Cold Lake Jr B Ice Welcome a Fresh Start

The Cold Lake Jr B Ice are looking to put the off ice dramatics of the 2014-15 season behind them with the welcoming of a few new faces. The organization hopes with the new head coach, Scott Hood, and a marketing coordinator, Andrew Heliotis, the team will be able to bring focus back to what truly matters, hockey.

Head Coach Scott Hood is a resident of Cold Lake who has hockey ties in Lloydminster. He played out his Jr. B career with the Bandits, while there winning four league championships and two provincial titles. He was also part of the Lloydminster Border Kings, Seniors AAA, from 1999-2008. While with the organization, the team brought home two Canadian Senior Hockey Allen Cup Championships. Hood played 13 seasons of Senior Men’s AAA Hockey, split between the Border Kings and The Bentley Generals.

Hood spent time behind the bench coaching minor hockey and is excited to take his coaching game to the next level with the Jr B Ice. “I’m looking forward to the new challenge,” says Coach Hood, who says his nerves are in check for the new venture. “It’s a good organization, they’ve won before and have some great returning guys. I’m looking to help out and learn as we go.”

Hood says he doesn’t involve himself with the off-ice dramatics of last season, and hopes to keep it that way. “I’m not too familiar and I don’t want to know what happened really, that was last year.” Hood’s hoping the new start helps the fans and community put the past behind them, “going forward we hope to change the mentality in the community and with sponsors, and surrounding area. Run a tight ship and put good product on the ice and everything should take care of itself that way.”

Last season, Paul Desjardins took over as head coach a month into the season and remained behind the bench until the end of the season. Desjardins was able to secure a fifth-in-a-row league championship for the Ice, however after being unsuccessful at provincials and at the Keystone Cup, which the Ice hosted in 2015, Desjardins stepped down from his position. Having not known the position would be open, that left Hood with little opportunity to scout out the previous season’s team.

Hood says coming in with a clean mindset will be beneficial not just to his coaching ability,  but to everyone in the organization. “It’s a clean slate for everybody, the guys coming back and the kids coming in.” Along with Hood and the new marketing coordinator, Andrew Heliotis, the team also welcomes new assistant coaches and they are currently looking for a new trainer.

The Ice will welcome back some returning players, including a goalie, four defense and eight or nine forwards, says Hood, who is hopefully the returning players will be able to hit the ice this week. While the training camp and tryouts get underway in mid-September.

Despite being his first season coaching the Jr B level, Hood says his goals are set high, looking at bringing home the sixth consecutive championship for Cold Lake. “Obviously, that’s the goal to carry-on that traditions,” Hood explains, “that’s the most successful year, to get to provincials. But we could have a successful year other ways, for me you wanna win. That’s what you wanna do, that’s what you’re here to do and that’s why the players are coming back.” Hood says the need to win is expected, “the pressure is on the other eight-nine teams in the league to knock us off, so I think there’s a lot of pressure on us to win it.”

Hood coaching philosophy is simple, have respect. “Hockey’s a fun game and this isn’t the NHL. Have respect for the game and the people around you and it should turn out pretty successful.”

Cold Lake Jr B Ice Training Camp and Open Tryouts will be held September 11th-13th at The Energy Centre. Registration begins the 11th at 6:00 pm with the first skate at 7:30 pm. $50 fee for new skaters, each player will be guaranteed 3 ice times. For more information contact coaches.coldlakeice@outlook.com