BARRHEAD-It could be easy to understand if Todd White was confused about what his job description is.
That is because, for the last few weeks, the general manager and head coach of the Barrhead Bombers hockey franchise has spent more time acting as a travel agent.
The Bombers are a Tier II junior hockey franchise that plays in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL). The league suspended its season due to the coronavirus on March 12.
The WSHL differs from traditional junior hockey leagues in that it is a tuition-based league, in that players have to pay a fee to play.
The 2019-2020 season was the Bombers’ inaugural season after having relocated from Long Beach, Calif.
White said two players are still waiting to go home, but he suspected they would be on their way soon.
"They have their [airplane tickets], and if things go as planned, they should be heading home in a couple of days," he said, noting the players are from Ukraine.
All totalled, the Bombers had five Ukraine players, three of which caught a special charter aircraft sent to Canada by Ukraine's government.
The only other international player was from the U.S., who he was able to make it back home without issue.
All of the other Bombers were from B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Part of the problem, White said, is some of the players did not have their flights booked ahead of time as they were preparing for the playoffs and therefore didn't know when their season would be concluded.
Even then, the majority of the Bombers found their way home within a week.
"The bigger problem wasn't making the travel arrangements, even though that wasn't a straight forward process, as flights were being cancelled and rescheduled," he said. "Keeping everyone organized, making sure people had places to stay because you don't want them to couch surfing."
For the most part, players just extended their stay with their billet families. The two remaining Ukraine players are as of this writing (April 1) staying with teammates in Edmonton.
Preparing for the upcoming season
After the last of his players leave for home, White said he will be able to devote his full attention to preparing for next season although he admits he isn't sure when that might be.
"Things are still up in the air," he said, noting the league has no estimate as to when they might resume normal operations. "But you have to play it safe and always be recruiting because when we are told the season is going to start you want to be ready."
The other area that might impact teams, is Alberta Health Services cancelling non-urgent surgeries.
For example, on the Bombers, White's son and team captain Kierun White suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that only surgery can repair.
When asked if the COVID-19 outbreak will change his strategy, White said, more than likely.
This offseason, he had planned a European trip to recruit players, but as time goes on that seems more unlikely.
Unlike other Canadian junior hockey leagues who limit the number of non-North American players to less than a handful, the WSHL allows up to 14 imports.
White said he had planned to take full advantage of the rule, but due to the pandemic, he will be looking for players closer to home, mostly from Western Canada.
However, he said being restricted to Canadian players should not restrict the talent pool, at least not for the provincial division teams.
The WSHL currently has 20 franchises, the majority being in the US. With the potential VISA and travel restrictions coming into Canada, White believes there will be several talented hockey players looking for places to play.
When the league does resume, White is confident not only that the team will be competitive, but that there will be more people in the stands.
"The last month or so, local fan support really picked up and I already have people wanting to volunteer," he said.
