If Saturday night’s Jr. ‘B’ hockey game at the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre is any indication, Westlock would be a perfect host for a Senior ‘AA’ hockey team.
That was the general sentiment emanating from members of the Edmonton Beverly Warriors after their thrilling 4-3 shootout win over the Spruce Grove Regals in Capital Junior Hockey League action.
“I think it was really successful and exciting,” said Joe Kuhar, Warriors trainer and game organizer. “It had it all. It was rough and tough, and lots of excitement with the overtime and shootout.”
The game was organized as part of Kuhar’s dream of bringing Senior ‘AA’ men’s hockey back to Westlock. Should his goal be realized, that team would start playing in the North Central Hockey League, and would be a natural rival for the Athabasca Aces.
From the fan support he saw in the stands — he estimates there were between 400 and 500 bums in seats — there’s no doubt in his mind Westlock could host a team for many years. “Normally getting about 100-150 people is fine,” he said. “With about 400 people, it reinforces that the community wants a senior team.”
A large segment of the crowd at the game was players on Westlock’s many minor hockey teams. They were into the game from the word “Go!” and cheered just about every hit, goal and — yes — fight.
But perhaps some of the loudest cheers were reserved for Westlock native Evan Kuhar, Joe’s son and the Warriors’ captain.
Evan certainly earned those cheers, as he not only recorded three points in his team’s win, but also opened the scoring for the Warriors, getting them on the board after falling behind 1-0 early in the second period. He added two assists to round out his contribution to the victory.
“I wasn’t trying to put on a show,” he said. “The coach leans on me to the get the guys going. I think of myself as a goal scorer, and even though I’m not having the best season, I had the touch tonight.”
Evan missed his chance to be the ultimate hero, missing his shootout attempt, but in the end all that mattered was earning the win. Yet, getting to that point was a bit of a challenge, as Evan had to balance the preparations for a big game with the knowledge he would be playing in front of his hometown crowd for the first time in a long while.
“I was feeling giggity and I had butterflies in my stomach,” he said. “But after the first shift they went away.”
Playing in front of a hometown crowd was nice, but what was even more memorable was getting to use the Spirit Centre, an experience he said makes him jealous of Westlock’s minor hockey players who get to use it every week.
Evan also echoed his dad when he said he couldn’t see any reason why Westlock couldn’t play host to a senior ‘AA’ team.
“I think the people here are pumped,” he said. “The stands were packed, and I know the guys are excited to get started. The biggest thing is community support; having a higher-level team in town is a real morale booster.”
Warriors coach Bobby Almeida was also effusive in his praise of the Spirit Centre and the viability of Westlock supporting a senior ‘AA’ hockey team.
In fact, just being able to take part in Joe Kuhar’s dream was an honour.
“We’re happy to help contribute to the cause,” he said. “We wish you luck with getting a senior ‘AA’ team here.”
Almeida also said he was happy to see such a big and warm crowd, and that really upped the players’ excitement level. As for how close the game was, he said that was pretty much par for the course — each game between the two this year has been decided by a lone goal.
When asked about Evan’s three-point night, Almeida said it was likely playing at home that got him going.
“As a coach, you’re a good judge of who’s ready to play,” he said. “Because this is his home town, it was an easy decision to open the gate and let him go.”
Joe Kuhar said the game was a good test run for a senior ‘AA’ team, but there is still work to do.
At the game, he had questionnaires available for people to let him know what they thought about the whole experience, and volunteer to be a part of the new team.
Once he’s had a chance to see what people said, he plans to hold an organizational meeting later this month to get the ball rolling in earnest.
He added that if anyone has any questions or suggestions about the prospective new team, feel free to call him at 780-307-6354.
