Lac La Biche Minor Hockey Association in need of coaches

Teams under the Lac La Biche Minor Hockey Association started their first practices last week while also working on the finishing touches before the start of the 2017-18 season.

But it’ s not the players on the ice that is the big concern; it’ s the coaches on the bench.

The most urgent order of business for the organization is to look for two coaches at a couple of the older age levels. The Tier III midget team is looking for a coach to start the year and the bantam Tier III coach needs to be replaced by January, as the current coach won’ t be available.

Willie Abougouche, who is on the tiering committee for Minor Hockey, said volunteering to coach will be a great help and will also be worth the while of whoever decides to step up.

“They don’ t have to be parents,” he said. “It’ s fun. Kids look up to you and you have some appreciation after the year,” he said, adding that without a coach there is not team. “Someone has to step up before the kids go on the ice.”

Once the coaching issue is covered, teams will benefit from an improved ice schedule this year. The association’ s president, Kelly Ulrich, said the league has ruled out morning ice times for example, and will not hold practices on Fridays. Ulrich said they were also fortunate in another way.

“8:30 is our latest practice, and that’ s for the midget team,” she said.

The minor hockey teams are also working around the schedules of the junior team and the college squad. Plamondon Arena has also shown itself to be a busy place.

“Kikino is using the Plamondon rink, and there’ s an active men’ s league there, so our rinks are definitely being used,” she said.

Abougouche says despite some early season hiccups, things are going well in organizing the league.

“People have done their job, and they’ ve done a good job,” he said. “The kids are all excited to get going.”

The North Eastern Alberta Hockey League, where Lac La Biche County teams play, will have their scheduling meeting on Oct. 21, and Ulrich said that the teams might play one exhibition game before they start playing regular season games.

The practice schedule can be found on the "Lac La Biche Minor Hockey" Facebook page.