From jubilation to frustration.
Cochrane Generals rookie head coach Ken Soloski had just guided his team to a gripping Heritage Junior Hockey League opening-round playoff win over the Strathmore Wheatland Kings when he was informed by team general manager Jacqueline Hurlbert the team had to be ready to go for Round 2, Game 1 against the Okotoks Bisons in just 15 hours.
His annoyance was as immediate as it was obvious. And, while forfeiting Game 1 of a best-of-7 with the Bisons was never really an option, he sure felt like sending that message right after the Feb. 23 Strathmore win.
With his players already refuelling on post-game pizza in the visitor’s dressing room at Strathmore Family Centre, Soloski had to wrap his head around preparing his team for its third playoff game, against a second opponent, in less than 72 hours.
“I just think it’s sad when another team takes advantage of somebody else who’s just played,” Soloski said. “I understand they finished first and they’ve been sitting, and ice (availability) is what it is.
“But there’s enough time that we could have set this up, gave us a day’s rest and we could have gone: play, day off; play, day off; play, day off without any problem. And they found it necessary to take advantage of us.”
With three Bisons starters - Tyson Arnholtz, Zac Baba and Dylan Boyd - all serving suspensions and sitting out the Feb. 24 afternoon Game 1, Okotoks did take advantage of their scheduling edge.
The Generals kept the Bisons off the scoreboard in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead into the second. Okotoks scored twice in the second period and the Generals ran out of gas in the third, giving up an empty-netter for a 3-1 Bisons win.
“That’s just Okotoks being Okotoks,” Soloski observed. “They put an afternoon game in when we play the night before. The least they could have done was put an evening game in and give us 24 hours rest. But they didn’t do that, either. It just got us a little upset.”
Soloski said the Generals e-mailed the Bisons requesting more recovery time but the Bisons’ reply was Cochrane would forfeit if they didn’t show on time. The league was sent a copy of the request but did not respond, Soloski added. Gamesmanship aside, the coach’s main concern is for the safety of his players.
“I guess my only concern with that is we have to play a lot of games but, when you play that many in a row, fatigue comes into play not only physically but mentally. And that’s when you get kids hurt. I don’t think that’s what we want. I think the league needs to step in and say you need to give a team a day off. They can’t play more than three games in a row without a day’s rest because you’re starting to hurt your kids.”
NEXT GAMES
Okotoks at Cochrane, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m., Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre.
Cochrane at Okotoks, March 1, 5:15.
Okotoks at Cochrane, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
