Saturday was a telling night in the KIJHL.
It’s wide open, several teams have a chance to win everything.
*Points are after the weekend
The 37 pointed Ghostriders lost 4-2 to the last place Golden Rockets 23 pt.
Fernie out shot the GR 40-25 but not only couldn’t score on their 6 power play chances, they allowed 2 shorthanded goals. Dante Pietrarca’s second goal and Bryce Trimmer's game winner were short handed and Ryan Baker had the win in net.
The Riders Johnny Elias and Jordon Kromm scored the goals and Alaister Standen had 2 assists. Ethan Fitzgerald was in net.
Inquiring minds were certain the large ice in the Rec Plex would favour the Riders... or was there a celebration after Friday’s 8-4 win vs North Oak.
Golden needed those two points because Columbia Valley with 28 points hammered the 38 point Nelson Leafs 6-1 in Nelson. Six different Rockies scored and Bretton Park had the W in net. That gives the Rockies a 5 point lead on Golden. The Rockies play in Fernie this week.
In Kimberley the Nitros who lost a game to Chase last weekend won 3-0 over North Oak Jed Butler scored the game winner and the shots were 47-17 . Game breaker Palmer was shutout... for the fourth time this year, it can happen, we just didn’t think it ever did.
The KD have 51 points and are first overall in the KIJHL . Fernie plays in Kimbo this Friday, they are 14 points behind the KD, if they lose Friday that lead will likely be insurmountable, Nitro fans... insurmountable means the Riders won’t catch you.
With a 28 point lead on Golden Kimberley is virtually guaranteed a PO spot and the Riders with a 14 point lead get the same Christmas present.
In other weird score news the Beaver Valley Nitehawks won 4-3 in Kelowna Friday then lost 9-3 in Osoyoos, Kelowna is a first place team and the Coyotes dead last but have won several games since changing coaches.
The BV Hawks don’t have name bars and say they never will
Well if were going back to the 1960’s... get rid of the masks and bring back the fightin... keep the stupid namebars.. but it really should be mandated, makes things a little more professional lookin
Revelstoke with 45 points defeated the Cyclone host 100 Mile Wranglers 9-0 Saturday. they went 6-7 on the PP it was their 9th win in a row.
The Wranglers have to be concerned and they have to get a lot better before hosting what could be a disastrous Cyclone in April.
Some Ghostrider Notes
The Riders have scored 125 goals, Kimberley 124 and they have played one more game. The KD are +55 and FG +33 Those are numbers know math teacher would fail you four. But an English teacher....
In their 8-4 romp over North Oak Friday Andrew Bonham scored the Teddy Bear Toss goal, it was his 6th goal and he had 3 assists
Dylan Defosse had a game winning short handed goal (his 3rd SHG) and 4 assists against North Oak but they chiselled a couple of assists off him Sunday, anyway he leads the team in scoring with 39 points... he only had 31 last season
Oak’s Lee Christensen got 5 min and 3 games for his spear on I believe Aiden Gleisner
D-man Kyle Klein scored his first of the season Friday... and was congratulated by the whole team. Now every player has at least a point and seven have over 20
D Greg Susinski had an eight game 14 point scoring streak broken by Golden in Cranbrook, he leads the D with 20 pt in 20 games and was the most dominant D Friday night with a G and 3 assists.
Gavin Lawrie missed both games last week because of an injury, he has averaged 1.3 points a game
Johnny Elias missed Friday because of a 1 game suspension for a check from behind vs Golden... a game misconduct in the last 10 minutes means you automatically miss the next game.
After a four game drought Jordon Kromm last year’s top scorer has scored a goal in both his last two games.
Seamus Keith has 11 goals 5 were game winning goals.
Former Humboldt Broncho Connor Nolan has 5 points in 4 games, an obviously good pickup.
And Finally... parents and players thinking of playing in the KIJHL- if you have not signed a Hockey Canada Card you are free to go anywhere you want. A commitment card or letter signed in some obscure possibly illegal spring or summer camp carries no weight, only HC cards count for anything.
There are lots of players traded or cut in season who were committed to in the off season... so if it doesn’t always mean something to them, it doesn’t to you either.
The Ghostriders won their home game Saturday night 6-4 over the always visiting Golden Rockets.
The Rockets were actually leading 3-2 after the first but the Riders scored 3 in the second and 1 in the third then hung on for a W.
When Golden’s newest and fairly large with a good shot D man Brayden Blink scored on the PP in the third it gave the Rockets some life and they out shot Fernie 14-7 and they put a little scare into the Rider faithful ... Taking three penalties in a row didn’t help the Riders cause much either and they almost found themselves on the proverbial slippery slope
but Ethan Fitzgerald shut them down to get his 7th win of the season.
The Riders scored three special teams goals, Dylan Defosse and Nolan Steer scored shorthanded and Seamus Keith’s second goal of the game was on the power play, his first goal turned out to the game winner. The Riders did allow 2 PP goals against though. Johnny Elias was called for a check from behind late in the game and will miss Friday’s game.
The Rockets game plan of run em through the boards made the game interesting and that was the most hitting we’ve seen in a while. If they ever get 39 goal scorer Dominic Turner back they would be a handful at home... if they had one. Golden will play out of Cranbrook until sometime in January, read that story here
The Riders play Golden again next Saturday in Cranbrook in the big Western Financial Place arena.
The Ghost lost 3-2 in Beaver Valley Friday, the newest Rider, former AAA Midget and Humboldt Broncho Connor Nolan
and another fairly new player Nolan Steer (8G in 10games) scored the goals and at 28-27 the shots were even. BV is a hard rink to win in and their usually calm HC Terry Jones was not impressed with some things.
brought these to the broadcast crew... just stop it your gonna make em soft
Owen Titus and Carson Cecconi helping out the Salvation Army
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Round’ The league
Top KIJHL teams, (Revelstoke and Kelowna ) played Friday
Both teams won Saturday, Kelowna shut out North Oak 3-0, (Oak is in Fernie next weekend) and Revy beat Summerland 7-1.
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The 100 Mile House Wranglers have suspended Austin and Brady Daniels 30 days. They were recruited by Kimberley but traded for Ryan Piva. But 100 is is way more than 100 miles away so they said we ain’t goin... even though 100 is hosting the Cyclone. Gutless BC Hockey or Hockey Canada has to step in.... this is junior B and I even think it’s considered minor hockey by BCH. It’s not the players fault 100 didn’t do their due diligence and make sure they would report. The goal is (or at least it used to be) to keep kids playing Also this meaningless statement....
Meanwhile back in the division Kimberley won 4-2 in 100, 7-3 in Sicamous then lost 4-3 in Chase Saturday. They are mortal this year but still have a pretty good grip on first.
Columbia Valley won both games this week 6-3 vs Castlegar and 4-3 vs Nelson when Brennan Nelson scored in OT. The Rockies have a few new faces in the lineup and Golden has to play a month and a half on the road, the Rockies have the playoff odds stacked in their favour.
Former Ghostrider Head Coach Barry Wolff joined 100 Mile House Coach Dale Hladun (Duner) on the bench a week ago then left to join the Swan Valley Stampeders of the Junior A MJHL . Wolff coached the Stamps to their most successful season ever last year. Read that story here
The Ghostriders only played one game last weekend and they had a disappointing 6-1 win over Grand Forks. Disappointing only because the Forks had nothing going and a Rider win was never in doubt.
Only two things kept me interested, would Rider Levi Young goad D Matt Guimond into a fight and would Ethan Fitzgerald get a shutout.
O for 2... the Bruins scored late in the third and there was no fight.... but point a game Young did get to really hammer Guimond to the ice on his blue line before he waltzed in and scored his 7th in the third.
After the game Greg Susinski was credited with 4 assists only to have one chiseled from him the next day.
The other players leading the "Conga Lines” Saturday were, Dylan Defosse his 12th shorthanded, Johnny Elias (9), Seamus Keith (9) Gavin Lawrie (11) and Aiden Gleisner(8)
Mike Holowatuk was the victim of a head shot last weekend, he did not play again Saturday.
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Deadline Dec 1
The Riders brought in former Revelstoke Grizzly F Cody Quinton who’s rights were owned by the Comox Glacier Kings
Eric Backhouse went to North Oak and had an assist in his first game. The Knights are in Fernie next weekend.
David Bax (Calgary) was born and raised in the formally very large Fernie Minor Hockey system and his son Kyle plays for the Knights. Practically a local...
Kole Fujita went to Coledale and new goalie Jaden Little played one game then left for Swan Valley of the MJHL . Fury goalie Dylan Baker was the backup Saturday... oops sorry I’m not suppose to talk about the Academy team... GFY
The KiJHL web site says... The FG has 22 players and 3 cards... they must have 23 or less players and cards on Jan 10th.
According to the SJHL website Niki Sombrowski has survived the Dec 1 cut down date so may not end up here in Fernie
Kimberley now has Jed Butler’s rights, he was Spokane’s top scorer. Jett Saharchuk who they got a few weeks ago was North Oak’s top gun. December games vs these guys will be interesting.
Revelstoke has only lost 3 times in regulation and brought in 4 twenty year olds in the last few weeks, the FG go there January 11th it will be a showdown at the face mask corral. Ya I know but I’m still not used to the new hockey.
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Round’ the League
Revelstoke's former head coach but still owner Ryan Parent is the new head guy with the Okanagan Rockets AAA Midget team... what a recruiting advantage Revy will have next season with the BC kids along with his and everyone else's Calgary pipeline, did they build that yet...
The Golden Rockets arena is down for the month of December, they will play out of Cranbrook some of the games are in the new rink and one of them is against Fernie on the 18th of Santa month. That will be a huge financial burden on the Rockets who are not flush with money to begin with. Careful what you say Jeremy a $2500 fine would be killer right now.
RIP Lefty Servatius a tough Fernie local who played all kinds of hockey at several different levels
And another hockey guy Earl McPeek
And finally, and this is true, with all this talk about how mean the coaches were and some still are it reminds me of being in school in the 1960’s where they routinely yelled and whacked us with yard sticks pointers straps and made us wear dunce caps. The worst was the pointer on the fingers... my ears should be as long as a donkey’s with the way they used to yank us around when they were mad. One hateful bastard even shook us so hard we staggered, we were literally concussed, lucky I got out at 15 I woulda been mad by now... oh wait a minute...
Creston is in a slump with the flu Riders running away with second
