Warriors’coach steps down on eve of season
Resignation described as an amicable parting
The Daily Courier
The most successful coach in the history of the West Kelowna Warriors has resigned one day before the start of the 2018-19 hockey season.
Rylan Ferster, whose resume includes a 2016 national championship, has quit the team even though he has no other immediate hockey job.
“It’s just the right time for me to leave,” Ferster, who was also the Warriors’ general manager, said Tuesday. He declined to elaborate on specific reasons for his departure. “It was definitely an amicable parting,” he said. “I’m leaving on good terms with the team, which in this business so many times is not the case.”
New team owner Kim Dobranski said he was surprised by Ferster’s resignation. “We would have been committed to Rylan for as long as he wanted to be here,” Dobranski said.
Dobranski said his understanding was that Ferster wanted to spend more time with his family, and was becoming exhausted with the demands of the long schedule.
“We’re disappointed Rylan has resigned, but that’s the nature of the business. People come and people go,” said Dobranski, whose purchase of the team from former owner Mark Cheyne was confirmed just a few days ago by the B.C. Hockey League.
Ferster’s record over seven years with the Warriors was 210-150-35.
As well as winning the national championship two years ago, the Warriors finished second in the BCHL Interior Division three times.
Dobranski believes Ferster had the idea of resigning on his mind “for some time”, but stayed as long as he did because he wanted to help the club assemble a competitive team for the upcoming season.
The pre-season starts tonight with the Warriors hosting the Penticton Vees at Royal LePage Place.
“Rylan put a lot of work into ensuring we have a strong team this year,” Dobranski said. “He and I spoke together to a group of our core players. It was a sad day for many of them, but there was also an understanding that sometimes these things happen.” Geoff Grimwood has been promoted to the interim head coach and general manager.
“The most important thing to me was having the support and encouragement of Rylan to take the job,” Grimwood said in a statement issued by the team. “I am disappointed not to be able to work with Rylan but am excited to build on the culture, success, and tradition he has built in West Kelowna.” Grimwood, 37, joined the Warriors’ staff earlier this off-season, hired on July 3 to be Ferster’s associate head coach and assistant general manager. The Victoria native spent the last three seasons as the bench boss with the Kindersley Klippers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, helping them to a 79-82-8-5 record and playoff berths in each of his three years there.
Esks’ QB Reilly and Rider teammates earn awards
TORONTO — Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly and Saskatchewan defensive back Nick Marshall and receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert are the CFL’s top performers for Week 10.
Reilly had 424 passing yards while completing 88.5 per cent of his passes in the Eskimos’ 40-24 win over visiting Montreal on Saturday.
The CFL’s reigning most outstanding player threw for three touchdowns and ran in another.
Marshall scored two TDs as Saskatchewan beat Calgary 40-27 on Sunday to hand the visiting Stampeders their first loss of the season.
The defensive back scored one on a 67-yard interception return and another on a three-yard run, while Williams-Lambert racked up 152 receiving yards in the Roughriders’ win.
Punter Jon Ryan to sign with NFL’s Buffalo Bills
It didn’t take Jon Ryan long to find a new home.
According to a source, the Regina-born punter has agreed to terms with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. The move comes a day after the Seattle Seahawks released Ryan after 10 seasons.
Ryan’s time in Seattle appeared to be up when Michael Dickson was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft.