Right before Christmas, the good ship Canmore Eagles appeared to spring a leak, as it appears the strongest team in years was in need of some patchwork before the playoffs.
Help was on the way, the AJHL team stated, and the slump would soon subside.
But since the New Year, the ship isn’t just leaking, it’s sinking fast – with an iceberg fast approaching.
Losers of six of the last seven games, the Eagles were trounced 12-2 by the Spruce Grove Saints on Saturday (Jan. 16) at Alex Kaleta Arena in the most lopsided loss of the season – and likely a decade.
Kyle Pauls and Logan Ferguson scored in the losing effort, in which the home team was beaten senseless all over the ice.
To be fair, the Saints are currently the best Canadian team in junior A hockey. Their speed and efficiency is a marvel to watch. The Eagles, who were fresh off a 3-2 loss to the lowly Calgary Canucks, appeared tired and uninterested. The team that pushed the top-rated Camrose Kodiaks to the brink two nights in a row appeared absent.
“They are really, really good, and we were really, really bad tonight. When you do that, you get a 12-2 score,” said Canmore Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “We’re Jekyll and Hyde. We play Camrose with as much passion and energy as I’ve ever seen, and we never got our groove back.”
The Eagles found themselves in a hole before the puck even dropped, as they were missing one player to injury (Lane Olsen), one to suspension (Braden Saretsky, for a hit against Camrose), and three at a SAT prep course in Calgary (Brayden Biccum, Brett Radford Kurt Hildebrand). Those inserted into the lineup weren’t able to step up, as the Eagles were down 5-0 by the end of the first period. Milne said those players add a lot of leadership that was lacking this week.
“We weren’t good enough. They caught us with our tail between our legs and they took advantage of that,” Milne said. “I thought we looked tired tonight.”
The Eagles had five games off before their next game, and the losing streak has dropped them to fifth spot in the AJHL south division. Milne said the team is in a bad spot, as they don’t deserve a day off, but need rest as many of their top players have had to play a lot of hockey.
Players writing SAT prep courses should be back by this weekend, when they head off on a deadly northern road trip. The Eagles play Grand Prairie on Friday (Jan. 23), Whitecourt on Saturday and Sherwood Park on Sunday. Their next home game is Jan. 30 against the Brooks Bandits.
Trying to accentuate the positive, Milne said January is the perfect time for a slump.
“We still have all of February to get things turned around. We know where we’ll be,” Milne said.
In other Eagles news, Logan Ferguson has earned an NCAA Division 1 scholarship with the College of The Holy Cross in Worchester, Massachusetts. The team is currently ranked sixth in U.S. college hockey.
“Logan is very deserving of this opportunity with Holy Cross,” said Milne. “Since joining our organization last season he has done everything he could to help our organization, both on and off the ice, and he is a role model for all junior A hockey players.”
Ferguson has 50 points in 39 games for the Eagles, and is ranked seventh overall in the league.
