ESSO CUP WIN CAPS REBELS' MEMORABLE SEASON
Team stayed focused after suspension of former coach, says Darrell Davis.
Kim Perepeluk doesn't want the story to be about him. And of course it shouldn't solely be about the head coach who took over the Regina Rebels under unusual circumstances and led them to the Esso Cup national championship for under-18 female hockey teams.
It's primarily about a team of mature, focused young women — girls, according to their ages, who play in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League — dealing with an unexpected situation and relying on each other to win Regina's first title in four Esso Cup appearances. How did they do it?
“Positivity,” said Rebels forward Berlin Lolacher, who scored 10 goals during seven tournament games, including a tally in Saturday's 2-1, gold-medal victory against the North York (Ont.) Storm.
“It wasn't really that much of a change. We came together as a group and we realized that we needed to. It was more team-bonding in a way and the coaches really insisted on that.”
So in addition to the offensive firepower supplied by Lolacher and tournament MVP Stryker Zablocki, the defensive leadership provided by captain Brooklyn Nimegeers, the clutch saves by goalie Hannah Tresek and an all-in roster, it does filter back to Perepeluk and assistants Laurie Alexander, Kelsie Graham, Rod Houk and Kai Leggott.
After returning home from a draining, game-a-day week in Vernon, B.C., Perepeluk thanked Hockey Regina for the opportunity, plus he praised the players and assistant coaches when asked how the Rebels overcame a firestorm of innuendo, unwanted attention and social media criticism that followed a Hockey Canada suspension to former coach Mike Merk.
The specific, third-party complaint against Merk was never revealed, though team sources said it was a communication issue. A subsequent investigation by Hockey Saskatchewan proved
the suspension was unwarranted. Though the whole scenario was unfair to Merk, Hockey Regina kept Perepeluk in place for the remainder of the season.
“Unfortunately, or fortunately, it should have always been just about the kids,” said Perepeluk, who had coached the Rebels before Merk and was recruited as an emergency replacement. “It was never about the change and it was never about us.
“We were going to do whatever we can to help them be successful. If that meant making changes, we were going to make changes. Our job as coaches is to make those decisions. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. We were open and transparent and certainly the girls respected those things.”
Hockey Regina is seeking a Rebels coach for 2024-25. Perepeluk was asked if he would be interested. It truthfully would be hard to hire anyone else after such a season.
“We seem to have a bad connection here,” Perepeluk said with a laugh. “I don't hear a buzzer, so I'm still alive, aren't I?”
The Rebels were atop the regular-season standings with one game remaining when Merk was replaced. They subsequently won two league playoffs and the West championship, sweeping two games in Winnipeg, and were on a 26-game winning streak when they lost their Esso Cup opener, 7-6 in overtime to North
York. They had to regroup if they were going to improve on last year's bronze medals, won by 12 returnees.
“We understood we didn't have to win all our (round robin) games but you've gotta win the right games,” said Perepeluk.
“We built a currency in our group by keeping everyone involved, by playing all four lines. It certainly helped us towards the end of the week.”
Regina won three of five preliminary games to place second in the six-team standings before beating the host Thompson-okanagan Lakers 4-1 in a semifinal.
We were going to do whatever we can to help them be successful.
If that meant making changes, we were going to make changes.
Throughout the Rebels' long playoff run there were changes to their power play and penalty killing strategies, top players like Zablocki and Lolacher were put on different units to balance the scoring and the coaches spoke repeatedly about on-ice discipline. There were video sessions and discussions about the road ahead continually getting tougher.
During the tournament there were team outings, such as hiking at a nearby lake, plus a focus on hydrating and resting for the gruelling schedule. And afterward there was a team party at Boston Pizza.
“When we won provincials, I first thought we might have a chance (to win the Esso Cup),” said Lolacher, who has another year of eligibility with the Rebels. “But truly, the real moment I thought of it was when the buzzer was counting down because you can't take any team lightly.
“You have to expect the unexpected.”