The Ghostriders defeated the Golden Rockets 4-2 on the weekend keeping them in the mix for a second place finish and home ice advantage against the Kimberley Dynamiters.

The Standings
The Nitros have 4 points on the Riders and Fernie still has three games to play, but two of them are in Kimberley and they are also the Nitro’s last two games of the regular season. Fernie can’t lose, if the teams are tied in the standings Kimberley gets 2nd place because they have more wins. The Riders have 6 OT losses but those points aren’t as good as wins in the KIJHL, or most other leagues either.

Player of the Month
The Coaches picked Austin Wells as their Boston Pizza Player of the Month for January. Coach Dale Hladun “Austin was a highly deserving choice as our POM. He really stepped up to do some “heavy lifting” when it came to playing so many key games in a row while Phoenix was sick. Austin continues, and will continue, to be a huge factor in our successes”. Wells for the record got the 4-2 win against Golden.

Shorthandly better than last season
Joel Burgess scored his team leading 5th shorthanded goal against Golden, it was his 23rd goal and 40th point, he has as many SH goals this year as normal goals all last year, and he is eligible to play next year.

It’s not in the stars
If the KIJHL still picked three stars like they did for years and years, JJ Beitel would have been the 1st Star with 2 goals and an assist to go along with his hits and shot blocks. He has been a great acquisition by Dale Hladun.

Yes they can
Not many fans around the rink agree with me but I think if the Riders other big 225 pound bruising shot blocking D-man Cole Weber gets healthy and forward Aidan Geiger can get back in the lineup and back into the form he had earlier in the season and was getting back into before he was sick, the Ghostriders will beat Kimberley in the first round. The wild card is Brett Perrine, if he can somehow get back on the ice he will really make a difference.

Go ahead suspend em
In the BC Jr A Hockey League Pentiction’s Head Coach Fred Harbinson and his star deadline acquisition Shane McColgan were each automatically suspended 1 game for an illegal equipment penalty. It was for McColgan’s stick, Bauer is the league sponsor and have exclusivity in the league. Rumors have a $5000 fine attached as well… but so far that is just a rumor. In the KIJHL the league has over the years acquired sponsors but could never get all teams on board, they couldn’t even get all the teams to put the sponsor’s ads on their websites. Will the KIJHL learn from the BCHL and institute fines and suspensions.

Seen and heard
Before most Fernie home games, I see Rider photographer Leahh Potyok on the ice cleaning the glass so she can get proper photos and video. And I heard from a Golden photographer saying the glass was so bad it was a waste of time trying to get photos. She also commented on how that is not a problem in Golden. Just sayin…