The Eddie Mountain Breakdance

Fernie 3 Golden 2

In Fernie The Ghostriders Kory Zinck (SH) and  Keelan Saworski scored in the first period then Kyle Ford (GW) scored in the second to give the Riders a 3-0 lead.

Golden scored two quick goals after that from Kale Wareham and Dominic Turner (Player of the Game) and the second ended up 3-2.

There was no scoring in the third and the Riders ended up with the 3-2 win. Their fourth in a row.

Riley Fonger had the win in net, his third win in a row.
Ryan Baker took the loss in the GR net.

Shots 32-27 Fernie and both teams went 0-3 on the PP

Dylan Defosse was the Riders Player of the Game

Att 625

Nelson 2 @ Columbia Valley 4

In Invermere the Rockies surprise the undefeated Leafs 4-2.
Goalie Ben Kelsch was the CVR POG, the shots were 41-29 Nelson.
Eric Lloyd’s second period goal that gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead ended up being the game winner. Gavin Fleck and Dylan Fontaine scored the other CVR goals.

100 Mile 5 @ Creston 2 

In Creston five different Wranglers score and Dan Allin had the win in net and Garrett Hilton had 3 points

Kimberley lost 3-2 in Kelowna as well. It was late and no game sheet up when this was written.

The Eddie Mountain Breakdown

100 Mile 2  @ Fernie 5

In Fernie Ethan Jang (1G1A), Niki Sombrowski (SHG 1A) Kyle Ford, Greg Susinski, (PP) and Sawan Gill all scored goals and Riley Fonger, Fernie’s player of the game, stopped 38 Wrangler shots in the Rider net for Fernie’s 4th win on the season.

CJ Zimmerman and Garrett Hilton each had a goal and an assist for the Wranglers.
PP 100 1-6
FGR 1-4
Shots 40-29 100 Mile
Att 750

Other games of note

Revelstoke 6 @ Golden 2

In Golden the Revelstoke Grizzlies  Ethan Schaeffer scored 3 goals for the Grizz and Liam McGarva had the win in net and the Grizz remain undefeated.
Dominic Turner had both Rocket goals.

Creston 5 Columbia Valley 1

In Invermere Darby Berg scored 4 goals and added an assist and Creston’s Sam Burford made 49 saves to give the Cats their 7th point on the season. 
The shots were 50-18 for the Rockies.

In Enderby because some ice problems in Armstrong the Dynamiters won 5-2 over the North Okanagan Knights.
No game sheets when this was written for obvious reasons.

Riders win-isn't smart enough-finger-petition-code for real no xmas dumb warmups

Ghostrider Notebook

The Ghostriders only played one game last weekend and it was in Castlegar against the Rebels and they got a 4-0 win.

Nikolas Sombrowski (PP), Keelan Saworski (1G 1A) and Owen Titus with two power play goals a minute apart in the third period scored the goals in Castlegar. Titus’ goals effectively ended the Rebels night and he was named the player of the game. More on that in a minute.

The Riders also outshot the Rebels 33-19, killed 8 penalties and were 3-7 on the power play. 

After the weekend Fernie had scored 5 PPG in 20 chances  25% and have allowed 3 in 30 chances, they kill at 90%, one of the better kill %'s  in the league... * Take the numbers with a grain of salt, there are lots of partial PP where the other team takes a penalty while on the power play etc and the esports game sheet program isn’t smart  enough to figure out the exact minutes of PP and PK time... that would be a much better indicator .

Coach Jeff Wagner signed goaltender Riley Fonger and D-man Josh Dalquist last week, both were Calgary Flame AAA Midget players last season... a nice coup by the  young GM... you can be sure they were well courted.

The aforementioned  Fonger (2000) got the start in Castlegar and he didn’t disappoint, he stopped a couple of breakaways and a penalty shot on the way to earning a shutout in his first KIJHL game, but wasn’t named the player of the game, that should have been an easy pick, it’s hard to get a shutout... they kinda gave Fonger  the finger.

D-man Greg Susinski leads the team in scoring with 7 points followed by Jordan Kromm with 6. Both players had 2 assists in Castlegar.  Kromm has sure taken a step this year and looks at home on the point on the PP 2.  

Eric Welford is out with an injury after he was hit in the head by the Rebels Brandon Costa who got a 5 minute major and the accompanying two game suspension. Shaun Pierce was also injured in Castlegar by a high hit, but it was not called, both players are out for this weekend's games.  A cage can’t stop that stuff and the team still loses 2-D. 

A player in the VIJHL has started a petition to get rid of cages, it’s here.  But I don’t think BC Hockey cares what you or anyone else thinks about it and they are probably going to leave it up to the refs to amp up the calls.

Well actually they are actively looking at calling more roughing and misconduct PIM.

Here is what Laurent Martel (that’s code for KI President Larry Martel) had to say about the start of the PIM season.

There has been a small change in the type of hockey we're  seeing this year since going to full face protection. Here it is after 3 weekends, last year Check from Behind 5 minor 2 majors, this year 7 minors, last year Fighting 40 majors , this year 6 majors, last year Head Contact 21 minors 1 major, this year 23 minors 4 majors. KIJHL referees will be calling more misconducts and roughing after the whistle.

KIJHL suspension list

Kamloops writer Marty Hastings says Storm GM Barry Dewar will have a video conference appeal with BC Hockey over his 1 year suspension for tampering. It’s rampant in hockey but hard to prove...but when they can prove it look out.

Dylan Defosse’s 2 game suspension will be over on Saturday in time for the Golden game.

I think Wylie Henderson is doing a pretty good job of calling the games on the radio.

 Friday's Game 

 Thankfully the not always fan friendly KIJHL has reinstated a partial crossover schedule for the players and fans and that means that we get to see teams from the Doug Birks Division this season. So after two years we are a league again ! And on Friday the 100 Mile House Wranglers are in town.  

The Wranglers have a couple of faces longtime Rider fans will recognize. Playing defence is twenty year old Kyle Haugo, Kyle played 4 years in Fernie but didn’t finish the season last year because of a broken elbow and was released so the Riders could get another player card. 

 The Wrangler ’s Head Coach is Dale Hladun. Dale was Coach here during the 2013/14 season when Haugo was just 15 and skating at the Rider main... he was too young other wise I think Haldun would have signed him then. Hladun and his Wranglers won everything in 2016.

Saturday’s Game

The Golden Rockets are here Saturday. The Rockets have a 4-2 record this year and already have more wins than they did last season (3) . They could be for real...  last weekend the Rockets defeated Columbia Valley. The Rockies should have been motivated, they were  cruising along at 4-0 on the road and were playing in front of 450 fans in their home opener but lost 3-2.  Golden actually even edged the Rockies 33-31 in shots as well... will there be a battle for the final playoff spot this season... there hasn’t been for a few years and as a Christmas present you pretty much knew you were in.

The Rockets new Head Coach and GM is Jeremy Blumes he replaces Jason Stephens.

I don’t know if this guy is right or wrong, but I always believed that just skating and taking shots was the perfect warmup.

The Full article is here
How dumb are hockey warmup habits? I paraphrase the words of a world-class track coach: If my athletes would come out for a meet in early spring when the temperature was as cold as a hockey arena, and fake a warmup, stretching much of the time while sitting on a patch of ice, then, go back to the locker room and sit motionless for 20 minutes, come out to the track and stand for the national anthem, then immediately jump up to the starting blocks and sprint full speed – well, I should be fired.

“But,” he continued, “that’s what hockey players do.”

The Eddie Mountain Breakdown

Fernie 4 @ Castlegar 0

In Castlegar, Nikolas Sombrowski (PP), Keelan Saworski (1G1A) and Owen Titus (2PPG) scored the goals and Riley Fonger had the shutout in his first game with the Ghostriders.

The Riders outshot the Rebels 33-19 and went 3-7 on the power play. Jordan Kromm and Greg Susinski each had 2A.
  Eric Welford left the game in the third after he was hit in the head by Brandon Costa who got 5 for the hit.

In other games of note...

In Invermere The Golden Rockets Brett Benson’s PP goal in the third gave the Rockets their third win spoiling the Rockies home opener. It was the Rockies first loss on the season, they were 4-0. 
Shots 33-31 Golden. Ryan Baker had the W in net.

In Kimberley the Nitro’s won 6-2 vs the Chase Heat. 
Eric Delaire had 4 points and Chase Gedny 2G. 
The shots 27-38 KD 
Lots of PP's KD went  1-11 CH 2-9

In Creston the Sicamous Eagles surprise Creston with a 4-3 win Nicholas Cossa had the game winner Cole Steinke the W in net.
T-Cat Andrew Clark had 3A

Great home opener, Cheech and Chong,just sayin, tamperin points loss

The Ghostriders had a hugely successful home opener last Saturday night. The Riders won 5-3 in a game that featured a minute of silence for the three City workers and the Humboldt Broncos, some nice goals, several hits,1140 fans and even more empty beer cups... and that was just from the Aussie's in my section behind the net.

Saturday’s  game was the second half of a home and home against Creston. The boys lost the first game in Creston 3-1 on a Tyler Witzke Andrew Clark PP goal and  Sam Burford in net show. The shots were 34-17 FGR. 


In Fernie it was the Riders turn to use special teams to their advantage, they went 2-2 on the power play, scored shorthanded, and outshot Creston 49-24.

Creston’s new HC and GM Nick Redding still hasn’t cleared immigration yet so former Rider Coach Craig Mohr was on the bench for both games.

There is a municipal election coming up in October and several people are trying to get on council including Dan McSkimming (PXP announcer and former board member) Phil Iddon (former  Ghostrider President) and Tracey Kelly (Minor Hockey president) they are all hockey friendly candidates ...just sayin

Ghostrider Notebook

Jordan Kromm scored a shorthanded goal in the third period, he just wouldn’t give them the puck... that was hi-light reel stuff !

Ethan Jang scored the lone goal in Creston... shorthanded,   Kyle Ford scored one in Spokane too giving the Riders  three SH goals in four games.

Fernie local Niki Sombrowski (Ford- Gibson) scored the Riders first goal at home this season, and narrowly missed on a couple of others. Coach Wagner “How fitting was that”

Crunching Kyle Ford scored a goal of his own Saturday, he now leads the team in scoring with 2G 4A followed closely by Greg Susinski with 2G 3A... didn’t think I would be saying that last month.

Captain Keelan had several chances in the first three games but couldn’t finish, Saworski scored at home though... I was expecting his name along with Brendan Nemes who had a PPG Saturday to come up in the last paragraph. 

Under the Jr B supplement’s  suspension guidelines a 5 minute major for head contact, just like the one Dylan Defosse got Saturday, means an automatic two game suspension. He is eligible to play at home September 29th vs Golden.

With all the players wearing cages this season the hands and sticks are higher than Cheech and Chong.

On Sept 5th Kyle Klein turned 16 and he's playing on the Rider blueline. It’s an accomplishment just making the team at that age never mind as a D. I hear he's the youngest player in the league too.

Rider fans will have to wait till November to see  Wade Dubielewicz and his Columbia Valley Rockies. They are the only undefeated team in the Eddie Mountain Division with a 4-0 record . 

Jr B Notes

If you think the cages are making the world a safer place, watch this video from Lee Stone the HC and GM in Campbell River of the Jr B VIJHL  RIGHT HERE

Kamloops Storm owner Barry Dewar was charged and convicted of tampering and thus suspended for one year by the KIJHL’s Larry Martel. This mess is too long to get into here but Marty Hastings does a great job of detailing the story, and it’s an interesting read  here 

The North Okanagan Knights are the first team this year to lose points due to using an ineligible player.  This is on whoever filled out the lineup sheet before the game.  Check the HCR right before the game and it dosen’t happen... and it makes the league look bad. Oak actually won the game in Castlegar... but lost in the KIJHL office.


When coach Ken Law was ousted from the perennial first place Osoyoos Coyotes last spring he went to Kelowna where his team is currently 4-0... but he does have Brody Dale with 13 points in just 4 games in his lineup. Osoyoos is 1-2 and lost to Kelowna last weekend.

Another just sayin... I can get the NHL Centre Ice pack for $ 209 How much is a KIJHL webcast for a year subscription.

And finally

Good luck to former Riders Kyle Haugo in 100 Mile, Devyn Stewart (Okotoks Bisons) and  Broc Merkl and Sam Rousseau with the Coaldale Copperheads. Ty Abbott is in Coaldale too. Goaltender Saran Virdee has been outright released but coach Wagner is trying to find a spot for him to land.

New headshot interpretations

In accordance with Hockey Canada playing rule 6.5 “Head Contact” please see the following clarifications for the Junior category. Application of the Head Contact penalty is based upon the “degree of violence of impact” and can be defined in three (3) categories: minimal, moderate and severe.

Minimal Impact: An infraction resulting in a glancing blow or minimal impact with the head where a penalty is warranted. These infractions shall be assessed as a Minor penalty under one (1) of the following rules; elbowing, high-sticking, roughing or roughing after the whistle.

Moderate Impact: An infraction resulting in a more significant degree of impact with the head (without injury). These infractions will be assessed as a Minor penalty and Misconduct under the Head Contact rule. This includes a single direct punch or direct blow to the head area of an opponent with significant force.

Severe Impact: An infraction resulting in a high degree of violence, with or without injury, that warrants a Major and Game Misconduct at the discretion of the Referee. This also includes Match penalties for deliberate attempts to injure (e.g. sucker-punch).

NOTE: A fight is still to be penalized as a Major penalty and Game Misconduct for fighting, not Head Contact. Fighting infractions occur when multiple punches have been thrown. Aggressor and instigator minor penalties will also continue to be applied as outlined by the rules. 

Officials are encouraged to assess penalties in a manner that results in a time penalty differential, causing the team that initiates an altercation to be short-handed.

For example, at a stoppage of play, should a Team “A” player push or punch a Team “B” player who then pushes or punches back, the Referee should assess the Team “A” player a Minor penalty for “Roughing after the Whistle.” Where a retaliation is too severe to be ignored and the retaliating player is penalized, then the Referee is encouraged to assess the initial player an additional Minor penalty for roughing in order to establish a time penalty differential. Should any infraction meet the “moderate impact” category under the Head Contact rule then a Minor and Misconduct for Head Contact shall be assessed.

Please find the follow video link that outlines the appropriate application of the Head Contact rule in accordance to the Junior category of play LINK. If you require any clarification on these topics please contact me.  

The Eddie Mountain Breakdown

 Fernie 1 @ Creston 3

In Creston Tyler Witzke's  third period PP goal was the game winner. 
Sam Burford had the win in net, Andrew Clark and Witzke each had 1G 1A and Braden Jellis scored the insurance goal.

Ethan Jang scored the lone Rider goal on a shorthanded breakaway. Justin Faiella was in the Fernie net. The shots were 34-17 Fernie.

Golden 3 @ Summerland 1

In Summerland the Steam scored first but the Rockets battled back with three of their own. Dominic Turner (1G 1A) had the GW and Ryan Baker had the win in net.Terrell Vekved (SH) and Brendan Sime-Vivian scored the other GR goals.
Shots 32-23 Golden. Justin Sawn scored the SS goal and Jared Breitkreuz was in net

Columbia Valley 8 @ Beaver Valley 6

In BV the Rockies Eric Lloyd had 4 points Jesse Carr 2G and 1 A and Ty Grant had the win in net. CVR went 4-6 on the PP

The shots were 35-31 BV
BV’s Brad Ross had 2G 2A and Jared Stocks,  and Brock Wallace each had 3 pts. 

Kimberley 4 @ Spokane 5
No game sheet for this one at 11:36

BC Hockey's annual don’t play in an outlaw league or we’ll blackball you bulletin

Hockey Canada, its member Branches, Major Junior and registered Junior Hockey Leagues in Canada are concerned with the proliferation of leagues that operate outside the auspices of Hockey Canada.

Hockey Canada offers the best development programs worldwide. It has invested significant resources in the development of officials, coaches, administrators and players countrywide. We have a committed strategy toward a cohesive long term athlete development model.
These non-member organizations do not support the development of these programs. Further, they operate in a vacuum, with no consideration to the impact of their programs on minor, junior, senior, adult recreational hockey, female hockey, officiating development, coaching development or administrator development in Canada. These non-member leagues instead choose to utilize the resources already developed by Hockey Canada and its member Branches. The teams who make up these "leagues" operate in this fashion because they do not agree with the existing overall vision of Hockey Canada. They profess to have a better program yet often operate without a constitution, by- laws, create their own rule book and may not provide adequate insurance for their participants. Further, they offer the lure of "Rep" or "Junior" level competition when this is clearly not the case.

Hockey Canada, its member Branches, Major Junior Leagues as well as registered Junior Hockey Leagues wish to be exceedingly clear with our response to these programs.

Definition:
Hockey Canada and its member Branches view all leagues that operate outside the auspices/sanctioning of Hockey Canada programs to be classified as non-member leagues. This currently does not include summer hockey leagues/teams, adult recreational hockey leagues/teams, high school hockey, and/or hockey schools.
Sanctions

1. 1)  Any individual who participates (knowingly or otherwise) in non-member programs after September 30 of the season in question ("the Cut-Off Date") will lose all membership privileges with Hockey Canada for the remainder of that season, and may only reapply for membership with Hockey Canada after the end of that season. "Participation" in an non-member program will be considered to have occurred if the individual takes part in one game (including an exhibition, tournament, league or playoff game) after the Cut-Off Date.
   If a participant makes the choice to participate in these non-member programs, they must understand the ramifications of that choice and that the sanctions described in this paragraph will remain in effect even if the league or team folds, or the individual is released, suspended or fired.
2. 2)  Hockey Canada and its member Branches across the country will make every effort to ensure that local minor hockey and female hockey associations in areas where non-member leagues exist are not supporting these leagues in any manner whatsoever. For greater certainty, "supporting" includes, but is not limited to, assisting an non-member league directly or indirectly through

advertisement, promotion, ticket sales, volunteer activities, assigning Officials, sharing resources or enabling such a league to participate in Hockey Canada sanctioned activities. We will withhold tournament sanctions and will preclude such associations from benefitting from any Hockey Canada/Branch/CHL sanctioned event by whatever means necessary, including the withdrawal of any such event from any community within the geographic boundaries of that association if need be to stress this point.
This policy is aimed at those leagues that choose to operate outside the hockey structure established by Hockey Canada, its member Branches and the Canadian Hockey League.

Home & home cats conspiring on roller blades hockey cards free slashing PIM mortified lawyers stats ya whatever

Rider Notes

Fernie has a home and home with Creston this weekend,  in Creston Friday then on Saturday the Cats are here for the Rider's home opener, the first game on Fernie ice in months.

Creston, like Fernie had carding problems last Friday and played in Kimberley with 13 skaters and lost 4-3 in overtime. But a point in Kimberley on the road while shorthanded is like a win... 

The problem is hockey Alberta, they want to keep their players in AB... and BC is conspiring with them and have told all BC Jr B teams they can’t hold recruiting camps in Alberta. It is beyond me why BC Hockey would try to hobble their own... but whatever.

In Spokane the Riders won 5-4 in double OT, with 14 skaters, because of our friends in the aforementioned Alberta Hockey group...it was roller blade star Jordan Kromm who scored the winning goal on real skates. 

Meanwhile the next night Creston won 5-1 in Spokane. Former Ghostrider Coach Craig Mohr was on the bench along with the Cat’s new Coach  Nick Redding, a former Brave who is the son of Spokane’s former Head Coach Gary Redding,  he was boss for the last five or so years. 

The Riders played with  16 skaters in Beaver Valley and lost 7-2 Wagner “We just didn’t play well” 

Greg Susinski scored both goals, Greg is playing defence this year after switching back and forth from D to F last season. He’s tall with a long reach, I like that in a D.

After the first two games Kyle Ford was leading the team in scoring with 1 shorthanded goal and 3 assists. Kyle is 18 and from Calgary. 

Both Jordan Kromm and Greg Susinski have each scored 2 goals.

Fernie locals will get to see speedy  Niki Sombrowski on the ice this weekend. Because he was in an Alberta hockey academy last season his card has been agonizingly slow to get through the process, ditto for  Chase Fioretti, Sebastian Iannuzzi, Brody Bauer and Cole Gibson who also missed games because of hockey cards... they still collect those things? 

 Shaun Pierce missed last weekend with an injury  too. So Fernie had7 players out for various reasons...where have I heard that before. The seventh is below. 

Eric Welford was given a gross misconduct in Kimberley for knocking off another player's helmet in a fight or something, but Welford has since had that changed....  he still missed two RS games but gross misconducts are cumulative so getting it rescinded is somewhat of a bonus, the refs should give him a get out of jail free card good for five free slashing penalties or something for that indiscretion ...the Riders desperately needed that D last weekend .

Fernie ice makers say the new plant is way more consistent and will provide a steady ice temperature and a little harder ice in the rink. I hope this means no more puddles between periods. If I want puddles... I won’t let my dogs out before I go to bed.

Jr B Notebook

In an interview in a Nelson News Paper in-term President Larry Martel says the Jr B teams in the province have hired a lawyer to try and get an injunction against BC Hockey after BCHockey forced Jr B to wear full cages. Yeah that’s right a lawyer.  So how did we get to this point you didn’t ask?

Jr B shot themselves in the foot last summer when the three presidents (VIJHL,PIJHL and KIJHL) and the BC Hockey witches from the west got together and conjured up a face mask spell that somehow got the three president’s to (arguably) overstep their authority and vote on bringing in full face masks . The vote was 2-0, I'm told KIJHL president Bill Ohlhausen (who has a conscience) abstained from the vote knowing that it was his league Governors who should have been the ones to decide that issue. He probably should'a just voted no... anyway most of the governors from the KI and the other leagues were mortified when they found out what happened and thus we've got lawyers on the payroll- I mean involved... 

In other news

The KIJHL has a new look website, it’s pretty and kinda flashy and fans will like it, but for the media and play by play guys who need simple game and stats pages so we can research on one screen, it’s an annoyance.
Give us a button to see the game sheets and stats  in the old format please. 

The Eddie Mountain Breakdance

Fernie 2 @ Beaver Valley 7

In Beaver Valley the Hawks Brad Ross and Angus Amadio each had 2 G and 1A and Noah Decottignies had the win in net. The shots were 41-20 BV
Gregg Susinski scored both Fernie goals. 


Columbia Valley 3 @ Grand Forks 2 

In Grand Forks the Rockies took the lead in the first period and never let up and even outshot the home team  46-33 as well.

Ty Grant had the win in net and Jesse Carr, Ryan Skytt and Hunter Beckett scored the goals. 

Kimberley 6 @ Golden 2

In Golden Brock Palmer had 1 G and 3A and POG Chase Gedny had 1 G and 2A as the Nitros blast the Rockets for their second win on the year. Brett Anderson had the win in net.

Rocket Jacob Dewar scored both GR goals.

Creston 5 @ Spokane 1

In Spokane five different T Cats scored and Sam Burford had the win in net. Tyler Witzke and former Brave Andrew Clark each had a G and and A
Creston Twitter said their new Head Coach Nick Redding was on the bench tonight along with Craig Mohr.

The Eddie Mountain Breakdown Sept 7th.

Fernie 5 @ Spokane 4 2nd OT

In Spokane- Fernie roars back from a 3-0 deficit in the second by scoring three goals then one in the third to tie then win in the second OT 5-4 ... with only 14 skaters because of carding issues.

 Jordan Kromm’s second goal and 3rd point of the game in the 2nd OT was the game winner.
Kyle Ford, Brendan Nemes and Ethan Jang with the game tying goal in the third scored the other goals. 

Zak Larson was in net for Fernie and Ben Waslaski for the Braves. Shots 45-42 Spokane
SB Aaron Morris and Bear Hughes each had 1G 1A

Creston 3 @ Kimberley 4  OT

In Kimberley Chase Gedney’s second goal of the game in OT was the winner .
Luke Recchi (2G) tied the game late in the third and Brock Palmer had 4 assists. Adam Anderson had the W in net.

Creston’s Tyler Witzke had a goal and 2 A and Sam Burford was in net. 
Shots 37-27 KD 
Creston had 13 skaters due to carding issues and Craig Mohr was in as coach until they sign a new HC

Sicamous 2 @ Golden 3 OT
In Golden Janson Pashniak scored the OT winner with 58 seconds left.
Ryan Baker had the win in net and Jacob Dewar had 1G 1A
The shots were  47-36 SE Brett Akins was in net for the Eagles. 

Columbia Valley 5 @ Summerland 2

In Summerland Seth Summers had a goal and 2 A, Chase Hawkins had the GW  and the Rockies outshot the Steam  24-23
Ben Kelsch had the win in net and Jared Breitkreuz took the loss.

The Eddie Mountain games on opening night.

The KIJHL and Fernie Ghostriders open up the 2018/19 season tonight.

The KIJHL has a new look website check it out here


The Riders are in Spokane, both teams have new Head Coaches, Fernie has Jeff Wagner and Spokane and has Mike Bay, who actually coached the Braves a few years ago, he replaces longtime HC Gary Redding who left on his own for greener pastures.

Creston is in Kimberley, the Dynamiters HC and GM is Derek Stuart, he has proven himself to be IMO the best recruiter in the league and they won the championship last season so thinking they will be a pushover because they don’t  have team full of returning vets may be a mistake.

Creston lost assistant coach Jeff Wagner to Fernie after last season but it was early enough that they had lots of time to replace him, but they didn’t until mid August when they brought in Carter Duffin only to have him leave the team to go to Castlegar as a head coach and GM when Jesse Dorans left the team for undisclosed reasons... then Head Coach  Troy Tobin dropped a real bomb in the orchards when he left for the BCHL in Surrey last week. That was tough. Anyway Former Rider HC and GM Craig Mohr will be on Creston’s bench this weekend until the T-Cats sign a new HC. For the record Mohr has a new job outside of hockey and he may not even apply for the Creston job...
By all accounts Creston still has a good team and it will be an interesting battle for first place this season.

Rockies HC and GM Wade Dubielewicz (it’s been more than 20 years since he played here and I still have to look up the spelling f***) The Rockies have gradually gotten better and have several returning players. Dubielewicz and his boys who surprised the heavily favoured Creston T-Cats in the PO’s last year  could be due. They are in Summerland tonight

Golden opens up at home vs Sicamous with their new Head Coach and GM Jeremy Blumes who replaces Jason Stephens who I think was there 3 years . With three outright wins and one was because of an ineligible player the Rockets can only get better, but we said that the year before, anyway there is new blood behind the bench so there’s optimism in the KIJHL office and in Golden.

The Riders are in Spokane tonight , this is not a radio broadcast game but the Beaver Valley game on Saturday is and Wylie Henderson will have the call. Josh Hoffman was the guy last season, he has moved to Nova Scotia. Hoffman was a good very interested broadcaster, all the best in your new life Josh.

Captain Keelan Saworski
AC Brendan Nemes
AC Tristan Downe
AC Dylan Defosse

Ghostrider Leadership Group

Congratulations guys, it’s an honour to wear a letter!

From Coach and GM Jeff Wagner

The Fernie Ghostriders are excited to announce their leadership group for the 2018-2019 season.

Your Captain will be #14 Keelan Saworski, joining him wearing the “A”s are #9 Brendan Nemes, #5 Tristan Downe, and #24 Dylan Defosse

Keelan Saworski


Brendan Nemes


Tristan Downe


Dylan Defosse

Rider update Sept 4th

The Ghostriders tied the Rockies and Golden then finished up the exhibition season with a 4-3 win in Kimberley and a 6-3 win in Creston.

These were pre season games everyone, although wins are much better than losses... they were meaningless... until this weekend when the boys open up the regular season on road in Spokane Friday and in Beaver Valley on Saturday.  

Rider coach Jeff Wagner was not interested in saying who has signed yet and the practices and games have all been on the road so we don’t really know much about the team. 

We do know who the returning players are after the exhibition season.

Dylan Defosse, Tristan Downe, Derek Green, Jordan Kromm, Brendan Nemes, Shaun Pierce, Sam Rousseau, Keelan Saworski, Devyn Stewart, Greg Susinski, Owen Titus, Eric Welford and Zak Larson. Ethan Jang should be back this week, he was in Alberni’s camp.

There are 14 vets and several new players, of the new guys it looks like  Cole Gibson, Niki Sombrowski, and Kyle Klein are signed and Kory Zinck as well. 

Coach Wagner says that from the first game to game four the players made "good strides 5 on 5 ” (team play has improved)  special teams play will get worked on once the team gets back into the swing of things here in Fernie starting on the 10th when they have their first practice in the Memorial... in almost a year. 

Wagner says he has recruited a mix of toughness and speed to suit our smaller rink. 

Sort of the opposite of Kamloops a few years ago when they had olympic size home ice. Anyway, it should translate into a slight advantage for the Riders at home.

Went by the rink today and they have started making ice.

The Riders will have their final practice on the big ice in Cranbrook Thursday.

Ya I know this was lame, we may have something to actually report later this week.