Fernie 3 @ CVR 0

Fernie 3 @ Columbia Valley 0

Aiden Kruhlak shut out the Rockies 3-0 on the road Friday night in Invermere. Kruhlak stopped all 32 shots and was named as the first star.

Taylor Haggerty had a goal and an assist, Riley Enns scored his ninth and the emerging Ben Skarsen scored his fourth of the year. D-man Eric Martin had 2A

A few penalties in this game but no PP goals. The Riders were 0-6 and the Rockies 0-8 and the shots were 25-32 CVR. Great fan support in CVR Friday with 675 attending.

Round’ the League

Princeton won 5-3 in Creston, Princeton is here in Fernie tonight Saturday Dec 2nd . Kimberley kept pace by winning 3-2 in Spokane, Parker Konneke’s second (14) G was the winner.

Ghostriders win 3-2 in OT against the Rockies

The Fernie Ghostriders defeated the first place Columbia Valley Rockies 3-2 in overtime Saturday night in Fernie.

Overview

The Riders started the game on fire, dominated the play, and scored two goals in the first six minutes before the Rockies finally got back on track later in the period and scored one of their own.

In the second both teams had great chances but the Rockies scored the only goal and the period ended tied 2-2.

The Rockies went ahead 3-2 eight minutes into the third but just thirty-nine seconds later the Ghostriders tied it up setting up the overtime that the Riders ended in the first minute.

Very entertaining fast game, probably the best game this season.  Fernie had the edge in shots but either team could have won this game.

Game Notes 

Cole Fournier scored the OT winner on a great breakaway pass from Liam Monro. Smooth skating D-man Eric Martin scored his first as a Rider, in 5 games he has 7 points. Top prospects Tysin Mulligan CVR had an assist and FGR Nick Kunyk had the win in net. Speaking of nets, they come off their moorings way too easily and it is becoming a big problem. Jack Lambert’s goal was his eighth, he has two goals and four assists in his last five games. Lucas Desjarlais had two assists.

Nick Kunyk blocked 20 of 23 shots for his 9th W and CVR’s Nate Glenn stopped 35 of 39. Both teams went 0-2 on the power play and the attendance was 936.

Tier 1 Jr A Funhouse

 The “Outlaw” BCHL will be playing some games in Quesnel on Nov 25-26.

They were hinting that a team in Quesnel might be a good fit for the new league.

Trouble is the new Modern Hockey League says that all players will play for free  by 2025. No league fees or anything. 

Not sure exactly but my guess is to be free to play teams would probably need to get around 2000 fans a game, or have a rich sugar daddy. 

Travel in the BCHL from Prince George to the Island is long and expensive.

Anyway, I’d bet Quesnel, who put forth a very detailed financial application to the KIJHL several years ago, realizes they just wouldn’t be able to play in the new BCHL when they couldn’t make it in the old BCHL.

But they sure as hell could make it in BC Hockey’s new Tier 1 pay to play league and everybody knows it.

The KIJHL and PIJHL and VIJHL will probably have teams applying for Tier 1 status, but they will be at the mercy of BC Hockey who will make them dance and will definitely want  their Soprano points $ before they say who gets in. 

Just because you want in doesn’t mean... 

Quesnel and maybe Williams Lake, who also made detailed applications to the KIJHL will be in the running along with any failed BCHL teams.

The travel in the new league could also be long and expensive, and what’s left of the KIJHL will probably lose a few of their short road trip games. 

And why would the tier 1 teams stay in the KI, PI or VI  anyway instead of making their own league and keep their league fees for themselves.

All this Jr A dirty dancing  just to appease BC Hockey in their quest to stop any under 18 players from leaving for the AJHL or SJHL? Say it ain’t so...

We haven’t officially heard exactly what the requirements will be to go Tier 1 but to all the applying teams, you better have a better banker and bus than you have now.

From Twitter... what a prize !

Riders win two of three on the road trip from hell

The Ghostriders went on a long three games in three days road trip last week where they played games in Kamloops  L 6-2 , 100 Mile House W 6-2 and Chase W 2-1.

I watched all three games on the internet and by far the best video and announcer was from Chase.

To me the biggest story of the weekend was Liam Monro finally scoring a goal and it was the game winner in Chase and he assisted on both Peigan’s goals in 100. If these two can get going look out. Peigan only scored one last season but now has three in the last couple of weeks and two were GWG.

Credit to the Ghostriders winning 2-1  in Chase. The Heat did not play on the weekend and faced the Riders on their third game in 3 days. The only goal they scored was short handed when a D tried to handle the puck while being the last guy back. Three games in a row will do that to a player. 

Kamloops is no pushover this year  and they defeated Sicamous 3-0, the Eagles are the top team in the KI with a 10-2 record. And what’s with these coaches nowadays Eagles Coach Nick Deschenes represented Canada at the World Functional Fitness Masters and Rider HC Ty Valin completed a triathlon in Idaho last summer... where’s candy store Ken Hitchcock when you need him

Kimberley (8-3) is here in Fernie on Friday and Beaver Valley (8-1) on Saturday. They will be two very tough opponents 

From the Ghostrider website

The long bus ride to Kamloops seemed to hurt the Riders and they fell behind the Storm  2-0 in the first period, 4-0 in the second and in the end they lost  6-2.

The Ghostriders two goals in Kamloops came late in the third period but scoring a couple of goals seemed to give them some sort of energy that spilled over into their game Saturday in 100 Mile House where they won 6-2 . The Riders had 2-0 and  5-2 period leads and with a goal in the third they finished  a 6-2 win.

In Chase on Sunday afternoon the Ghostriders were down 1-0 but scored 2 goals in the third and got by the Heat 2-1.

Highlights of the three game weekend.

In Kamloops Kyler Watson (Munro) scored his 6th goal and Taylor Haggerty (Karam) scored his 4th goal on the PP. 

Both teams went 1-6 on the power play. The shots were 36-30 Kamloops and the attendance was not reported, but the announcers said there were hardly any fans at the game.

In 100 Mile the Riders faced off against their former Coach Dale Hladun (Duner) and easily won the game. The goal scorers were Kyler Watson (PP) and Gaege Johnson short handed while Cole Fournier and Malachai Peigan each scored 2. Peigan’s first goal was the game winner it was his second GWG of the year. Nick Kunykwas in net for his second win of the season. Cole Fournier and Kyler Watson each had 3 points and Liam Monro had 2 assists.

 

Both teams went 1-5 on the power play and the shots were 37-30 Fernie. The attendance was 261

In Chase the Riders gave up a short-handed goal in the second period but Taylor Haggerty (Fisher Lambert) scored to tie the game then Liam Monro (Watson Kennedy) scored on a breakaway to give the Riders a 2-1 win. This was the Heat’s only game on the weekend but still the Riders outplayed them and probably should have scored a couple more. For Monro that was his first goal and it was the game winner. Nick Kunyk was in net and now has a 3-0 record.

Fernie went 0-5 and Chase 0-3 on the Power Play

The shots were 38-21 FGR

Attendance 171

Kyler Watson had 2 goals and 3 assists in three games.

Liam Monro 1 goal and 3 assists

Cole Fournier 2 goals and 1 assists 

Malachai Peigan 2 goals

Taylor Haggerty  2 goals

 

Full Ghostrider Scoring

  

Round’ the League

Kimberley (7-2) only played one game last week a 2-0 win in Creston. Kimberley is in Fernie this Friday October 27th. Beaver Valley (8-2)  plays in Fernie on Saturday the 28th, they defeated Spokane 8-0 on Friday then lost 2-1 to Castlegar on Saturday. That was their first loss of the season. The first place Rockies (8-3) lost 4-2 at home to Grand Forks then beat Summerland 4-0.

Kamloops (6-2) is no pushover, they also won Saturday 3-0 over Sicamous who are 10-2 with the most points in the KI.

Ghostriders go down to a more sensible 23 players

 The Ghostriders go down to a way more sensible 23 players from the ridiculous 25 man roster.

Hockey Canada’s new roster rule this year is to allow all teams to carry 25 players all season. I believe their reasoning is because of all the Outlaw hockey leagues showing up lately, and now literally hundreds of players will not be available to the Outlaws. Anyway...

With Hockey Canada’s new 25 man rule it meant that five players had to sit out each night. Somehow, on some other planet this made sense... Hockey Canada's motto is, get this ...

After the trade Coach Ty Valin will be able to get  Ben Skarsen and Fernie’s Breaden Jack on the ice more often, and if needed, he still has room for two more 20’s. 

Callin the Shots

 The Kimberley Dynamiters were just awarded the right to host the first ever Junior A Championships April 18-21. The new Jr A Championship replaces the old Jr B Cyclone Taylor Cup.

The KIJHL getting the tournament twice in a row tells me a few things.

1/ BC Hockey is callin' the shots on the new Jr A league and all the KIJHL, PIJHL and VIJHL can do is watch.

2/ Kimberley was a good choice with their almost 2000 seat arena and expected attendance to probably average between 1000 and 1700. Not sure if anyone else could get those #... Plus it’s very close to Cranbrook and will draw the curious BCHL fans.

3/ An even better choice would have been to force Kimberley use the arena in Cranbrook. Really comfortable seats and room for 4000+. Anyone who wanted to go could just walk up and get in. But Cranbrook is now a city of “Outlaws”  with evil players referees and coaches that BC Hockey wants to get even with.

4/ This sends a message IMO. A simple look at attendance will tell you that probably at least half of the BCHL teams will never be able to offer the “Free to Play” option so will be joining the new Jr A league in the future. These are big market teams compared to most of the KIJHL PIJHL and VIJHL towns and they will be able to average  600 plus fans. What does that tell you.

5/ Also lots of chatter about former failed BCHL franchises in Quesnel and Williams Lake wanting back in the game and they won’t want back in to the super expensive BCHL... the BCHL wouldn’t want them anyway. Bet they could average 600+.

6/ The KIJHL once had the power to reject Q and WL  because of travel costs, but now with BC Hockey “Callin the Shots” the former Jr A teams will probably see a red welcome matt.

Lots of fun ahead as BC Hockey gradually releases the conditions of their new Jr A Tier 1 league. And as the most hated writer in the KI... we will be here to comment. 

 

Riders Win 3-2

 The Ghostriders (2-1) got their second win of the season Tuesday night with a 3-2 win over the visiting Creston Thunder Cats.  

Creston scored the only goal in the first period,  the Riders scored two in the second and in the third the teams traded goals.

Both teams had a PP goal and the shots ended up 37-33 Creston.

This was not a physical game and the power plays were Creston 1-3 and Fernie 1-2.

While protecting a 3-1 lead late in the third the Riders took a needless crosschecking penalty in Creston’s end and it almost cost them the game when the Cats big line scored to make it 3-2.

I think a lesson was learned.

 Creston took a penalty of their own a few minutes later and had to pull their goalie for a chance to even the game and they had a couple of Grade A chances but Aiden Kruhlak made the big stops when it mattered most. 

Anyway a win is a win... Captain Taylor Haggerty’s second goal was the game winner.

The Ghostriders are ready for the 23/24 season

The Fernie Ghostriders’ first home game is this Saturday September 23rd against the Osoyoos Coyotes. 

And there will be

The games this year are at the kid friendly time of 7:00... finally, they ditched the 7:30 start.

 The Coyotes have always been one of the top teams in the Bill Ohlhausen Division. Their Head Coach and GM is longtime KIJHL coach Ken Law and this is the only time Osoyoos will play in Fernie... unless both teams make the KI final.

 

This  summer BC Hockey reclassified the VIJHL, PIJHL and the KIJHL as Junior A. With the change fans will notice a couple of things. 

1/ Teams can now have 6 twenty year old’s, up from 5 last season. This is long overdue, the stubborn KIJHL stuck with 4 for years (cause we’re a development league) then went to 5 now 6. All the other leagues have had from 6 to 8  for eons.

 2/ Another change is when you get coincidental penalties, now the teams will play 4 on 4 and both penalties will be shown on the clock. 

I remember my time as a linesman and a score clock operator many moons ago just how much easier things were when they brought in the coincidental penalty rule. I thought it was a great thing. 

But now as a fan watchin from the stands, where I don’t have to do anything, I like the new old rules... and the potential mayhem.Hey let’s bring back the two line pass rule, that always caused controversy.  

So as you can see the league has adopted some junior A rules, just not the good ones like no full face masks. There will be a few more changes ahead but for now the future looks good for hockey in Fernie. 

Mike Anderson, Ethan MacDuff, Ty Valin

The Ghostriders Head Coach and General Manager is  Ty Valin, he is now in his third season. Former Ghostrider Mike Anderson is also back on the bench as an Assistant Coach. 

Most of last season's players have come back for the 23/24 season along with several AAA skaters. Add in Hunter Sperle who came over in a trade with Nelson and Luken Murray who came over from Princeton and I think Fernie has a decent team. They sure skate faster anyway.

In case you were wondering... Sperle was part of the notorious  “Nelson Brawl" last year and got 8 games.  You can relive that historic event here . And Murray had a respectable  267PIM in 62 KIJHL games... this kinda stuff just warms the heart. 

The team Captain is, Taylor Haggerty along with  Assistant Captains, Cole Fournier, Cole Fisher and Jack Lambert. Haggerty as the “C" will get his name on this list at the end of the season.

And Finally, Penticton City Council approved a $50,000 donation to the Outlaw BCHL for the right to host their All-Star Game. Read that here     

 Penticton realizes that the city will do $300,000 in business that weekend so the investment pays a nice dividend. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... The City of Fernie’s contribution is to raise the rates they charge the Riders despite the fact that the team gives the skiers something to do during their visits... I wonder how much money and hangovers the skiers bring to town.

Ghostrider Update Mid August- and a few other things

 Fernie Ghostrider update August 14th/23

1/ Rider Head Coach and GM Ty Valin has signed up to coach again this year, this will be his third season with the FGR. Valin’s team has improved each year so this season could be interesting. Coach Valin is still looking for an assistant coach, interested coaches can apply    here

2/  After a long contentious back and forth the league has finally sorted out their schedule. 

3/ Fernie Exhibition Games

4/ The Regular Season Starts September 23rd and ends with a home and home against Kimberley on February 16/17. Full Schedule Here

5/ The Ghostriders still have a few spots open for their Main Camp, more about that here 

6/ The Ghostriders Hockey School also has a few spots open and you can read all about that here 

7/ The Ghostriders are still short a few billets, If you are interested you can read all about that opportunity HERE

8/ A new rule, all KIJHL teams will be allowed 6 twenty year old players, that is up from 5 and is long overdue IMO. All the other leagues have 6 and some even have 8. Remember, there won’t be the usual amount of player cuts in January because of the larger roster rule so the extra 20 year old player will be a blessing. 

9/ Larger rosters...Hockey Canada says teams can carry 25 players this year, up from 23. I don’t like it, too many players will sit out every night. But the coaches like it to cover for for injuries.

10/ Conspiracy Theories ... there have been  “Outlaw Leagues” popping up like gophers in a wheat field last few years and Hockey Canada wants to poison them... I mean do something about them. So they decided to let all the teams use 25 players instead of 23. Now literally hundreds of players across the country won’t be available to those gophers.

11/ Will we have enough referees if the refs can’t do both unsanctioned and sanctioned games. Not everyone agrees on this but certainly there will not be enough referees for the KIJHL to go to a four man system. Trail Minor Hockey is very worried about it and thinks tournaments the KIJHL and minor hockey will suffer. Read that here

12/ KIJHL President Jeff Dubois is walking a tightrope with BC Hockey screeching we're gonna use the referees to get even with the BCHL  in one ear and his Executive Board howling hey we got the new Jr A label so don’t rock the BC Hockey boat in the other ear.

13/ Dubois in an interview that will you want to read if you are at all concerned about refereeing at all levels “I realize a bunch of those guys have made the decision to go to the BCHL and that’s 100 per cent fair.”

14/ BC Hockey (probably)  WHAT do you mean fair Jeff ?

15/ Um... “We’re expecting not to have any issues filling our games, and we support BC Hockey’s stance in terms of not being able to officiate both sanctioned and unsanctioned hockey,” Dubois added.

16/ Dubois says he is confident that while missing several quality officials, BC Hockey will provide what’s required for the various leagues in the province including the KIJHL.

17/ Oh shut up the works of you, the best way to develop good referees is let them ref as many games as they can. Clinics are one thing but the on ice work is where real development and learning what and when to call stuff actually happens... and you guys know it, well maybe not BC Hockey.  

12/ If you ever wondered what happened to minor hockey at the Bantam and Midget level here is a list of the U17 CSSHL (Academy) teams...A great development league but you better be ready to pay, and lots.

Yahoo were Jr A or something like it

Yahoo we’re Jr A or something like it

 Well the worst kept secret in all junior hockey happened this week when BC Hockey decided to reclassify all 45 BC Jr B teams as Junior A. 

But not real junior A, they are so mad at the BCHL for leaving Hockey Canada they made up a completely new American style tiering system just to get even. 

Modern Hockey I bet that makes em mad

So now Jr B will be called Jr A Tier 2 surprised they didn’t call it Division 2.

And next year, if your team qualifies, that’s a secret code for has enough money, they can  move to Junior A tier 1. 

No one knows what the qualifications will be, but for sure twenty or so teams won’t make it so there is a potential for Fernie fans to see something better than what we have, but if all 45 make it you will never see what is even close to a Jr A quality product. A long story on this is here 

When we find out what the qualifications are to be called  A1 we will tell you about them.

BC Hockey would also like to go to a 4 man referee system... but shoot themselves in the foot by banning the referees that they say they love so much from doing both sanctioned (us) and unsanctioned (BCHL) games. In Alberta they do both, but here they have a chance to pit one against the other so that’s what they are going to do.  BC Hockey stubbornly says they have enough referees, but Vegas probably has different odds.

And finally... the KIJHL was able to stop former Jr A teams from Quesnell and Williams Lake from joining their league a couple of years ago. But now with  BC Hockey in tantrum mode and making up new rules as they go, the KI may not be able to keep their footprint in tact, BC Hockey has way bigger feet.

Ghostrider News July 6/ 23

 Ghostrider Head Coach and GM Ty Valin has been busy lately signing players, arranging camps and a hockey school.

The Hockey School and Camp announcements were late coming out because they had to wait for the City to confirm the dates.

The Hockey School is from August 21st- 30th details are here and Main Camp is from September 1-3 details are here

The Ghostriders are in desperate need of Billet  families for next season, more information here

Could the Riders be classed as Junior A next season?

Well BC Hockey is so pissed off at the BCHL because they went outlaw and are not part of Hockey Canada anymore that they could allow the three Jr B leagues to call themselves Jr A. And we may have some sort of announcement next week...according to that gong show of only the truest of information- Twitter

If all those 40+ teams get JrA status they won’t really be junior A, everyone knows there simply aren’t  enough A players,  but they may be able to keep a few guys that ordinarily would move up to the SIJHL etc.

Also the various A leagues have decided to keep 25 players instead of 23. So literally dozens of junior A caliber players from the BCHL, AJHL, SJHL  etc won’t be available to us this year.

In other news, in Saskatchewan the SJHL will NOT be joining with the BCHL in their march to Pretoria or what ever it is. 

In that press release seen Here- the SJHL players voted 91% to pay more money for insurance so they would not have to wear full face shields. The KIJHL was never given that option.

The AJHL went to a full travel intense interlock schedule (you play all teams) and some franchises may not be able to keep going. Canmore says it will cost them another $65,000 this year- read that here 

Could it be that the AJHL just wants to cull the herd... several teams in the south are worried about money. 

The BCHL is going to shoot the same Buffalo with their free to play rule... all teams will have to be free to play in a few years, and they know full well that some of the Buff I mean teams won’t make it.

Keep that in mind if you are hoping Fernie will go Jr A. BC Hockey could have some expensive  surprises in-store for the unsuspecting governors... like maybe just allow 10 teams scattered throughout the Province. Get a good bus.

And finally, and not a moment too soon, have you noticed that several new leagues are popping up and they are all outlaw. One is the Junior Prospects league that is to be a feeder for the BCHL teams. Cranbrook is the latest to get a team . Hockey Canada is slowly losing their  grip on reality (and hockey) here in Canada... they may have to out some players read it here if you don’t remember 

The Latest in the BCHL hockey saga

The ongoing saga of the BCHL leaving Hockey Canada continues...

Like the new logo with Modern Hockey 

The Outlaw BCHL lost a team last week when the Wenatchee Wild owners bought the Winnipeg Ice (former Kootenay Ice) and will move them to the US to play in the WHL’s US division this season. 

The BCHL franchise is now for sale for around a million dollars and their players are  free agents and can go anywhere they want. 

Unlike the KIJHL who dispersed players when two teams did not play during the Covid debacle and were not granted free agency. Where are the lawyers when you need them.  

FYI The WHL team sold for somewhere around five million. 

The Ice left Winnipeg because they couldn’t get a WHL standard sized arena built... you know, just like the citizens of Cranbrook built for the Ice as part of the agreement to bring the WHL to Cranbrook.

Cranbrook has an ongoing lawsuit against the Ice for breaking their contract.

There is a good chance that we won’t have enough referees for the upcoming season because the idiots at BC Hockey say if you referee in the BCHL you can’t referee anywhere else. 

So BC Hockey who claim they want to Lead, Develop and Promote Positive Lifelong Hockey Experiences  will actually hurt hockey with their stupid attempt at getting even with the BCHL by banning the refs and also not allowing the BCHL players and coaches to go on the ice and help minor hockey players. How positive is that...They have way too much power and money.

This is from a media guy in Alberta who covers the AJHL.Refs can do both leagues in AB

Some  Ghostrider news. Rider star forward Ethan MacDuff has been offered a spot with the Southern Maine Huskies  in NCAA Division III next season. Many of the KIJHL players go to the American Collegiate Hockey Association or the  ACHA so this is a little different. 

MacDuff led the Ghostriders with 65 points in 43 games. In 86 career KIJHL games, the Lloydminster, Alberta product had 47 goals and 103 points. He added 13 points in 19 KIJHL playoffs. MacDuff also was the recipient of a $1000 KIJHL Bursary 

Remember star goalie McCoy Bidewell from a couple of years ago, he just committed to play College hockey at NAIT. If you are wondering how that may have happened  Ghostrider Coach Ty Valin routinely wears NAIT Ooks alumni swag. 

The BCHL goes Outlaw

Well the long rumoured “Escape From Hockey Canada” movie was finally released on May 1st when the BCHL junior A league voted to leave Hockey Canada’s penal colony and become, as their press release says an “Independent League”

I think they spelled Outlaw wrong. 

It would be cool to play in an Outlaw League wouldn’t it ... remember the song the Wild Wild West

Anyway, you can read their full press release right here

The BCHL wants to bring in players from anywhere in the world without restrictions. Currently under 18 players from other provinces can’t play in the BCHL. 

But teams, even at the KIJHL level, circumvent that rule all the time by having a parent move here or by placing players in gramma’s house. 

They also say the new BCHL will be a free to play league within four years. That’s code for we have too many teams and this will weed out the poorer teams so we’ll get all the best players for ourselves.

I bet the league vote wasn’t unanimous.

Leaving HC will also exempt them from wearing full cages, they don’t say that in their press release but it is believed to be a big factor. Even though Colleges (and the BCHL want’s to be called a “College Track League” ) use full face protection.

Notice how HC wouldn’t dare tell the WHL they have to wear cages or can’t bring in players from wherever they want.

We don’t know what that will mean for referees. Currently, if you play or ref in an unsanctioned  or “Outlaw” league you can’t play or ref in a sanctioned league. Players and refs can’t go up and down or back and forth. 

Sometimes BCHL referees do games in the KIJHL. Hopefully HC allows the refs flexibility as we clearly do not have enough refs in the province.

This could be a negotiating ploy, Hockey Canada and the BCHL have until June 1st to figure something out.

Not everyone thinks this is a good idea, read what an American hockey writer says here

Ghostrider Award Banquet

 The Fernie Ghostriders held their Annual End of the Year Awards Banquet Saturday March 18th at the Fernie Golf and Country Club.

The dinner was catered by The Cast Iron Grill and it was great.

Team President Barb Anderson thanked all the volunteers billets, sponsors and board members for the time and work they put in this year." Without them we would have a tough time existing". "Also thank you to the parents for trusting us with your kids".

 GM Ty Valin and Captain Scott Sinclair gave their opening remarks to start the ceremonies. Both stressed how the players became a team after the deadline once the new new players got acclimated.

It was the tightest team I've ever played with.

On to the Awards presented by GM Ty Valin and Assistant Coach Mike Anderson

It was no surprise to anyone who followed the Riders this year who the big award winner would be. 

Ethan MacDuff was the MVP, Top Scorer and Top Forward 

The Top Defenseman was another easy pick, Team Captain Scott Sinclair. No one got the puck out of trouble in Fernie’s end better, and he finished 4th overall in KIJHL scoring for D men

The Rookie of the Year was Taylor Haggerty with 41 points in 43 games, a nice first year.

Honourable mention to the other rookies who didn’t play like rookies once they figured out the pace of the league. Andrew Kennedy, Aiden Kruhlak, Liam Fitzgerald, Jack Lambert, Eli Neilsen, Gaege Johnson, Malachai Peigan, and Lucas Desjarlais.

The Top Defensive Forward was Gaege Johnson. He always worked hard and was a big part of the penalty kill. Could work on looking mean though...

The Most Inspirational Player was Malachai Peigan.

When Malachai scored his first goal in January the whole bench erupted, his team mates obviously loved him. Honourable mention to Ethan MacDuff who played on a bad leg in the post season, Cole Fournier who came back from a broken arm just before the playoffs and Cole Fisher and Liam Samycia who suffered broken hands. Samycia’s  took months to completely heal.

The Most Exciting Player was Liam Fitzgerald who scored some important goals and was always buzzing. He was a fan favourite.

The Playoff MVP was goalie Aiden Kruhlak who really got his game together in January in time for the playoffs. He always gave his team a chance to win.

The Community Award went to Lucas Desjarlais 

Ty Valin “Lucas was always the first to step up for anything the team was asked to do”

The Most Improved Player

Kaden Slobodian. 

Kaden worked hard on strength and conditioning during the season and the change was noticeable. Unfortunately he broke his finger in the Rockies series and was really missed in the Kimberley series.

We Wish the twenty year old players all the best in the future no matter where you end up

 Kort Kisinger Jack Karpyshyn Jarod Sigouin Ethan MacDuff Scott Sinclair