Vees coach riled up over rumours
Harbinson takes to Twitter to assure doubters BCHL will be back in action next season
Teams from rival leagues are apparently trying to take advantage of the B.C. Hockey League since it opened up about asking for government assistance.
Penticton Vees general manager and coach Fred Harbinson says he was so frustrated with prospective players and college coaches revealing they’re hearing the BCHL won’t return next season that he felt obligated to fire back on Twitter.
Harbinson says it started three weeks ago after BCHL commissioner Chris Hebb went public about asking for provincial and possibly federal financial aid with teams losing money as a result of the coronavirus shutdown.
Hebb never suggested the league as a whole was in jeopardy. He said that there might be teams in trouble, but was quick to point out that no club has told him that they won’t be ready to go for next season.
Harbinson wouldn’t point fingers at exactly who might be trying to spread word that the entire BCHL is in harm’s way, but it’s no secret the league has long duelled with the U.S. Hockey League for players. That 16-team loop, based largely in the American Midwest, launched its two-day entry draft on Monday. There’s also the 26-team North American Hockey League, which has franchises in places like Alaska, Minnesota, Texas and New Jersey.
Seven of the BCHL’s top-20 scorers during the regular season were Americans.
On Saturday afternoon, Harbinson tweeted: “Attention advisers, scouts, coaches. No need to call and ask if the BCHL is planning to play this fall — WE ARE! Our commish was simply trying to see what gov’t funding was available for our business; leagues or teams that tell you they know the exact start date are simply lying.”
It was Harbinson’s first tweet since setting up his Twitter account in May 2017.
The BCHL account followed him up 52 minutes later: “As much as other leagues wish it were true, the demise of the BCHL is only in their imaginations. We will be playing hockey as soon as we are cleared to play. See you all soon!”
Harbinson maintains it wasn’t an orchestrated counter-strike.
“I didn’t know the league was going to do something too,” Harbinson said later.
“I felt it was something that I had to do. I was hearing about it on a daily basis.
“The bottom line is that we want to play. As soon as we’re allowed to play, we will play. The league is looking at different opportunities to help with funding. That’s all. We’re certainly not lying down. The BCHL has been around for a long time. The Penticton Vees have been around for a long time. We all plan to be around for a lot longer, too.”
Harbinson said he doesn’t begrudge whomever is causing problems for the BCHL, saying that he understands that recruiting players is a “continual arms race.”
He was an assistant coach and lead recruiter at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota before joining the Vees for the 2007-08 season, and he’s shown an ability to bring in talent from various locales. When Penticton won the Royal Bank Cup national championship in 2012, their roster featured eight players from Minnesota.
Harbinson did take a small poke at the USHL, pointing out the proximity of a Tyson Foods meat-packing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, that’s drawn considerable attention due to a COVID-19 outbreak, to the arena of the Waterloo Black Hawks.
“You can see the plant from the rink,” he said.
According to Google Maps, they’re an eight-minute drive apart.
Hebb couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday but he did post a letter on the BCHL’s website.
In it, he stated the league has reached out to the provincial government, and explained that “these discussions have been positive so far and are ongoing.”
He added this: “This call for financial support has also, unfortunately, led to some talk at various levels that the B.C. Hockey League is somehow in danger of not returning next season. This is entirely false. As we’ve mentioned in previous communications, the BCHL will be back on the ice as soon as we get the go-ahead from Hockey Canada and the provincial health authorities.
“The idea behind our call for financial support is to address the losses that our teams have incurred before they become a major problem down the road. Like everyone else, we eagerly await the day that we can return to the ice in a safe manner.”
Teams throughout the BCHL are acting like they’re prepping to play next season.
The Cowichan Capitals, for instance, named Geoff Grimwood as their GM and coach on Monday. He replaced Mike Vandekamp, who parted ways with the Capitals and signed on as GM and coach of the Alberta league’s Grand Prairie Storm.
The bottom line is that we want to play. As soon as we’re allowed to play, we will play.”
Fred Harbinson