Willie Sellars is the hardest working man in the Central Interior Hockey League (CIHL), and it’s really not even close.
Through 274 minutes in six games of action this season, the net minder for the Lac la Hache Tomahawks (0-7) has had a truly stunning amount of pucks come his way – 322 shots in about 13 periods of work, an average of about 80 shots per 60 minutes. He’s made 284 saves this season, by far the most in the league.
In fact, the man seeing the closest amount of work per minute is his partner, Tomahawks back up goalie Christian Stump. In 145 minutes through five games, Stump’s made 152 saves (third in the CIHL) on 177 shots.
Williams Lake Stampeders (5-2) goalie Justin Foote is second in the league with 164 saves – in a league-leading 330 minutes through seven games.
Sellars is used to a heavy workload, having led the league with 528 total saves in 2014-15. But 80 shots a game? It’s overwhelming at times, he says. And these shots are coming from everywhere: one-timers, breakaways and rebounds. In this case, one can excuse his 8.98 goals against average.
“If we have a committed lineup show up, then we’re competitive,” says Sellars of the Tomahawks. “If not, then I have to play spectacular.”
The CIHL is “a working man’s league” after all, Sellars adds. It’s not easy for everyone to make games and every team makes the playoffs this year. But with attendance numbers lagging and the winless Tomahawks struggling financially as an organization, more on-ice success during the regular season would likely help put more fans in the stands at the Rolf Zeis Memorial Arena.
“We want to be competitive throughout the season,” says Sellars. “We’ll continue to plug away and hopefully string some wins together here and come playoff time, everyone will be ready to go for a run. That’s the goal: win a playoff game.”
The Tomahawks hosted the Williams Lake Stampeders on Nov. 13. Sellars saw 56 shots in 54 minutes and Stump stepped in for eight shots in five minutes 31 seconds of playing time in the 7-2 loss. Dervy Johnson and Derek Walters scored for Lac la Hache.
The Terrace River Kings scored a 7-3 win over Lac la Hache on Nov. 8. Stump made 65 saves on 72 shots. Robin Gilbert, Wilfred Robbins and Kyle Crump put Lac la Hache on the board.
The Prince Rupert Rampage handed the Tomahawks a 6-2 loss on Nov. 7. Sellars turned away 75 of 81 shots. The Tomahawks managed 16 shots and saw goals from Dexter Toews and Richard Macdonald.
The Tomahawks meet their East Division Rival, the Stampeders, in Williams Lake on Nov. 20.
