Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader
Two years of coping with COVID restrictions made it tough for a junior hockey club to operate and survive. That was probably true anywhere, but even more for a club like the Slave Lake Icedogs – barely born and struggling to survive when everything got turned upside down.
But here they are, going into season #4. Training camp opens Sept. 1 and the home-opener is on Sept. 24.
“We’re resilient and we’re not going anywhere,” says team owner Lauren Barr. “And we’re going to keep on trucking.”
They’ll be trucking with new head coach Andy Meth, who arrived from Ontario earlier this month. Last week he was out on the ice with the Peak Performance Hockey School, which started on Aug. 15. With his long, blonde locks flowing out from under his helmet, Meth looked like he might have just come from a surfing spot in southern California. But he’s a hockey guy, and Barr says she’s impressed with him so far.
“He’s so diligent,” she says. “A team player. He’s quick to want to make things happen.”
As things stood last week, Meth had 18 players who had signed up for the Icedogs. About two thirds of them are returnees from last year’s team. Recruiting continues, and will continue at least until other junior programs make their final cuts.
One recent addition to the list (not signed yet, but apparently committed to attend training camp) is a female goalie from southern California. Her name is Sydney Costello.
B.C. native Griffin Thiessen is back for another season on the blueline. It’s quite likely he’ll be the team captain.
In addition to the usual team ownership duties (which include lots of recruiting, community relations and so on) Barr says she plans to expand the offerings of the hockey school she is now the owner of.
“My goal is to do hockey schools and camps year-round,” she says. “Private lessons, camps, Christmas break camps.”
That’s a business venture separate from the Icedogs, but Barr is hoping it will also help in the player recruitment line, as connections are made and exposure for the team is enhanced.
The same idea is behind the recent establishment of an agency to represent players. Barr has teamed up with former NHL players Kevin McClelland and Ethan Moreau and Icedogs’ coach Meth in what they are calling Peak Performance Hockey Agency.
The main idea is to put the partners’ expertise to use in finding ways to advance kids in hockey. That’s what the stated goal of the Icedogs has been from Day 1; Barr says this just formalizes and expands on that service. And – it should be noted – it works both ways; I.e., there could be a benefit for the Icedogs in landing players via the relationships created.
“My goal is to create a pipeline of players,” Barr says.
A good question is whether the squad the Icedogs put together this season stands a chance against the two-time defending GMHL West Division champion High Prairie Red Wings. Barr is bullish on the prospects.
“We have the better program,” she says.
But so far, at least, High Prairie has the better team.
The GMHL West has six teams for the upcoming season, same as last year.
New teams have been added in B.C., but unlike last season, none of them will be coming to play in Alberta. They’ve got their own GMHL division now, and will play each other. Joining the Mackenzie Mountaineers are teams in Burns Lake, Kitimat and Tumbler Ridge.
Duking it out in the Alberta Division will be Slave Lake, High Prairie, Gibbons, Fox Creek, Edson and the Northern Alberta Tomahawks (Enoch).
Extras: Last year’s Icedogs’ coach Dave Hyrsky has landed as an assistant to Kevin McClelland with the Portage College Voyageurs in Lac La Biche, having apparently changed his mind about wanting to be closer to his family in the Netherlands.
The Icedogs’ team mascot is Scout, a little stray dog Barr found a couple of years ago in front of the arena in Maskwacis. Scout goes everywhere with the team, she says, and even dropped the puck at a ceremonial face-off once last year!
