Kamloops Squeeks Out 2 Wins on Weekend

Posse Personality Rears Ugly Head

For the most part the opening 2 games of the Storm-Posse series actually looked like playoff hockey. Tight scores, great goaltending and outstanding efforts. It all came undone at the end of the game on Saturday night when cheap shot artist, Brody Brewster decided to take a two-hand chop with his stick on the face of Daniel Medlan-Marchan after the final buzzer.

I had taken the time to say how well Princeton looked when they stuck to hockey, both on the air and in my blog but Brewster, who was 3rd in penalty minutes in the league this year despite only playing in 45 games, climbed back into the sewer of credible play. We had noticed him yapping and taking cheap shots at Storm players throughout the game but his buzzer special was exactly why the Posse are considered the low-lifes of the league when it come to violence in hockey. For a kid that has zero for future on anything past Junior B hockey, you have got to wonder what's really on the line.

Posse goaltender Mike Garteig has been fabulous. This series would be out the window for Princeton if it weren't for him. Kamloops has scoring strength on every line and they all have tested him. But guys like Brewster are a throw back to everything that's wrong with hockey. Little skill in a league that begs for skill, this guy had no less than 15 games throughout the year where his penalty total exceeded 10 minutes. That's one third of all the games that he played during the regular season. For the life of me, I can't see how a bone-headed attitude like that can do anything but harm a team. Yet the Posse seem to grub around every year to find losers like this in hopes to be a winning team. Yes, they can intimidate some teams but not this time around. Princeton is far more effective trying to play hockey than trying to mirror the Broadstreet Bullies of the seventies... they don't have enough talent to do both.

Let's hope the league can get the tape on the incident at the end of the game and deal with it in a manner that not only sends a message to the player and the team but brings back some pride in actually running a legitimate league. Everyone knows that tempers flair and fisticuffs are going to happen and the league dealt with it in an exceptable manner... game misconduct. However, I don't think that they have addressed the whole issue of major penalties. Violent penalties (major penalties) including fighting, hits to the head, hits from behind, high sticking and so on need to have a limit. They have inserted the coaches suspension for more than 3 fights in a game. Now, it would seem prudent to step up to the plate and place some of the onus on the players, like a league review for anyone who receives more than 3 or 4 0r 5 (let them pick the number) majors in a season and a mandatory 5 game suspension for anyone who exceeds that threshold. Plus, increase the penalty every time that they take another major after that.

Some may say that that targets the physical players... not so. One can play the game being physical. And the rule would allow the player time to change his attitude. However, with no cap on major penalties it will continue to endanger real players and make more headlines than credible play.

The series continues in Princeton tonight. Let's hope that as emotions rise and physical play increases, it doesn't degrade itself with the goonery exhibited at the end of last game.

Let me personally apologize for actions of a few out-of-hand patrons from Kamloops on the Saturday night brew-ha. These drunken young men were pointed out as potential trouble makers prior to the game but had been in attendance the night before and relatively behaved themselves. You can't kick someone out for actually behaving. They crossed the line on Saturday and I personally hope that they are turned away at the door if they try to come to another game at the Sports Centre.

Good luck to Storm in Princeton and I hope that they keep their heads about them. The Posse will continue to try their tactics knowing full well that they have little chance to move on.

The fans in Princeton deserve more than a team that constantly leaves a black eye on the quality of the neighbourhood.

The above expressed views are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kamloops Storm Hockey Team.

Your comments are welcome.