KERROBERT - The West Central Rage Jr. B hockey team will not be part of the Kerrobert arena action this season.
“Unfortunately we have taken a year of absence from the Prairie Junior Hockey League," Rage board member Brad Murphy says.
"The decision was made earlier this summer after we lost our current coach and general manager, and we were unable to find a replacement through our searches. We felt, as a group, that we would be better as an organization waiting for the right person to fill this role, even if that meant taking a year off to get the club headed back in the right direction.”
Murphy acknowledges that economically the Rage will be missed in town as they brought in out-of-town traffic that often contributes to the hospitality sector and local purchases like fuel and food.
“There was a disbursement draft held for any West Central Rage players that were on our list, eligible to play again this year throughout the league,” says Murphy
The Rage board were not sure how active players got scattered around, or where that process ended up, whether players were reporting to where they went or going on to do other things. Murphy did say he knew a couple of the local payers were going to step up and try senior hockey instead of waiting to go somewhere to play junior. Others went to school.
“I guess we have yet to see what COVID implications are going to have on the league this year again and after last year’s battle and shortened season, we felt confident this was a good decision to make this year based on current and possible outcomes from the pandemic this fall," Murphy adds.
"We are hopeful to get this team back on track to ice a squad again in 2022.”
Kerrobert arena season will open several weeks later than usual due to the lack of need for ice time from this team.
