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