OLDS — It was another tough year for the Olds Grizzlys junior A hockey team, as they finished out of the playoffs and last in their division with a 9-45-6 record for 24 points in 60 games.
But head coach Scott Atkinson told the crowd at a season-ending banquet Sunday, Feb. 27 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #105 that he sees a bright future for the team.
“I think that you know, it’s difficult to explain our season because you can see that we have a very high camaraderie within the group and we actually have a very, very talented group and I think the future’s bright,” he said.
“It was a difficult year as everyone knows, but this group deserved better. They worked hard every day in practice and for some reason we couldn’t find the right formula but it certainly wasn’t (due to) the players, so that kind of leaves you, Darc (board member Darcy Dallas),” he added, provoking loud laughter.
"The bottom line is it was a real fun group to hang out with and be part of and certainly deserved a better fate than they got in terms of the win/loss record.
“But we do think that we made significant progress in building the team and the future’s a lot brighter, so I just wanted to congratulate the players on sticking with it through tough times,” Atkinson added.
“Anybody who’s played this game knows that it’s a very, very hard task to come to the rink every day and show enthusiasm and energy when the hill’s pretty steep.
“I never had one day that – well, maybe one; maybe two – but (the) bottom line is they came and worked hard every day and did everything that was asked of them.
“So congratulations to all; I really appreciate your efforts and it was an honour to coach you,” Atkinson said, sparking lengthy applause.
A highlight of the banquet was the auctioning off of player jerseys, undertaken by auctioneer Tyler Rosehill. One jersey went for $1,025, according to secretary-treasurer Nikki Grover.
