Mid Season Report

Summary

We have seen lots of excitement and great action so far in our 2022-2023 season. Two long time members have rekindled a rivalry and a new member has been looking to make its mark. Kicking off the renewed Chinook Hockey League was the celebration of not only the league being back in action, but also the celebration of the Innisfail Eagles 75th anniversary. We saw two other firsts early on in the year as the Cremona Coyotes made their senior hockey debut, with their first goal being scored in their franchises first game. Stony Plain was back in action after a two year hiatus, being the most northern member, finding a league to play in during this time was a challenge. 

Through six games our season stat line so far is as follows; Pierre-Luc Mercier of Innisfail leads the CHL in scoring with 20 points, as well as goals (9). Colton Hayes, also from Innisfail, leads the league in assists with 14. We see with the top five in scoring being Mercier (20), Hayes (15), Clay (13), Smyth (12), and Nault (11) rounding out the top five. Matthew Climie of Innisfail leads goalies in wins (3), and goals against average (1.57). Eric Szudor of Stony Plain leads goalies in save percentage (.936). At the top of the standings is Innisfail with 10 points, followed by Stony Plain with 9, rounded out by Cremona with no points. 

Team Summary

Stony Plain

I had an opportunity to speak to Eagles head coach Bryan Forslund over the Christmas break and he was able to shed some light on how the league has been shaping up so far to start the year. When asked about the leagues revival, Forslund would go on to say "The Chinook Hockey League season to this point has been positive to be part of a league again, and it’s also been good that the Stony Plain Eagles are able to operate again..... and are hopeful that the AAA Provincials are on the horizon as well as further competition in the aim of giving players a chance to play for a National Championship again." Forslund would go on to add that he hopes more teams would be added in the future to create a competitive environment at the AAA level. Overall he is pleased with the compete levels he is seeing from all teams and players, regardless of the score lines. When asked about the battle with Innisfail, "we are pleased we can compete with Innisfail and we certainly hope that the two Eagles can elevate senior AAA in Alberta to another level." 

Sean Nault leads the team in points (11), as well as goals (5). The Eagles have a record through six games of 4-1-1. Next game Jan 7th vs Cremona.

Innisfail Eagles

Moving south on the QE2 we have the Innisfail Eagles. Speaking with assistant gm Kent Wing regarding Innisfail he had the following to say "it was as a tough blow losing Coach Sutter this year, the man gave a lot to our organization over the years and was a contributing factor in our continuing to be a AAA hockey club." When asked about the process for replacing Mr. Sutter, Wing would say that fellow player Kevin Smyth stepped up and contacted the board right away with interest to help however he could. "Having Kevin Smyth step in to coach has been a big step in the right direction for the club. Kevin brings so much knowledge to the team and is as valuable as they come to the team." When asked about newcomers Cremona and old timers Stony Plain, Wing would comment "It’s been awesome to have Stony Plain back to rejuvenate the Battle of the Birds! The rivalry is as old as senior hockey in Alberta." Wing would go on to say from his experience in Innisfail that "It’s tough being the new guys on the block, and we hoping to see them [Cremona] start to excel and continue to grow as the year progresses." 

Pierre-Luc Mercier leads the team in points (20), as well as goals (9). The Eagles have a record through six games of 5-1-0. Next game Jan 14th vs Stony Plain.

Cremona Coyotes

The newest member and furthest south team has had its fair share of struggles this season. Growing pains is what general manager Patrick Gillies described it as. However according to Gillies "it’s been fun actually regardless of not having a win yet it’s been a good group of guys and been fun to play tougher as a team." He would go on to mention that the team is thankful for all the help from the Innisfail Eagles in allowing them to share ice with them for the first few games of the year. As well as the staffs from both Stony Plain and Innisfail for their help with equipment, injuries, and facility use. When asked about the teams future in Cremona, Gillies would go on to say "it’s been a fun experience and the community has been very welcoming and things are looking good for the future of our team in Cremona." In regards to his expectations for the new year Gillies expects his team to continue playing tough and looks to get some more experienced players and some scoring as well. 

Tristan Paquette leads the team in points (3), as well as goals (2). The Coyotes have a record through six games of 0-6-0. Next game Jan 7th @ Stony Plain.