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NPHL governors grant Canucks membership
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
The Dawson Creek Canucks are officially back in the North Peace Hockey League.
The league’s teams voted unanimously at their May 1 spring meeting in Fairview to accept the Canucks back as fulltime members.
The Canucks re-entered the league in 2009-10 and were on probation, as all teams are their first year.
“I think we had a good season,” Canucks’ director Brent Newman told the other eight teams at the meeting. “We followed all the rules. I see no reason why we shouldn’t be accepted.”
NPHL president Jack McAvoy asked Newman where the Canucks were going, meaning their intentions on playing province hockey.
Newman replied the Canucks did try to enter provincials this season but were late applying. And, once they heard their provincials would affect the NPHL playoffs, they pulled out.
“We want to be a AA club,” said Newman.
However, he surprised teams by adding they were considering entering Alberta’s provincials, not British Columbia’s, if possible.
McAvoy replied the Canucks’ plans to play AA would likely affect the NPHL playoffs.
“I have a problem with that,” said McAvoy. “I understand you want to go provincials but we don’t want to shut down our league for a week.”
Grande Prairie’s rep Jordan Bombier asked if the Canucks considered asking the British Columbia Hockey Association if they would coordinate their provincial playoffs to not interfere with league play.
“Yes, but no luck,” said Newman, adding another meeting was scheduled soon and the Canucks would ask again.
“We don’t want to shut down the (NPHL) to go into the Coy Cup.”
Peace River’s rep Cal Parenteau warned the Canucks if they played provincials and did not play NPHL playoff games as scheduled, they would have to forfeit.
“We don’t want to do that,” said Newman.
Hythe’s Wade Wallan was also concerned about another affiliation with the Fort St. John Flyers in their run to the Allan Cup. The Flyers won the prestigious trophy this season as hosts.
“It makes it tough for Hythe,” said Wallan, because the Flyers can place good players in Dawson Creek. “That’s my concern.”
“We got one player from Fort St. John that made a difference,” said Newman. “We’re not importing guys from Edmonton and Vancouver.”
Still, Wallan asked how teams would protect the integrity of the league and its parity.
However, Fairview’s Gerry Noullett said it wasn’t fair to pick on the Canucks as other teams also imported players, including Fairview.
“How do you single out Dawson Creek?” he asked. “I don’t think you can’t vote them in because of that.”
McAvoy understood each team’s desire to get better.
“You can’t blame anyone for not wanting to be better,” he said.
The Canucks played in the NPHL this season after three-year hiatus. Before this season, they last played in the NPHL in 2005-06 and placed last in the West Division with a 3-19-1-1 record. The Canucks won two straight championships in 2001-02 and 2002-03 and won the Lawrence Cup, awarded to the league’s first place team in the regular season, in 1998-999 and 2001-02.
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