game schedule.  The KIJHL Governors like their longer 52 game schedule that keeps them closer to a Jr "A" schedule in length but they don't like all the 3 games in 3 days weekends and some of the weekday games. So with that in mind they have decided to start the season a week earlier and end a week later to try and decompress the schedule a bit. The actual dates will be finalized at the AGM.

Also the Cyclone Taylor Cup will be moved back a few days and will start April 7-11 this year. That along with the KIJHL Final going down to a best of 5 should make it easier on the Championship winning team to get a bit of rest before they start the Cyclone Tournament.

The KIJHL also agreed to keep the "Crossovers", which means fans will see teams from both conferences every year. So fans in say, the Eddie Mountain Division, will see teams from the Okanagan Division one year and the Doug Birks Division the next. Just like it has been for the last several seasons.

Thoughts
Ultra happy were keeping the "Crossovers" you always want to see how good the other Divisions are so you know how good you will have to be to win everything. 

The best of 5 final... VP Iddon says the logic is that it will shorten the P/O schedule a bit and cut down on the potential huge travel costs... and it will only affect 2 teams vs a best of 5 in the first round featuring 16 teams.

 I can live with the 52 games if there is a way to cut down the 3 games in 3 days fiasco we see every year. The 3 in 3 is too much IMO. I'm not sure how compressed the playoff schedule will be, but it was not very good this year... after the AGM we should have a better idea.

Starting the playoffs mid week is another disaster we had for years, you fight hard for first place then get penalized with no home games on the weekend, and that was a "Travesty" ...the fix for that is a Thursday start so you get a Friday game and the other team gets at least a Sunday game.


Nice work KIJHL you worked out a few things for the betterment of the league and fans.

Riders AGM May 20th in the Beer Room

The Fernie Ghostriders invite you to their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday May 20th at 7:00 at the arena, in what we all know as the "Beer Room"

The Fernie Ghostriders are a "Community Owned Team" and every year we have an AGM where interested fans will learn how the team did on the ice and off the ice in the year end financial report. If we were a privately owned team like many of the other KIJHL teams are the financial report would also be private so this is a great opportunity for fans to find out just how much it costs to run a junior hockey team.

If you ever had any questions or suggestions about the team or how it operates this is the time to voice them. 

After the reports there will be an election of officers and board members. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting but if you want to vote you will need a Membership, the cost is $10.00.  Also, everyone who is nominated may run for a position on the board as well, and the Ghostriders need help and invite any interested fans to come to the meeting.
 

Award Winners from the 2014-15 season

2014-2015 NEIL MURDOCH DIVISIONAL AWARD WINNERS

MVP-                      MITCHELL FOYLE – BEAVER VALLEY NITEHAWKS 
ROOKIE-                      ROSS AMOUR – BEAVER VALLEY NITEHAWKS 
SPORTSMAN          MICHAEL PRUSS – BEAVER VALLEY NITEHAWKS 
TOP SCORER        MITCHELL FOYLE – BEAVER VALLEY NITEHAWKS 
D- MAN                 ROBSON CRAMER – NELSON LEAFS
GOALIE                TREVOR DILAURO – SPOKANE BRAVES 
COACH                  JESSE DORRANS – CASTLEGAR REBELS
  

EDDIE MOUNTAIN DIVISIONAL AWARD WINNERS

MVP                           JASON RICHTER – KIMBERLEY DYNAMITERS
ROOKIE                        COY PREVOST – KIMBERLEY DYNAMITERS
D MAN                        JORDAN BUSCH – KIMBERLEY DYNAMITERS
TOP SCORE               JASON RICHTER – KIMBERLEY DYNAMITERS
SPORTSMAN  CARSON CARTWRIGHT – CRESTON VALLEY  
GOALIE                             JEFF ORSER – FERNIE GHOSTRIDERS

COACH                              CRAIG MOHR- FERNIE GHOSTRIDERS

DOUG BIRKS DIVISIONAL AWARD WINNERS

MVP                              KALEB BOYLE – CHASE HEAT
SPORTSMAN             TREVOR OKINO - CHASE HEAT
GOALTENDER          MITCHELL BYER – CHASE HEAT
D-MAN                     JAYDEN SYROTA – 100 MILE HOUSE WRANGLERS 
TOP SCORER                  IAN CRYSTAL- KAMLOOPS STORM
ROOKIE                       STEVEN FIUST – REVELSTOKE GRIZZLIES 
COACH                       ED PATTERSON – KAMLOOPS STORM

OKANAGAN DIVISIONAL AWARD WINNERS

MVP        AARON AZEVEDO          – OSOYOOS COYOTES 
TOP SCORER  AARON AZEVEDO - OSOYOOS COYOTES 
D_MAN                      KEVIN ROTH – KELOWNA CHIEFS
ROOKIE                     JACK MILLS – SUMMERLAND STEAM 
SPORTSMAN       BRADEN ELIUK – SUMMERLAND STEAM 
GOALTENDER      BRETT HUBER – SUMMERLAND STEAM 
COACH           JOHN DEPOURCQ – SUMMERLAND STEAM

*All of the above were as per votes received from the teams that voted in their respective divisions*

OVERALL LEAGUE AWARDS 2014-2015

MVP           AARON AZEVEDO    – OSOYOOS COYOTES 
D-MAN         ROBSON CRAMER – NELSON LEAFS 
SPORTSMAN   TREVOR OKINO – CHASE HEAT
ROOKIE  KEATON       GORDON – KAMLOOPS STORM
GOALTENDER     BRETT SOLES - OSOYOOS COYOTES 
TOP SCORER JASON RICHTER – KIMBERLEY DYNAMITERS 
COACH                        KEN LAW – OSOYOOS COYOTES

*All the above were chosen from the Divisional Winners on the basis of one vote per team from all that participated. The top goaltender determined on the best GAA and top scorer by most goals scored
In the regular season.* 

Fernie Ghostrider Spring Camp was a success !

Rider Coach Craig Mohr talks about the Ghostriders Spring Camp in the audio clip below. The camp featured several 2000's (15 year old players) who were pretty good plus several 98's and 97's Mohr says he will invite them all back for main camp in August. That date is yet to be determined.

In other Rider news at least two of our 94's (20 year olds) have a chance to keep playing hockey next year. We will have more on this shortly.

Kyle Christensen, The "Voice" of the Ghostriders radio broadcast's is leaving the radio station and will be returning to school where he will pursue a Degree in Communications. Kyle was doing the play by play for the last 5 seasons. More on just who Kyle is is below.

Kyle Christensen
Sports Director

Kyle Christensen comes to us from SAIT in Calgary. He’s a sports fanatic, making him a perfect choice for Sports Director.
Kyle originally comes from Winnipeg, Manitoba and you can hear him in the afternoon’s from Monday to Friday.

He’s a part of the Kootenay Ice home broadcasts, does play-by-play for the Fernie Ghostriders and period reports for the Kimberley Dynamiters.He joined the team in the Broadcast Center Newsroom on October 1, 2007.