Here is your July 2017 Fernie Ghostrider update.
Hey I went to Prep 9 too
Head Coach Craig Mohr just finished running what he called a Prep Camp in Calgary that saw two teams scrimmage for three days. But not everyone is happy.
We're Mad as Hell and were not gonna take it anymore!
Hockey Alberta and for whatever reason BC Hockey??? are pissed with the number of BC Jr B teams hosting camps in Alberta and they want it to stop immediately. ( I can actually hear them stomping their feet right now) Well they get to be the bosses so the camp was not an actual Ghostrider camp. It was just a summer skate for whoever showed up.
Some history, or my view of it
A few years ago Hockey Canada decreed that Canadians are Canadians so a player from Alberta was not considered an import here in BC. Before that you could only have 8 imports or something but now it’s open and only non Canadians are considered imports.
That was a good rule change for southern BC teams who don’t have big minor hockey systems to feed off of like they once did in the 80’s and 90’s.
BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE CAUSE
BC and Alberta Hockey Boy Scouts don't like camping any more
With the new hockey camps rule it looks like BC Hockey has decided to suck-hole to Hockey Alberta and help them try and hobble the recruiting process, even though Hockey Canada, the ultimate boss, kinda likes giving players a place to play and proved it by eliminating the provincial border with the import rule… they give with one hand and BC Hockey takes away with the other.
Have faith ye
The day of no provincial borders is coming, but it’s a gradual evolution and it started with the import rule.
Anyway…Coach Mohr says it was a good skate with several players who have a legitimate chance of making the team in September. As per usual many of the guys will be trying their luck at various Junior “A” Camps first… but if things don’t work out they have a spot here in Fernie.
Coach Mohr also tells me that 1/ Mitch Titus, who was the team’s top scorer last season and rarely misses a game is coming back for his final year of junior hockey. The fans coaches and writers have to be happy with that development.
2/ Keagan Kingwell is taking an electrical apprenticeship so won't be back.
3/ Riley Siebel, Ryan Kennedy and Evan Traverse are all going to UBC this year.
4/ Alex Cheveldave is going to Marian University in Wisconsin where he will play hockey.
We wish nothing but the best for all of these players.
It’s looking like the Riders will have a couple of 16 year old’s in the lineup this year and we’ll have more on that in August as training camp approaches.
And finally, and not a moment to soon
We stir up a lot of sh#@ here at the blog and some teams and coaches including the KIJHL President are not fans... but former Creston HC and GM Jeff Dubois, was, and he understood when and when not to take things serious... so we will miss having him in the league.
Dubios, for the record,is going to Alberni Valley as an assistant Coach and GM where he will team up with Matt Hughes, a former Columbia Valley Rockies HC and GM. Good luck in the BCHL Jeff!... and for that matter Matt.
