From the Fernie Free Press

The KIJHL braintrust held their AGM a couple of weeks ago at the beautiful Fairmont Hot Springs resort, affectionately known by the union guys as Hangover Hot Springs.

If you ask me, the most important thing that got resolved at the meeting was the playoff format. This year teams have fifty-three  days to decide a winner instead of forty. So now the home ice teams get to play their opening games on Friday and Saturday. They earned that right and should have always had that huge financial advantage.

Rider fans get to see two of the best teams from the other side next season, Revelstoke (KIJHL Champs) and Kamloops, plus Chase, Sicamous and 100 Mile. It would be nice to play them in January when all teams are at their best, but winter roads scream October- November. 

A red flag. The KIJHL says they have some new conduct and safety initiatives that they will enlighten us with later on. After the last big safety meeting a few years ago we ended up with full face shields and suspensions galore. I still have the learning channel on my TV so when I hear words like conduct and safety I see a red flag, maybe it should be a white one.

Ghostrider’s AGM From the pages of the Fernie Free Press

The Fernie Ghostriders held their AGM on June 1st and it was standing room only… they didn’t put out any chairs.

Just seven people showed up for the meeting including team president Barb Anderson and vice president Jon Levesque, but it will be enough to run the team again next season.

Ghostrider accountant Jason Traska said the club did fairly well considering that Covid restrictions only allowed 500 fans in the rink for most of the year. Despite the odds the team made enough to play off their $40,000 Covid loan and still have enough in the bank to start up again in the fall. In other words, financially, they have graduated from treading water to dog paddling.

Oddly enough overall attendance was down but beer sales were up and that’s great news for the  Fernie Brewing Company and anyone who sells Tylenol.

Players and fans will like the latest league news, the schedule will feature a modified crossover next season meaning that five of the ten Okanagan teams will play games here in Fernie.

And finally, Coach Ty Vallin has signed three players for the upcoming 44 game season. Forward’s Lucas Desjarlais and Michele Romeo along with defenceman Ravnoor Randhawa. All three are from around the Edmonton area.