SUNDRE – Tiering rounds were something of an uphill battle for the Sundre U18 Huskies.
“It was a rough go,” said coach Jason Martyn.
Things didn’t go quite as planned, Martyn told the Albertan on Monday during a phone interview.
“We had a lot of injuries and a suspension at a very bad timing, so we played pretty short. We already have a small team, and then with two injuries plus the suspension, the kids just didn’t have enough gas,” he said.
Coming out of pre-season play, the Huskies had a record of four wins and two losses, with the squad in the end being placed in tier 3 with the Central Alberta Hockey League, he said.
“(By) the end of (tiering) when we started playing the stronger teams is when we had our suspension and injuries, which would have moved us into the higher tiering bracket,” he said.
“I have a feeling that we might have some adjustments here as the season goes on, just because I think they’ve put us a little lower than we should be,” the coach said.
“But with the suspensions and the injuries of a small team, we’re going to deal with that all year probably,” he said.
“So we might be in the right tier, but I feel we have a stronger team than what we’re placed in right now.”
Last weekend, the Huskies had a break, providing a bit of an opportunity to recoup.
“We had no games... which is good because that’ll help us out on the injury side,” he said, adding one player was off the ice as a result of “a bad concussion” while another had suffered a broken arm.
Both injuries and the suspension all took place about two weeks ago during a tough game against the tier 2-ranked Rocky Mountain Athletic Association Renegades, he said.
Regular league play was scheduled to get started Friday, Nov. 17.
The coach added that some signs are placed visibly throughout the community to invite local hockey fans when the Huskies are scheduled to play on home ice.
Follow the Sundre Minor Hockey Association’s social media for updates on coming games and events, including the team’s home tournament fundraiser, which is set for the weekend of Jan. 26-28.
