Well, they were too good.
It might have been nice for the Nitehawks to close out their KIJHL season at home – an extra gate and a chance for the fans to salute them as they head out on the road to potential further success.
That wasn’t the case, however. This version of the Beaver Valley squad was too good and fought too hard to give away anything and the Kelowna team was probably the third best team they faced in the playoffs.
The team, and the coaching staff that integrated some very promising young talent into the mix with some more experienced players, deserve congratulations from everybody in the Home of Champions, and our best hopes for further success.
Here’s hoping several of the current squad can step up a level and help uplift the Smoke Eaters next season.
I haven’t as yet, heard of any plans to broadcast the Cyclone Taylor tournament, but, especially with golf on the back burner for now, it seems there should be advertisers out there willing to allow local fans to keep up-to-the-minute tabs on one of the most successful among many strong Nitehawks aggregations.
I hope someone is working on that, even if it comes down to only on-line broadcasts.
I’m sure patrons of various area establishments would not mind gathering to listen to the games, as opposed to, or even along with, video of the Vancouver team some locals inexplicably find interesting.
For most hard core hockey fans around here the season, outside of interest in the Nitehawks endeavours, is over Saturday.
• I have a suggestion for the Canadian Curling Association. Rather than gift one year’s Brier winner with a return trip on the basis of no current accomplishment, get rid of the Team Canada designation at the Scotties.
At one time, despite flying in the face of tradition and offering an outsized reward to used-to-be winners, the women’s Team Canada may have been a necessary marketing tool.
With professional play all over the calendar for women as well as men, that shouldn’t be true anymore, and the unfairness of the system is an affront to justice.
Canadian titles are hard-earned things, every year, and offering a no-effort bye into them should go away.
