Quesnel Millionaires: November 98

November 98/99 Season New old vets on the M's block
Nwe reign ushered in as the brothers Gassoff take control
November 1, 1998
Normally interviews are laced with stops and starts. But in this instance, I let the tape roll and allowed the Gassoffs to do the talking - without any interruptions. - Sports Editor Doyle Potenteau
QCO: When you were first contacted by Millionaires president Kit Collins about the job offering, was it surprising, or did you have an inkling of an idea what was going on?
Ken: It absolutely surprised me.
Brad: It came from so far out of the blue that you can't imagine.

QCO: As the offer came on the weekend and both of you were in the office by Monday morning, did it take long for the two of you to say yes to her?
Ken: Well, first of all I said no, as I wasn't interested at all. But then after talking some more, I said I'd talk to Brad, as I definitely wouldn't do it if Brad wasn't going to get involved, as its a big job. So, I talked it over with him, as I knew he enjoyed coaching the Millionaires before, and he said he was willing to help out. So we decided to give it a whirl and help the Collins' out, as they've put a lot into the junior club. If it wasn't for them, there wouldn't be a junior club here.

QCO: Both of you are coming into a tough situation in that the team is on a current losing streak. How do you plan on addressing weak points, like defence, to end it?
Ken: Well, myself I think most of this losing streak is mental attitude. We have a decent core of players. As for weakness, every team has them. We want to turn things around with what we've got here and work with every player to get them thinking positive and to work together. There's definitely a nucleus of a hockey team that can turn things around here.

QCO: Former GM/Head Coach Barry Wolff and Assistant Coach Al Novakowski were both well - liked by the team. Has it been tough filling their roles?
Brad: It was a bad situation in that there was a lot of turmoil at first. It seems losing was starting to be part of the lifestyle around here, and a lot of them were caught up in that. But thats slowly changing now, as the guys are more upbeat and there's now a lot of spirit out there. In practice, everybody has lots of jump and nobody's skating out there with a long face.

QCO: Both of you were known as being rough, physical-type players in your heyday. What type pf team do you want to mould?
Brad: We want a hard-nosed team. Not a goon team by any means - one thats physical to the point where they're finishing their checks off. We don't want any guys out there just curling and swinging and guys not getting involved. From what we see so far, we have quite a bit of speed and I think we're just as physical as any other team in the league.
Ken:We're glad to see that the team is physical. The players have said that they out-hit most every team they've played so far.

QCO:Both of you have always been high-level competitors who hate to lose. Do you hope that attitude rubs off on your players?
Brad: We sure hope so. We're not going to accept losing. If there's anybody in the dressing room that is content with losing, they're not going to be playing.

QCO: Some players may not want to adapt to the new system. Do you expect a lot of player movement over the next few weeks?
Ken: I don't - not right now anyway. I'd like to go with as much of the kids that we've got here that I can. Hopefully they'll give us a chance to turn things around. But at the same time, if there is a way we can improve our hockey club, we'll do it.

QCO: For many in Quesnel, Gassoff is just another word for hockey. Do you think the name Gassoff will help draw larger crowds?
Brad: I don't know, as it wasn't a concern of mine, but hopefully at the start it might. We just want to put a winning product on the ice so that the fans come out to watch good hockey.

Vipers, Capitals spoil coaching debut

November 4, 1998

Although not a fortune teller by trade, Ken Gassoff knew going into this weekend it would be rough for the Quesnel Millionaires to earn victory.

Having to face two of the BCHL's hottest teams, the Vernon Vipers and the Cowichan Valley Capitals, the M's new coach said he would have preferred to play a pair of weaker teams instead of two strong teams right off the bat.

And, he guessed correctly, as the Vipers and the Caps spoiled his debut behind the bench, when Vernon won 5-3 Friday and Cowichan Valley won 8-3 Saturday.

Gassoff, unhappy at seeing his team fall to 5-13-0 on the season and still mired in sixth and last place in Interior Division Standings, said despite the two losses, some good things came out of the weekend, noting Friday's defeat - a game that was tied 3-3 after two periods of play - was a far cry from Quesnel's 12-0 blowout loss to Vernon Oct. 24th.

This week, Gassoff gets his wish, as the M's host two of the BCHL's weaker teams, the Prince George Spruce Kings (which they played last night) and the Merritt Centennials this Saturday.

A (Spruce) King-sized blowout
November 8, 1998

Prince George.....12
Quesnel................1

A game Ken Gassoff looked forward to turned out to be one could barely watch, as the visiting Prince George Spruce kings embarrassed the Quesnel Millionaires head coach and his team 12-1 Tuesday night.

"It was just one of those nights when absolutely nothing went right," said Gassoff. "Some guys were trying, others weren't. Then we got into penalty trouble and everything would go downhill from there."

Kings forward Richard Cihak paced Prince George to victory, scoring four times. The Czech sniper leads all BCHL scorers with 26 goals in just 19 games played. Teammates Mike Stutzel and Noel Burkitt both chipped in with one goal and three assists each for Prince George.

Team Captain Gerald Overton notched Quesnel's only marker 18 seconds into the second (Ed error, the goal was actually scored by Jason Maxwell) as he one timed a crisp Jason Maxwell corner pass from the low slot.

The Kings, who outshot Quesnel an amazing 67-27 jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after 20 minutes, and to 5-1 after 2 periods. Quesnel's arch-rivals blew it wide-open in the third, lighting the lamp seven times against a team that had all but given up.

"It just seems that we'd get down a little," said Gassoff, "and the players would begin to lose heart and effort."

As for the team itself, Gassoff said the club has potential, they just have to try even harder, especially in rough times. Quesnel is currently on a five game losing streak.

"I like the players. I just hope they give a good effort out on every shift. If they don't, there's a possibility they won't be playing here."

Up next for Quesnel who fell to 5-14 and still remain sixth and last in the Interior Division standings, are the Merritt Centennials Saturday. The last time the M's and Cents met, Merritt beat quesnel 6-2 back on October 14th.

After that, they travel to Prince George Tuesday for a game with the Spruce Kings - who host the Centennials Sunday afternoon - before embarking on a three-game road swing through the Okanagon next weekend.

Mounsey 'gone for good': Gassoff
November 8, 1998

For the Quesnel Millionaires, the fall of 1998 must be their winter of discontent.

On Thursday, Tyler Mounsey became the third player to leave Quesnel's local Junior A team in the wake of the firing of former head coach Barry Wolff.

"He's gone for good and he won't be back with this club," said new M's head coach Ken Gassoff Thursday afternoon, stating Mounsey wasn't up to his on-bench challenge in Tuesday night's game against Prince George to elevate his game.

The 5'10, 170 lb 19 year-old left Thursday for his Chetwynd home and was unavailable for comment.

The well-liked Mounsey, second in team scoring with 24 points in 18 games, joins Scott Ganes and Sam Miller as disgruntled ex-Millionaires.

The small, but fiesty Ganes, who wanted out of Quesnel long before Wolff was fired, and quit the club on October 26th, was dealt to Burnaby in a two-for-two swap with tough guy Dusty Leonhardt for forwards Nick Udovicic and Paul Kelley last week. Miller left Oct 28th to play in the USA based Frontier league two days after Gassoff replaced Wolff.

Millionaire fans looking for daylight soon may not see it, as more players are talking of leaving and the possibility of getting traded still hangs heavily.

Rumored next to be on the trading block is Gerald Overton. Quesnel's leading scorer with 28 points and team captain looks to be headed to Trail in a one-for-one swap with forward Dave Greenhalgh.

At 5-foot-9, 170 lbs. Greenhalgh (18g, 34a, 54 PIM last year), appears to be poured from the same mould as the 5-foot-10, 160 lb. 150 Mile House resident (16g, 19a, 35 PIM).

"I'd like for him to stay here and things work out. But if they don't, there's a possibility that we may trade him," said Gassoff.

As for Trail's point of view, head coach Dennis McKinnon said, "We'd definitely like to entertain offers for Greenhalgh. We'd definitely like to have a discussion with Quesnel and see where they're at with Overton."

McKinnon, who's team sports a poor 5-18 record and is in the same sub-500 boat with Quesnel, figures a trade between the two would be beneficial for both. "Both need a change. A good player movement might just do it and spark both teams to get that chemistry to click."

As far as Mounsey, Gassoff put out faxes around the league to let other teams know the three-year BCHL vet forward from Chetwynd is available for offers.

Vernon GM Troy Mick says although he's interested, he won't be one of the many bidding despite the fact Mounsey would be a solid addition. "He's a really good hockey player, but we'd have to give up something good to get something good. And thats not something I'm prepared to do right now."

However if the Mills were just interested in a straight cash deal, that would be different said Mick, as they'd be one of the first in line.

M's still lose despite big win
November 11, 1998

Merritt............1
Quesnel..........8

The Quesnel Millionaires are proving they can win on-ice battles. It's the off-ice stuff they're having problems with.

A sweet 8-1 victory Saturday night over the Merritt Centennials, a win that snapped a six-game losing streak, was overshadowed by sour news Sunday, as second year players Brendan Hutchinson and Dan Law announced their intentions to leave the local Junior A Hockey Team.

Hutchinson, an 18-year-old from Smithers, asked to be traded while Law, a 17-year-old local, says he's going to drop two levels and play for Quesnel's Midget Rep Team.

Coach Ken Gassoff says the club was looking to ship Hutchinson as quickly as possible, stating he had several offers on the table for the 6-foot, 185 lb blueliner.

Since former coach Barry Wolff and Assistant Al Novakowski were canned by president Kit Collins three Mondays ago, the number of player defections has risen to five.

Gassoff, who finally earned his first victory in four games behind the bench says his hands have been tied. Despite wanting to keep the roster as it was when he inherited the team on October 26th, the bench boss has been busy filling holes in his lineup after the parade of departures.

For example, his club played shorthanded Saturday night, as only 15 players - eight forwards, five D-men, plus netminders Dean Schultz and Seth Stetson suited up.

As for further player movement, Gassoff says this looks to be it. "I think we're pretty much set now," he said Tuesday. "The players who are here are dedicated to the team."

And they better be, as after Hutchinson gets traded the M's only have one more open card remaining, meaning they can sign only one more player from here on in. (Ed. error: one more 20-year old card and 4 more regular cards remain unsigned right now.)

Millionaires' brass tried pleading to BCHL officials for a few more cards, but were turned down.

"We had a league meeting Monday night and the BCHL wasn't prepared to give us any more cards," said Gassoff. "We're stuck with what we have for cards and the players we have."

Saturday's game was a one-sided contest, as despite icing only 15 players - a number that included goalies Dean Schultz and Seth Stetson - the M's dominated Merritt, both on the scoreboard and on the scoresheet.

Merritt Coach Eddy Beers called his team's effort "probably the worst performance by any hockey team that I've been involved with. What the reasons for that are, I'm quite frankly dumbfounded."

Blueliner David Ficenec opened the game's scoring early in the first, then set up forward Jason Maxwell 10 minutes later on the powerplay.

The locals followed up with a four-goal second period, then salted the game in the third with two more markers. Rob Lommer with two, Kevin Nelson, Gerald Overton, Ross Crawford, and recently-aquired Nick Udovicic rounded out Quesnel's goal scorers.

Both Maxwell and Overton put in strong performances as each had four point nights with one goal and three helpers.

Merritt's lone goal was notched midway through the second, as Ryan Minnabarriet managed to beat Schultz. Ex Spruce King and Langley Thunder D-man Jon Boh, who was much sought after by Quesnel last year, assisted.

A line-brawl that took place 13 seconds into the third in which Quesnel players dished out more than they received gave local fans something else to cheer about. Involved in fist-i-cuffs for the M's were Crawford, rookie Kyle Hickey, and Schultz, who left his crease and crossed the red line to tangle with his counterpart Pat Best.

Up next for Quesnel, who leapfrogged over Trail from last to fifth in Interior Division standings, is a three-game road trip. The M's will take on Vernon Thursday, Trail Friday, and Merritt Saturday.

Quesnel has yet to record a win against either Vernon (0-2) or Trail (0-1).

Kings and Vipers add to woes

November 15, 1998

Despite being located in the heart of British Columbia, the Quesnel Millionaires should relocate to the Lower Mainland.

During the 1998-99 BCHL season so far, Quesnel's junior A franchise has had more success against Coastal Division teams than against Interior Division opponents.

To date, barring Friday's and Saturday's games against Trail and Merritt respectively, the Millionaires are just 2-9 against division rivals. And that total includes Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Prince George and Thursday's 7-4 defeat in Vernon.

Versus Coastal Division squads, the M's are 4-7. Although not much better, the big difference comes in goals for and goals against, as they are a paltry 28-60 against the Interior while 49-69 versus Coastal Teams.

And while we're at it, it looks like the Mills should play all their games at home, as they're 4-6 in front of the faithful. On the road, where they've been outscored 31-75, Quesnel is a brutal 2-10.

Ex-Burnaby Bulldog Nick Udovicic notched two of Quesnel's goals for on the road, as he tallied a pair in the 7-4 loss to Vernon.

For the Vipers, who outshot Quesnel 28-21 and led 4-3 after two periods, Josh Reed had a three-point night, scoring twice, including the winner and helping on another.

In Tuesday's game, a contest Prince George led from beginning to end, Kelowna rookie Rob Lommer and grinding forward Ross Crawford managed to beat the Spruce Kings new netminder, Tyler Euverman, a 20-year-old call-up from junior B.

Before Friday night's six-game schedule, the M's and their 12 points were just one up on the sixth and last-place Trail Smoke Eaters. They trailed the fourth-place Merritt Centennials by eight points and third place Prince George Spruce Kings by 11. Leading the Interior are the Vernon Vipers, who had accumulated 40 points, nine more than the second-place Penticton Panthers.

Mills run dry on road swing

November 18, 1998

Winless was not how Quesnel Millionaires coach Ken Gassoff envisioned his team completing a three game road swing.

After shoring up his club with a series of trades and acquisitions to counteract the five players who left when ex-coach Barry Wolff was canned late last month, Gassoff believed his team was quite capable of winning at least one game.

However, his team let him down all three times, as Quesnel lost 7-4 to Vernon Thursday, 5-2 to Trail Friday and a 6-5 heartbreaker to Merritt Saturday. The M's now fall to 6-18 on the year, last in the Interior Division standings with just 12 points.

"The team played well," said Gassoff, who pointed out his team outshot both Trail and Merritt. "It's just that we didn't get the bounces and we had some very bad calls go against us."

In their final road swing game, the hometown Cents used a come-from-behind victory to snatch two points from the Millionaires.

Scoring for Quesnel in Trail were Nick Udovicic and Gerald Overton. In Merritt, Kevin Nelson, Overton, Brent Heaven, and newcomers Jesse Martini and Jake Ellingson. (Ed error, Nick Udovicic was a scorer in Merritt)

M's deal Mounsey, Hickey in two-for-two swap

November 18, 1998

With the slew of players who left when Ken Gassoff took over the Quesnel Millionaires reigns, it was only a matter of time before the clubs newest bench boss filled those empty positions.

And over the past week, Gassoff was busy on the phone wheeling and dealing players.

In a two-for-two swap, Gassoff sent disgruntled forward Tyler mounsey and rookie defenceman Kyle Hickey to Powell River for 6-foot-2 defenceman Dustin Frame and high-scoring sniper Casey Bartzen.

Although Powell River coach Mark Goble was more than happy with the trade, the deal really didn't work out for Quesnel, as Bartzen has refused to report and is still in Powell River.

The Kings, in turn, then shipped off Mounsey to Surrey for Brian Herbert and a player to be named later.

"I didn't get a good feeling from Tyler with the initial conversation I had with him," said Goble. "So in turn, we sent him to Surrey for what we thought was a pretty good deal for us."

Surrey coach Mark Holik states Mounsey will be a key additition, as he's put him on the number one line with the BCHL's leading point-getter, John McNabb.

"We've been looking for somebody to feed John the puck, and I think Tyler more than fits the description," said Holik.

As for Frame, Goble calls him a "hard-working, mobile defenceman who can move the puck."

Anothe newcomer is Jake Ellingson, a physical 6-foot-2, 215 pound 17 year-old who split time last year between Jr. B in Campbell River and Powell River.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Quesnel had just two cards remaining.

Speaking of cards, one was wasted on Jesse Martini, who had a short career with Quesnel. After reporting last week, Martini played just three games, then quit and left for the United States.

Gassoff benched for losing cool
By S. Paul Varga
Nov 18, 1998

The Quesnel Millionaires proved that Elton John knew what he was singing about in his song,"Saturday Night's all Right for Fighting."

Before the puck was even dropped in their weekend contest with the Merritt Centennials, the Millionaires were facing a two-man disadvantage after a fight broke out instigated by Quesnel's James Harding.

For the next 60 minutes, both teams stuck to playing hockey, but the minute the game was over, Quesnel returned to the rough stuff to work out their frustrations over losing their fourth in a row.

First, goaltender Seth Stetson threw his goalie stick at referee Mike Hicketts, whose back was turned when it was thrown, and received a game misconduct.

Next, both Stetson and M's blueliner David Ficenec chased down the Centennials as they were leaving the ice and met up with them in the tunnel to the dressing rooms. After a bit of pushing, nowhere near the level of fisticuffs that preceeded the game, Cents coach Ed Beers ordered his players into the dressing room and defused the situation.

One of the Quesnel players then started slamming a stick into the exit door of the tunnels. Arena worker and former Merritt coach Butch Tent said he heard the noise and went to check out the damage.

That appeared to upset Millionaires coach Ken Gassoff, who accosted Tent verbally. Security guards tried to defuse the situation, but the shouting match between Tent and Gassoff continued to escalate until a handful of Millionaires came out of their dressing room and suggested Tent should fight all of them.

The only person who seemed capable of putting an end to the entire situation was Cents general manager Ralph Stewart, a former 25-year RCMP member who stands well over 6 feet tall, who told the Security guard to leave, removing the focus of Gassoff's rage.

Then, he simply stood, calmly, and watched while Gassoff slowed to a simmer and went into the dressing room.

Tent said later he could understand Gassoff's frustration, after losing four in a row and having several players quit the team, but reiterated the coach had set a poor example for his players.

Both Stetson and coach Ken Gassoff received 10-minute game misconducts at the end of the game.

Merritt Match-up Revisited

Just thought I'd add my view on the Merritt matchup as a fan who saw the entire thing happen, for those of you who may be interested in a balanced article including two sides to the story.

Stetson did throw his stick at the referee in frustration, after the game ended . The final score was 6-5 for Merritt with the final goal being questionable from the eyes of the goaltender. The save had been made, and the puck froze for a good 3-4 seconds. When no whistle was blown, Stetson repositioned himself, assuming he obviously didn't have the puck frozen, or else the whistle would have been blown and play stopped. However, the puck then trickled across the line, and the goal stood.

As any one who has visited the Merritt arena is aware of, both teams have to exit the ice from the same doorway leading to each dressing room. As well, Merritt's team must leave the ice first, as they are closest to the exit. This prevents brawling from occuring as the visiting team exits (they would have to skate through the Centennials players if they left the ice first). However, it is then up to the Centennial players to go into their dressing room until the visiting team has made it to their dressing area. This did not happen. Centennial players were waiting after and were calling insults at the Millionaire players as they left the ice. A brief melee ensued, but while this was occuring, Mills coach Ken Gassoff was still on the ice having a discussion with the referee (which was where he was handed the Misconduct). He then hurried over to indeed break up the small group of players arguing, which was a lot more than the referee or linesmen did to help the situation.

This is not the first time that problems have been encountered in this area between the Centennials and their opposition. I believe that some changes need to be made to this area to discourage this behavior.

Split has M's Upbeat Bartzen impressive in Millionaire debut

November 25, 1998

A weekend homestand split has Quesnel Millionaire fans seeing daylight for the first time during the dark month of November.

An easy 4-2 Friday victory over the BC Hockey League's worst team, the Trail Smoke Eaters, was followed up by a hard-fought 5-2 Saturday loss to one of the league's top teams, the Penticton Panthers.

It wasn't that Quesnel lost for the sixth out of eight time this month, but rather how they dropped their game to Penticton that has fans upbeat, as the score didn't tell the true tale of the tape.

The M's outskated and outmuscled their smaller Penticton opponents for most of the game (an item they usually do for just one or two periods), but were thwarted by a red-hot rookie goaltender David Rathjen, who stopped several point-blank shots early on and prevented Quesnel from gaining any momentum.

Fans not only talked about Quesnel's new-found work ethic, but also of Casey Bartzen, who finally decided to report after being traded from Powell River to the M's two weeks ago.

Bartzen, the King's leading scorer with 41 points in 23 games before being dealt, put on a speed clinic over the weekend and impressed local fans.

Expecting to easily push Quesnel around, several Panthers were also impressed after being unable to.

"They're definitely a much better team than when we first played them," said Penticton blueliner Chad Deleeuw, a three year BCHL vet whose club pounded the M's 8-1 October 23rd. "They've definitely come a long ways since we last played them and I think they're going to improve a lot," he added.

Scoring for Quesnel Saturday night were Gerald Overton and Jason Maxwell. Tallying markers Friday night were Rob Simnor wih a pair while David Ficenec and Ross Crawford notched singles.

Up next are another pair of weekend homestands this Friday and Saturday, as the Mills host Merritt Friday and the expansion Burnaby Bulldogs Saturday.

Saturday's game is noteworthy, as it marks the return of disgruntled ex-Mill Scott Ganes, who asked to be traded from Quesnel in late October.

Rough stuff not expected in rematch: coach

November 25, 1998

The last time the Quesnel Millionaires and the Merritt Centennials met, the November 14th BCHL game was marred by a pregame brawl and a postgame hallway shouting match.

But according to Cents' assistant coach Mike Vandekamp, whose team plays in Quesnel on Friday night, the effects of that contest shouldn't spill over into their November 27th game.

"The game itself wasn't really that physical," said Vandekamp. "There were a couple of issues before and after the game, but there was no fights during the game, so I think everything was blown out of proportion."

Realizing Quesnel may want justice for their 6-5 loss in Merritt two weeks ago - a game the Cents won after scoring a powerplay goal with just seconds left after defenceman Craig Tresierra was handed a questionable boarding call - Vandekamp says its possible rough play may happen.

"It's hockey, and anything can happen. But we're going to approach the game in a disciplined way. This is an important two-game road swing for us, as Quesnel is the team right behind us and Prince George is the team right ahead of us. We need these points," he added, "so we're going to try and keep our noses clean."

Boileau feels game Needs Change
Finds Four-on-Four Enticing
By Dan Olson
November 20-26, 1998

Some may question Ron Boileau's status as a traditionalist, but none could disagree that he's an enthusiast when it comes to hockey.

The BCHL president is a proponent of both the old and new when it comes to the game, running the highest calibre circuit the past dozen years while owning perhaps the finest personal collection of memorabilia this side of the Ontario Shield. It's a sport which has become entangled with his heart, even though the guy with the French-Canadian name never played it.

Still, there are some who heard his recent proposal to put the skill back into hockey and wondered just what kind of glue he's been inhaling.

"I'm as strong a traditionalist as anybody else but what I see now is we've got a boring hockey game and we've got to fix that," Boileau says.

Check out the NHL stats and you can see signs of what he's saying - only one player topped 100 points last year, while there are more 0-0 ties in the first month of the NHL's play than you ever got in a full season back in the day's of hockey's hey day.

Of course, every generation could debate just when the glorious period took place, but many would agree the game started its glacial shift to favour mass over 'speed' mites when the Philadelphia Flyers turned up the notch of thuggery in the mid-70s.

Suddenly, scouts started talking of 'Big strapping young potential' instead of 'he's got the wheels of a Camille Henry or an Yvan Cournoyer'. Randy Newman's song 'Short People' became less satire than fact, and the NHL is a living model of that.

Over the past year, the debate has grown as to what is wrong with Canadian Hockey; why are fewer and fewer kids picking up the basic skills and how come the top of the NHL scoring list always starts with a foreign name? Let's not mix this up with Don Cherry's kind of xenophobia - the sport is definitely better for the presence of the Jaromir Jagrs and Teemu Selannes - but our home and native land somehow isn't cutting it. Why were there only three Canadians in the top 10 last year, and what does that tell us of the 'state of our game?'

Having thought about it, and weighed different ideas, Boileau has taken a page from the past and flown up a flag on the idea of creating space for the development of more ice artists, giving the players more room on the ice to play.

His revolutionary idea would reduce the number of skaters to four per team, creating ice that has been slowly crowded out by larger and faster players over the past 15 years, opening room for the Paul Kariyas and Pavel Bures to dash and dazzle the fans.

Boileau says that the physical changes to athletes in recent decades is clogging out the element of skill, especially in the tight confines of a 200' by 85' table of action. And his idea has merit, he thinks, because it's a step which has been taken before. In its original state, hockey was designed for six skaters plus a goaltender.

"They started with six skaters, with a rover back in those days," he notes, stretching back to the days when the guy on your five-dollar bill was prime minister and a car was some form of fanciful machine for the well to do. In the early part of this century teams had three forwards, a rover, a point and a counterpoint protecting their goaltenders.

Players didn't average 6'2" then like they do today. A guy like Cyclone Taylor, the World War I veteran with wiry wheels for skates, made the position of rover an art form, flying past the opposition like a hawk. Eventually the NHL removed that psition and no one ever thought much about it. But the BCHL president thinks it's time to take it another step.

He's not proposing that his league make the radical move. The leaders in this arena have to be in the professional ranks and at the top.

"I literally was looking at the NHL when I said it," Boileau says of a recent interview on a BCTV sportscast. "It's got to start at the NHL, that's the seed I was trying to plant."

Getting two teams to just try going four-on-four in an exhibition game would be his local goal, and Langley Hornets' coach Rick Lanz suggested he'd like to look at it. Finding another club, Boileau notes, to join in the fun experiment is another thing altogether.

"The game has changed so much, players are so much bigger and they are so much faster than before...If you look at every measured sport, there have been enormous differences in what was standard 20 years ago to today."

Chilliwack Chiefs owner Al Brew was a champion swimmer back in his youth, but today his time wouldn't qualify him for the women's team, Boileau says. A team of hockey scientists studied tapes of the old firewagon Montreal Canadiens from the '60s, and matching the speed of that game then with the level of today resulted in comparisons to the bantam age group.

"I look more at the fact in Canadian hockey, that we are not developing players with skills. I think four-on-four would bring out the best skaters and the best stick handlers and thats the exciting part of the game we should be trying to develop."

He points to the North Ontario Junior Hockey League as a circuit that is trying something new to open up the game. Their five minute overtime involves teams dropping a player as each minute passes by: four-on-four at the fourth minute, three-on-three at the third, etc. Boileau is curious to know how that is going over.

Getting the US run NHL to change its ways isn't likely, he admits. It took them years to adapt to a five-minute overtime period, even though fans were clamouring for a little dash of excitement. Even today, the majority of games that go into extra time result in a stalemate. The most logical step would be to do what the BCHL does - go to a shootout - but "traditionalists' and the bean counters aren't buying it, despite advocates like Harry Neale.

In his own circuit, resistance was instant once he pitched his idea. But that didn't phase the easy-going hockey fan. He notes his favorite building to watch a league game is South Surrey with its Olympic-sized ice, 200' by 100', where kids can skate end to end if they've got the wheels. Places like Merritt and Vernon, where the ice surface is 180' by 80', an end-to-end means brushing past the Zamboni driver on the way to squeezing by the benches. But seven of the league's facilities are listed as being smaller than the regulation 200' by 85' measurement, so change can only make sense if you are talking players, not buildings.

"It's not that easy to come up with something that is new," Boileau says. "It's going to be a hard sell."

To alter our country's birthright seems blasphemy, until you realize the loudest proponents for the status quo are people like blowhard Don Cherry. Despite dropping attendance and low TV ratings, the NHL is taking a timid view as to change, dickering with the lines and adding another body (the second referee) to the ice.

If fans are actually happy with the dump-it-in, forecheck-to-death style of play, that's waht they've got. It doesn't seem to sell so well in North Carolina, however, and even Vancouver is withholding some of its enthusiasm. Boileau just wants someone to think about his idea. Finding a buyer, however, is the problem.

Extra player cards may be on horizon for Mills

November 29, 1998

The Quesnel Millionaires have an outside shot of getting their Christmas wish of receiving extra player cards. But, much like those who overuse their credit cards during the holiday season, it may wind up costing them.

The BC Hockey League is sending out a league-wide questionnaire on whether or not teams want the option of buying one or two extra player cards for the remainder of the 1998-99 season. An inside source expects the cost per card to hover between $500 and $1000.

The questionnaire comes at the request of the Millionaires, who suffered a large, five-player defection in late October and early November that decimated the club's ranks when management fired former coach Barry Wolff and assistant coach Al Novakowski.

Of the 30 cards they began the season with, the M's quickly found themselves gobbling up their surplus cards at a frenzied rate to fill their vacant holes.

The end result of filling those positions left new coach Ken Gassoff's hands tied as to future player movement as he now has only one card left.

This means Gassoff can't afford to deal or trade for a future prospect, as the player might not work out or fit the team, resulting in a waste of the card.

"With our one card left, it has to be a for-sure player," said team president Kit Collins.

Earlier this month, the Mills approached the BC Hockey League and pleaded for more cards. The motion was quickly and unanimously turned down. (Internet Editor's note: the motion was not unanimously turned down; the vote was 8 against and 6 for.)

Undaunted, management asked again later in the month. Unlike the first response, the second was greeted with a warmer response, as BCHL president Ron Boileau agreed to send out a league-wide questionnaire.

As of Friday morning, Boileau said nothing has been passed yet as to whether or not Quesnel will receive extra cards, stating "things are still preliminary and everything is still being worked on."

Collins hopes the decision comes fairly quickly, as the December 1st deadline of having a maximum 21 carded players is quickly and rapidly approaching. Currently, the M's have 19 carded players on their roster.

"This just isn't a Millionaires problem, it's a league problem,' said Collins, "as each year, at least one team is in trouble with their cards. If we did get the extra two cards, it would allow us some movement."

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Gold Nuggets The Twin Arenas will literally be rocking this weekend when the M's host Merritt Friday and Burnaby Saturday thanks to a new sound system.