The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
In the last six years, five SJHL teams have appeared in the finals of the RBC Cup. This record is unmatched throughout Canada. And, it is not an accident. The SJHL have instituted a game plan from the top down to ensure success for all teams. Ê Four different SJHL teams have been to the RBC finals in that span (Humboldt twice, Yorkton, Kindersley, and Weyburn). Other CJHL leagues such as the AJHL have been to the finals three times over this same time frame but it has been Camrose every time. The Kodiaks have lost all three of those games to SJHL teams (Humboldt twice and Weyburn). The OPJHL has had two finals appearances, but again it is one team (Aurora) carrying the load. The BCHL has had only two teams in the finals in the last six years (Burnaby and the host team Prince George). Ê Success on the national stage is the result of many factors according to league President Laury Ryan. ÒIt really is the sum of all parts,Ó stated Ryan. ÒCoaching, training facilities, frequency on the ice, scheduling, our list system and competitive parity, recruiting and our player centered philosophy; our Branch and the Saskatchewan Player Development Model, the league economic policies and stability of our teams. It all plays a role in creating national championships and more importantly the best development possible for our athletes.ÓÊ In many cases, winning a national title can be traced right back to within the SJHL and the teams that do not win championships. Humboldt Broncos Head Coach Dean Brockman credits rival coaches for devising game plans that made his team focus and adapt early in the season. ÒDarrell Mann (Melfort) showed us some things in November that really forced us to step up as a team. Bob Beatty (La Ronge) really had an excellent game plan against us. ÒWhen we played Kindersley in the league finals, I thought Larry Wintoneak did an excellent job with his team to really push us to the brink. So, I think we ended up in situations after the SJHL playoffs that were not surprising to us. We had seen just about everything.ÓÊ SJHL teams typically practice four times a week and play a minimum of two games a week. The training starts with our elite staff of coaches supplemented by assistants and specialists in the athletic field including strength and conditioning trainers. Dwight McMillan, two time World Junior A Challenge gold medal Assistant Coach and Head Coach of the Weyburn Red Wings says, ÒWhen it comes to our team, we have a high school we work closely with and we expect our players who still need to go to be attending regularly. Post secondary education is something we encourage and we make it attractive for players in this area. McMillan continues, ÒEvery team promotes working out and the proper way to do it. Every team in this league looks after their players in an excellent manner and the league co-operates by doing an excellent job at setting games on weekends as much as possible to save the week for more academic concentration. LetÕs face it, schooling is something that everybody needs because hockey is not there forever. So, we provide avenues for our players to write SATs and prepare for the future. ÒSomething that isnÕt talked about as much is the coaching in this league. We have top grade coaching and I think the SJHL has the best coaches in any league in all of Canada. Most of them are with their respective teams for a number of years and that brings stability. ÒThey donÕt have a one year stop-over for his own personal benefit and that has a lot to do with our overall league success too.ÓÊ In addition to having four different franchises in the finals of the RBC in the last five years, the SJHL boasts a system that sees teams go through very short rebuilding processes in many cases. In the last three years, six teams have missed the playoffs. Unlike the SJHL, other western Junior ÔAÕ loops seem to have predominant powerhouses. Camrose has won five of the last eight AJHL titles. The OCN Blizzard reeled off five straight MJHL crowns from 1999-2003. Since then, Portage and Selkirk have split four of the last five league championships. In the BCHL, Vernon or Nanaimo has appeared in six of the last seven league finals. The SJHL is the only league that can tell a prospective player that he has a legitimate shot at a championship during his three or four year career no matter what team he suits up with.Ê The league is vigilant in its scheduling and attempts to create the best development experience possible for the players. With five of six teams in each division making the playoffs, positioning for the playoff has created races to the last games of the season.Ê Melville bench boss Jamie Fiesel maybe sums it up best. ÒI donÕt think people realize how well our system works. I know it is unique, but just because it is different doesnÕt mean it isnÕt good. If change was bad the world would still be flat.Ó In addition to creating excitement for fans, it teaches the players consistency. ÒAbsolutely,Ó says Fiesel. ÒIn Melville, we tell our players to get into the top three. The numbers donÕt lie. If you can play in the Selection Series and then win that series, you are guaranteed to win another round on top of that. ÒThe Selection winner has never lost the following round and I think youÕll see that teams who struggle in the Selection Series donÕt last very long afterward. So, we really preach that to our kids. The proof is there.ÓÊ For a player who wishes to develop and move on to a higher level this proves to be the best training ground possible.Ê The Selection Series and Survivor Series format in the opening round of the playoffs provides many players with the developmental opportunity to play in a best of seven series. Teams must maintain competitive rosters with hopes of not only making the playoffs, but also winning a round. Fans and players benefit from the scheduling and it has resulted in unprecedented success on the national stage.Ê The SJHL encourages all players to play at the highest level possible. Junior ÔAÕ hockey is an Ôall optionsÕ approach to player development. The system is designed so that the player may advance through, maximize his playing ability, and play at the highest level possible.
