All they need are a few good men and women.
As the Cochrane Generals march into their 2015-16 Heritage Junior Hockey League season, opportunities and sponsorships to help the team succeed are available.
Starting her fourth season as general manager, Jacqueline Hurlbert is confident Cochrane will get behind its premiere hockey team. Volunteers and sponsors are the backbone of the community-based club coached, and led, by volunteers including Hurlbert. While tasks like ticket-selling, running the penalty box, scorekeeping and announcing may seem insignificant to some, the game-night positions are pivotal to the overall success of the club. Spots are available for 19 regular-season games Gens host at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre Totem 1 Arena. Gens first home game goes Oct. 2.
“As of right now, during exhibition season, our board does a great job and helps out,” she says of volunteer board members, including herself and former GM Randy Schmautz, who make preseason game nights happen. Hurlbert was in charge of the visitor’s penalty box at the Sept. 20 exhibition game vs. visiting Strathmore. Schmautz worked the home team’s gate and Dave Brown manned the scoresheet.
Arena announcer Rome Awed was back at his post in the booth, but he won’t be available to call all home games.
All were busy, as players literally fought for roster spots in the final preseason game for both clubs. There were three fights and several off-setting roughing calls to go along with the numerous garden-variety minor infractions on the night. “They (board members) do a great job helping us out with that,” Hurlbert says. “The rest of the season, it’s parents of players who help. And we have a great couple of gals from Scotiabank who come out and volunteer with us.”
Hockey dads like Brown, Jim Robinson and Todd Keller man the score-keeper’s and penalty boxes on regular-season game nights.
“Our parents are awesome,” Hurlbert relates. “They’re back, and I want to leave before they are gone,” she laughs.
“Usually the hardest one to fill is the admission table,” she continues. “Usually our moms do it. It’s not just a woman’s job, but usually our moms are the ones who do that one.”
When Hurlbert’s in a game-night crunch, she calls in her mom and friends to help out.
“What we’re really looking for is just to kind of grow it so people don’t feel like they have to do it every game,” she says. “They can then enjoy it from the stands as a parent because it is junior hockey.
“So if there are high school kids looking for volunteer hours or if there is somebody just looking to help out in the community, we are definitely open to that.”
The team’s key sponsorship spots are also available. While groups like Lafarge Concrete, Sunset Ridge, Bon Ton Meat Market, Scotiabank Group, Cochrane Movie House, Galleon Well Servicing, Slimdor Contracting and Image Auto Body are listed as major sponsors on the Generals website, there is always room for more.
Like everything else, the cost of running a junior B hockey team isn’t getting any cheaper.
“Every year the ice fees are going up. Every year the reffing fees are going up,” Hurlbert relates. “We’re looking at probably $300 per game for referees. It’s tough, especially with the way the economy is right now. I get that it’s tight. We have sponsorships from $500 all the way up to $5,000, there’s a range for people to get involved.”
Or you can help with Generals team gear. Hockey gloves and equipment bags are on the Gens wish list to start the season.
And if you think the team isn’t working hard, be sure to check out the new dressing room when it’s finished. In between training-camp sessions, head coach Evan McFeeters was spied in the room with power tools in a bid to improve the team’s surroundings. It’s a community team effort. And the greater the community effort, the greater the team.
To join the Generals campaign, visit cochranegenerals.com for more information.
