Powell River Regals are back in action earlier than expected. The senior hockey club’s sole focus had been on preparations for the 2014/15 season at provincial AA level when an opportunity presented itself that could not be passed on.
BC Hockey approached Regals’ management and asked if the team could face off against Alberta’s champion for the 2014 McKenzie Cup. BC Hockey has an agreement with Hockey Alberta to compete in an inter-provincial senior AAA-level playoff each season, an agreement the provincial governing body for amateur hockey very much wanted to honour. With all senior teams in BC registered at the AA level for 2013/14, BC Hockey had a problem.
Regals have provided a solution by accepting the challenge and will travel to Alberta and play all five games, if necessary, on the road from April 3 to 7. The best-of-five series winner represents the Pacific Region at Allan Cup 2014. This year’s national championship tournament will be hosted by Dundas, Ontario from April 14 to 19. Bentley Generals currently lead the Alberta final 3-0 games over Innisfail Eagles.
Local players Rick McLaren, Andrew Derton, Andy Welsh and Cleve Kinley join 10 other returning players from last year’s squad that lost a heartbreaking Savage Cup provincial AAA championship final to Fort St. John Flyers in overtime of the fifth and deciding game. This year’s roster also includes 17 new players.
Plans for returning to AA competition next season continue this spring and summer. Club executives are working on an exhibition schedule against several northern BC teams involved in two separate AA leagues. The Central Interior Hockey League (CIHL) consists of nine BC teams, including 2014 Coy Cup champion Williams Lake Stampeders and Quesnel Kangaroos, archrivals of the Regals during the 1980s and 90s. Three other BC teams from Fort Nelson, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek play in the North Peace Hockey League (NPHL), which includes seven teams from Alberta.
“Geography makes it pretty much impossible to join one of those leagues, as much as we’d like to,” said club president Tod English. “We’d like to put together a 14- to 18-game exhibition schedule to get us ready for the Coy Cup next year.” The Coy Cup is the provincial championship for senior AA.
“We want as many local players as possible” added English. “There are a core group of young players interested. They just need an opportunity, and that’s what we plan to give them.”
