Ghostrider News and the usual drivel

The Ghostriders got out of their slump by winning  both of their games last weekend, 6-4 in Golden and 5-0 at home against Dale Hladun and his 100 Mile House Wranglers.

You can see how important the four points were here.

In Golden the Rockets had period leads of 2-1 and 4-2 after the second period and the game seemed almost out of reach. But early in the third Jack Karpyshyn and Ethan MacDuff (Haggerty) scored goals a minute apart and tied the game at four.

Five minutes later Taylor Haggerty (MacDuff- Karpyshyn) scored what would turn out to be the game winner on the power play then Jack Karpyshyn put one in the empty net for a much needed 6-4 road win.

Kort Kisinger (Fournier- Fisher) and Michele Romeo (Johnson-Fisher) scored the other goals and new goalie Aiden Kruhlak got his first start and win in net.

In Fernie the Riders overwhelmed the 100 Mile House Wranglers, scoring early and often and the 700 fans (500 of em packed blubbering in the beer section) were delighted.

Jack Karpyshyn (Haggerty- Jackson) Scott Sinclair (Jackson-Karpyshyn) Kort Kisinger (Fournier -Sinclair) Taylor Haggerty (Jackson- Cardinal) and Ethan MacDuff (Romeo) scored goals and Aiden Kruhlak got the shutout in net. 

A few notes

It was nice to see the Riders power play get the game winning goal in the third period. I have seen the opposite happen way too many times this year. 

Vin Jackson had three assists vs 100 Mile and looks like a good fast skilled player. Someone else must think the same thing, he was wearing an A on his jersey.

 

Jack Karpyshyn (who was in Kimberley last year) had 7 points in his last three games.

 

Ethan MacDuff had 6 and Taylor Haggerty scored twice and had two assists after missing time and the Prospect’s game because of an illness. 

The Riders scored 11 goals in two games, a big deal for a team that has been goal challenged so far this year.  

Golden is the top scoring team in the league with 98 goals, Fernie has 69 

Malachai Peigan finished his 3 game suspension for a staged fight. Glad they don’t suspend for taunting the crowd after a fight like they used to, enough of the suspensions already...just sayin.

Fernie and Golden have a home and home next weekend, Fernie’s home game is  Saturday.

Two important dates are coming up, December 1st is cutdown day where teams have to get down to 23 players and on December 15th all the Canadian junior A teams will have to wear full cages. Read that here

The BCHL has opted out of the CJHL and has hopes of joining the cage-less American USHL. But they are not there yet... I also hear some JrA teams will try and defy the once mighty but now beleaguered  Hockey Canada. Nice distraction by HC. 

If there was ever a time to defeat HC now is the time. Funny how they don’t have the guts to demand the CHL (WHL OHL and QMJHL) wear their zoo cages.

Rider News Nov 20/22

The Ghostriders only had game last week, it was a 5-3 loss to the Nelson Leafs. 

The Riders had a pretty good start in that game and were leading 2-1 after the second period but in the third, in a game that was not even close to being considered rough, a Santa-clause parade of penalties ensued and Leaf Joe Davidson scored two power play goals. The Riders made it close at 4-3 but an empty net goal ended it.

Game Notes

 Colton Hanson was in net and Ethan MacDuff had a goal and two assists. Jack Karpyshyn had a goal and an assist and Andrew Karam scored a goal in his first game with Fernie.

 Karam looks like a pretty good pickup who can skate pass and make smart plays. If Vin Jackson can do the same the team will be better, more on these two guys in a minute.

Trigger happy

 Game misconducts were on sale Saturday night in Fernie. Kort Kisinger put a misconduct and 2 game misconducts in his shopping cart and Michele Romeo and Jack Karpyshyn each got the last ones off the shelf. Who says the stores are running out of stuff. Anyway...If nothing changes Karpyshyn and Kisinger will sit out the next game. 

 Team News

 When you are fighting for your playoff lives and not winning games you have to try drastic measures and that’s what Ghostrider GM Ty Valin did last week. Valin moved his star forward Dayton Nelson (03) to Princeton for forwards Vin Jackson (02) and Andrew Karam (03).

You have to give good to get good and Nelson was a good one, he was the Riders top goal scorer last season and got 3 goals in his first PP game.  The Posse are first in points and goals scored in their division so Nelson may be a good fit… unlike the Castlegar story below.

The Riders also moved goalie Reed McLennan to Grand Forks  to make room for eighteen year old goalie Aiden Kruhlak from Sherwood Park Alberta who was playing Jr A in Drayton Valley.

And they moved Jacob Vanlerberg and Sean Jacobs for the ubiquitous future consideration$.

That should get them (just like the other teams are doing) down to 21 players for the December 1st 23 player cutdown date and the possibility of scoring a couple of late JrA cuts.

League News

Fernie’s Taylor Haggerty made the KIJHL- PIJHL Prospects team but an illness kept him out of the lineup. So far two players are out because of doctor stuff.

Castlegar President Mike Johnston “He wasn’t a good fit for the organization” The first midseason coaching casualty was Castlegar’s Arnie Caplan who was replaced by Nick Headrick, a former Rebel player and assistant coach. FYI “A good fit” is friendly hockey code for… Well, we fired him!

Creston fought and lost 6-3 in Grand Forks Friday, when it was over the Bruins had four players suspended for a total of 12 games and Creston had two guy’s total 8. F it Let’s just kick everyone out

Ghostrider News Nov 14th

The Ghostriders played a three game home stand last weekend, they lost 6-4 to the Rockies rebounded back with a 7-3 win over the Nitehawks Saturday then lost 7-0 to Grand Forks Sunday  

The standings after the weekend

On Friday against the first place Rockies the Riders got off to a great start and had a 2-1ead on a pair of Ethan MacDuff goals but by the end of the second period they were losing 3-2.

 In the third the Rockies made it 4-2 but Cole Fournier and Kort Kisinger scored two quick goals and tied the game. 

Then the wheels fell off and the Rockies’ scored twice and Anthony Domina’s second goal of the game proved to be the game winner.

On Saturday against the Nitehawks the game was tied at three after two periods but in the third the Riders scored four times and earned a much needed 7-3 win. Colton Hanson was in net and recently converted from forward D man RylanCardinal scored two goals, his first two of the season and the second one was the game winner. Scott Sinclair, Dayton Nelson, Ethan MacDuff, Kaden Slobodian and Jack Karpyshyn each added singles.  

On Sunday with the flu running through the team they were down to sixteen skaters including sixteen year old AP Josh Kallies,   and many of them were sick. They were no match for the Bruins.

Kallies, from Sparwood, has been practicing and playing games with the Riders in the hopes that he will develop and play a regular shift next season. 

Around the League

With 26 points FGR Ethan MacDuff is third in league scoring. Golden’s Jordan Lario is first with 35 and Creston’s Luke Chakrabrti is second with 29, all three have aged well with their teams in the KIJHL. 

The Revelstoke Grizzlies who will play here in Fernie December 10th lead the league in points with 29, Grand Forks is next with 28  Princeton has 27 while Kimberley and the Rockies each have 26.

Grand Forks Golden and Princeton are showing everyone that KI teams can make big gains after poor seasons with good summer recruiting ... even in somewhat remote locations.

Golden and Grand Forks have scored the most goals with 79. Revelstoke who has the most points has 61. 

Princeton has allowed the least goals at 30 the next closest is Revelstoke with 39.

Fernie played their Sunday game at 5:00. This was a first, usually they play at 7:30. Visiting teams were always pissed at the late time. Coach Valin decided to change to a more friendly time after playing a late Sunday game in Osoyoos and getting home at 7 AM. IMO the league should mandate early Sunday games. 

Kamloops played the Rockies last Friday and the game was tied 1-1 with just a minute left in the third  when an ammonia alarm went off and the arena was evacuated. Kamloops went on to play in Creston Saturday where they won 5-4 in OT then on their way home Sunday they stopped in Invermere and played the last minute of Friday’s game. The Storm eventually won 2-1 in a shoot out. 

Word is the League paid the expenses to finish the game. Very questionable if you ask me that we (the teams who’s players pay to play) should pay for something that could have settled with just calling it a tie. After all the league website has a tie column.

And Finally... the North Bay Trappers, a AAA U 18 team were traveling in a bus when it caught fire and burned, they lost all their equipment and belongings in the fire. Read about that here

Game Day Nov 13 vs Grand Forks

The Fernie Ghostriders organization welcomes the all players parents to our  Family Weekend where we will play three games featuring three of the top KIJHL teams.

Scored his first two goals last night his second was the game winner vs Beaver Valley

Tonight’s Game (Sunday Nov 13 at 5:00)

Tonight we host the first place Grand Forks Border Bruins, it will be the final game of our three game home stand.

The Ghostriders played in Grand Forks last weekend and lost 4-1 so will be out for revenge tonight.

The Bruins are in first place in the Neil Murdoch Division with 25 points.

Grand Forks is easily the most improved team in the KIJHL this year after finishing the season last year with just 13 points and out of the playoffs.

Their top scorer is Cody Laybolt with 23 points and their Head Coach is Dave Hnatiuk.

The Bruins will be on game three of their road trip through the Kootenay’s. So far they lost 6-0 in Kimberley and 4-3 in a shootout in Golden.

League News

The Rockies- Kamloops game in Invermere was stopped in the last minute of play Friday because  an ammonia alarm went off. Anyway that 1-1 game will restart at 2:40 Rockies’ time today. Why they don’t just give each team a point and save the money is a question only the league can answer. 

The KIJHL and PIJHL  will be hosting a Top Prospects game on Tuesday November 22 in Chilliwack BC . This game will feature the KIJHL and PIJHL top prospects. Ghostrider Head Coach Ty Valin, Trainer Nicholle Auger and forward Taylor Haggerty will all be part of that team.

Next Home Game is Saturday November 19th against Nelson.

Game Day Saturday November 12 vs BV

The Fernie Ghostriders organization welcomes the all players parents to our  Family Weekend where we will play three games featuring three of the top KIJHL teams.

The players after the Remembrance Day Parade

 

Tonight’s Game is against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. 

The Hawks are in second place in the Neil Murdoch Division but within striking distance of the first place Grand Forks Border Bruins who lost 6-0 in Kimberley last night and are here in Fernie Sunday at the special time of 5:00.

The Nitehawks have always iced a powerful team and have won the KIJHL Championship eight times and four of those times they went on to win the Cyclone Taylor Cup.

League News

The KIJHL will be hosting a Top Prospects game on Tuesday November 22 in Chilliwack BC . This game will feature both the KIJHL and PIJHL top prospects. Ghostrider Head Coach Ty Valin, Trainer Nicholle Auger and forward Taylor Haggerty will all be part of that team.

In other news the Friday game between the Rockies and Kamloops was suspended because  an ammonia alarm went off in the Invermere arena. No word on when the arena will be open again.

The Ghostriders next home game is tomorrow Sunday at the special time of 5:00 against the Grand Forks Border Bruins.

Game Day Thursday Nov 10/22

The Fernie Ghostriders organization welcomes the all players parents to our  Family Weekend where we will play three games featuring three of the top KIJHL teams.

Tonight’s Game vs Columbia Valley

The Ghostriders played two games last weekend. They lost 4-1 in Grand Forks and 3-2 in Nelson but it was in overtime so they picked up a point.

Game Notes. In Grand Forks the Riders outshot the Bruins 44-36 but could only score one goal off a net front battle that Lucas Desjarlais won with some help from Jock Michael. Rod Hanson was in net.

In Nelson 

Lucas Desjarlais (Haggerty- MacDuff)  and Cole Fournier ( Karpyshyn- Sinclair ) both scored goals and had a nice 2-0 lead in the third.  But a couple of untimely penalties and two power play goals meant the game went into overtime where Joe Davidson’s third goal in a row was the winner. Reed McLennan was in net for the Riders.

The Columbia Valley Rockies are on a five game win streak and four of those wins were on the road.

The Rockies top scorer is Anthony Domina with 21 points and Keenan Ingram is their top goal scorer with 11 goals in 12 games.

Ewan McDevitt and Brett Sweet split the games in net.

Head Coach, Emery Olauson, assistant Coach is former Ghostrider Tayler Sincennes