Firstly, let me congratulate the Stamps on a well desereved series win. The 2 games I witnessed this weekend were the 2 most exciting I've seen in my 5 year involvement with the League. As you can imagine, emotions are high in a situation such as this, and aside from a little whining (homer ref, Wall's eligibility) from the WL bench and the conduct of #14, both teams provided a classy performance.

On saturday night 950 tickets were taken and another 100 or so were turned away at the door, the lucky ones that made it in were treated to the most exciting hockey we've seen since the days of the the Totems and the old commercial league. I can guarantee that the CIHL made some new fans who'll be coming out to games in the years to come.

My response to the decision to play Mike Wall: It's kinda funny that WL thinks it was a "low blow" decision to put him in and have Deebs ride the pine. Truth of the matter is, the invitation to play between the pipes has always been open for Mike. In fact, we have asked him numerous times before and he has always respectfully declined.
It was actually WL that brought him outta retirement when one of their players made the poor decision to try and add insult to injury over Deeb's performance in game 1.

At the end of the game one of the WL players scored an empty net goal and then made a point of skating by our bench,looked at Deebs and made some smart *** comment. Mike promptly, spoke to the coaches and said that he'd consider suiting up for our next game. So, in a way, the staff would like to thank that player personally for providing Mike the motivation....Thanks!

Deebs being a true team player has no issue sitting, not unlike any other on the team that has sat over the year. Anybody, who says they play the same guys all year is full of S*&T, just do the math...you can card 25 players....how many are dressed on game day?

On the other end of the ice we have Justin Foote ....I salute you!! Each member of your team should buy you a steak dinner. Never have I witnessed such a stellar performance.

To give you 100% credit for Sunday's win would be unfair to the rest of your team so i'll give you 99% credit. The other 1% going to the effort put forth in the 1st period...you guys came out of the gates strong! After that it was almost as if the plan was to all huddle around the goalie while shots dinged of helmets, shin pads,cross bars and Foote. It was as if the players were in shell shock and stood in place while Foote worked his magic.

Final shots 62-30!! I am sure that has to be some kind of CIHL record for saves in regulation time. (although I think Jamie Holden came close a few years ago in Kitmat)

All in all, excellent entertainment and the 1700 fans over the two days were glad to have been a part of it!

Good luck to both teams in the next round.

PS: this is my last year with the CIHL and my parting advice would be:
1. CIHL execs with no team affiliation. 2. Consider going to 1 division 3. Nix the 10 minute fight rule...it blows!!

Jorgin ----out!

Hey, this is a family show -- I almost cried ... with all this camaraderie!

It seems taunting at the bench must be endemic in the league and ya just can't do that in Smithers...or the boom comes down. I can see now why Deebs graciously and even happily got splinters while the Steelies loaded the secret weapon.

Too bad we wont find out how far it gets you - or how well that works in the Coy...

Agree, however, the fight rule is just too inflexible and the well known goofs in our league try to use it to cripple teams leaving them behind, specially in playoffs, at least that's what I heard.

... on CIHL execs without team affiliation.

With your well-tuned advice surely there's a suggestion as to just how this can be accomplished. I don't remember Jorgin's name on the list at any agm I attended...could be wrong.

Anyway, I know how long an entire room full of people sat looking at one another, pretty silently, a couple of seasons ago, as we tried to find a league president, any president, affiliations or no...

I finally stepped up as we got close to an embarrassing 30 minutes because I had not ever done the job, and had moaned at my fair share of other presidents. "Thankless" is only one of the job's side benefits...but I'd sure like to hear how Jorgin thinks we can do it.

I hate to say this because the vitriol will flow -- but Smithers has been leaders in thanklessness since Bobby Love did a GOOD, if not excellent job as prexy.

By the way, I do think Rose Ruffell was a president without affiliations and she also did a great job, but some neanderthal men have trouble with a woman in hockey!!!

I welcomed her... and she was a very good president as well...

Well way to go Smithers. Now you've gone and put the hex on the Vancouver Canucks winning any Stanely Cups for another season. You two teams so apparently alike and all, right down to the style of uniform.

This league volunteer will be gone after 2 (or perhaps 3 games), Yippee, and adios amigos.

The league would be smart to find someone totally unaffiliated with the league, or a league team to take on the statisticans job. Also agreed that if possible, all league executive positions to be filled by people unafilliated with the league, (good luck with that).

And get rid of that stupid after the 10 minute mark of the third period fighting rule. Although that would actually take some clear, rational thinking from the Hockey Canada/Hockey BC brain-trust. (Egypt will become a world class democracy before that ever happens).

Been a slice.

I'm on my way out so had to put in my last 2 cents.
I knew the whole "team affiliation" comment was going to ruffle some feathers but I don't intend it that way. All in all, it was a pretty "drama-free" year throughout the CIHL. I give credit to those who have stepped-up and taken those thankless jobs...prez,schedule,stats, etc..
I have also witnessed the un-comfortable silence when the nominations for these positions arise. I think there has to be a way to recruit these people outside of the CIHL and bring their names forward prior to AGM time.

I know 2 guys who have said they will take prez and scheduler who are not tied to any one organization. They will put their names forward for the AGM. The league needs to take a leap of faith and allow these positions to be taken by outsiders and not promote from within the ranks of the existing team execs. Their names will be submitted, put your money where your mouth is, and vote them in.

ps; I liked Rose too!!

62 shots? sounds like footes mom was keeping track of the shots.

62 was conservative. In the Third the sheet said 23, i would bet 33 wouldn't have been that far off.

In all the years that I have been involved, I have never seen, were joe public was invited to the CIHL AGM, that has to change.

But there's a big difference between shots at the net and shots on the net -- and a 23 shot period with shots ON the net could easily be 33 or 43 directed at the net, but lots of them could be blocked, tipped, missed the net and so on, etc. They have to be stops (saves) by the goaltender...if I'm right, even a post is not considered a shot ON net.

Those of us who do try to count, from the sides, are not really great judges. We just do our best to count the saves (stops) and likely don't do a great job.

Best we can come up with is an indicator of numbers of shots.

I get hell from Jamie Moran for my counts and no doubt he can be right it's tough to see what goes on in a scrum in the crease -- there could be one save and two rebounds for three shots, but counters see a stop between the legs in the crease, likely miss the rebounds.

So, I am sure it's all pretty subjective in our league...but if it's the only stat yopu have to show pressure, it is meaningful.

in smithers if a guy farts in the crease it counts as 4 shots.... Mike Wall got credit for two shots saturday for dumping the puck down the ice. Take the 62 with a grain of salt... no doubt it was a lot though.

Man you're a bad winner Rusty...

Official Peak count was 62. Scoreboard matched it. Wall did have 2 shots on net considering if Foote hadn't stopped them they'd have been goals. Saturday's game was the first time I liked the 10 minute rule, if only because it meant we wouldn't see more goonery from Lees in the deciding Sunday game.

Honestly, I try to stay quiet, but some of the stuff that gets put on this forum is ridiculous...

..and supportive. But I know I'm in line to go to the games for fun next year -- and even getting volunteers to run a team has been difficult in Kitimat lately. We will need a bit of an administrative rebuild -- and we want to go young...

Those who spend so much time criticizing the efforts of those trying to make a league succeed should step up to the plate and help out.Leagues need people to help make it function properly.Have co-Presidents and yes its preferable to have someone not involved with any particular team but in most cases impossible to achieve. If something comes up that would be considered a conflict then the President can excuse himself or herself from that topic. Each team should have a governor acting on their teams behalf.Secretary,treasurer and Vice President and statistician and away you go.Disciplinary actions have to be dealt with that are within league's guidelines and other matters are dealt with through BC Hockey Director
It is easy criticize so appreciate the work of those working for you
As for the game misconduct in last 10 minutes which adds another game, this is not a local rule but set out by Hockey Canada and enforced by BC Hockey..A total success as it has cut down the number of ugly incidents in tail end of games that are one sided

wrong ashphalt guy... a total failure. Instead of two players sorting things out with an agreed upon fight it has become one guy getting jumped,,, give a suspension to any instigators in the last 10 and you will solve most of the problems. The way the rule is now has stopped players from defending themselves, because they are scared of being suspended, so you end up with one guy pounding a guy who can't fight back. Make it instigators only. Then you will take away the jumping and mugging and keep the hockey code alive while allow the paying customer a to enjoy a mutually agreed upon fight once in awhile.

First off the text of this message isn't regarding fighting..But to address this absurd comment regarding a mutually agreed fight..These are grown men with plenty of pride and testosterone.Any player not wanting to fight don't fight, and with any luck which is 90% of the time, the one player will get 5 and a game and the other team goes on a PP for 5 minutes. Nobody is made to fight. Guys get jumped, guys get sucker punched and unfortunately sometimes penalties assessed may go the way that isn't fair.. Its part of the game..If these guys have a mutual fight and take off their helmets and set up , they are looking at gross misconducts before the first punch..Too many players take it too far.
The topic here is about stepping up to the plate to help the league, not whether an instigator should be the only player suspended. Junior Hockey has an instigator rule but for accumulation in a game.The number of incidents in a year is minimal compared to the number of games played so a none issue

I think this was exaggerated as well. Lots of the shots in my view weren't even dangerous, and a lot missed the net. I was watching the shot clock and couldn't believe they counted some of them as legit shots. How come the Steelies couldn't raise the puck?? lots of on ice sliders that weren't dangerous at all. Things may have been different though if Hutchinson could have played... He brings a lot to any team physically and in the points department!! Smithers players tried to do it themselves towards the end, and you know how that goes... Tunnel vision already affects a few of the Steelies, Sunday it got contagious. I think the loss was a case of bad Karma... some will know what I'm talking about and some will be in denial. Great job by Mike! I hope he plays net for them next season. Nothing against his outplaying, he is very effective and physical! But I think he's a better tender!! Hope he doesn't take the loss too badly. It was a "team" loss. Offense just dried up when they needed it the most. Happens in the NHL too.