As the season draws to a close, an overhauled Aldergrove Ironmen hockey team is doing its best to cope with what GM Ben Crotenko described as “almost the perfect storm” of change.
“We’ve got a little bit of growing pains,” Crotenko commented.
As of Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Ironmen had won just one game so far this season, an Oct. 1 5-4 overtime victory over the North Vancouver Wolf Pack that saw Aldergrove come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Formerly the Kodiaks, this year the PJHL team acquired a new owner, new name, new coach, new GM and a nearly all-new roster of players.
It was a lot to digest, and it came during an unsettled time for the PJHL, which has tried to reorganize itself into a two-tier junior hockey league, only to have seven tier-2 teams, including the Ironmen, take them to court.
“There is a lot going on behind the scenes” with respect to the league, Crotenko said, but he isn’t allowed to talk about it right now.
What he can talk about is how more changes are coming next year, the biggest a planned switch of game nights from Wednesdays to Fridays to help boost attendance.
“The most important part is we’re going to try and change our game nights,” Crotenko commented.
“To be able to create more of a place to be for the town on a Friday night. And get everybody, as many people as we can involved, businesses and local community, just out on a Friday night.”
Expect a revised roster as well.
“We’re looking at going younger next year. So a lot of the players that, you know, would be carrying the team aren’t [coming back] as well.”
It has been a running start for the new team, with problems popping up along the way like an audio system that occasionally broadcasted announcements from the community centre pool, and afternoon practice times that forced some players to drop out because of conflicts with their school or jobs.
Next year, the sound system should be sorted out and more flexible practice times are being introduced, Crotenko said.
One positive has been the success of their campaign of community outreach and special events at home games, that has been raising the profile of the fledgling team, Crotenko said.
Ironmen’s last scheduled game of the season will be Wednesday, Feb. 11 , 7:15 p.m. against the Abbotsford Pilots at Aldergrove Community Centre.