On Dec. 9, it appeared that the Saddle Lake Warriors would be suspended for the remainder of the 2017-18 NEAJBL season. But on Tuesday, that suspension was lifted in an act of faith and trust on behalf of the Jr. B league.
The NEAJBHL has a bylaw that states that every team must have at least 10 skaters and a goalie at the start of each game. This rule serves two purposes: to provide the teams that play each other with an equal footing, and to protect the players taking the ice every night.
If a team violates this bylaw five times in a single season, they are automatically suspended for the remainder of the season in which the violations occur. And two weeks ago, in a road game against the Lloydminster Bandits, the Saddle Lake Warriors violated the minimum skater bylaw for the fifth time this season, surrendering to the automatic season-long suspension.
“It's been a tough year, as far as finding skaters goes,” said Saddle Lake Warriors coach Mike Clague, just one day before the suspension was triggered. “We know that we aren't the top choice and that lots of guys would rather play elsewhere. That's a struggle that we'll just have to sort out.”
The NEAJBHL called an emergency meeting to discuss the Warriors’ suspension last week. League president Mark Hines explained that in the meeting, the other teams in the league elected to give the Warriors one last chance to save their season.
“Technically, yes, the Warriors did violate the bylaw for the fifth time against Lloydminster last week,” Hines said. “But it was clear to us that, on at least three of the five occasions, the Warriors did have an acceptable number of skaters for the majority of the game; they just weren't ready to skate right on time. So, the other teams decided that the Warriors could have one more chance to prove that they're able to put an appropriate number of skaters on the ice, night in and night out.”
During their abbreviated suspension period, the Warriors missed two games, one on the road against Cold Lake and one at home against Vegreville. Those games will be rescheduled and played at a later date. However, should the Warriors fail to adhere to the minimum skater bylaw during a single game for the remainder of the season, the original suspension will be upheld and the team will forfeit the right to play any more games until the 2018-19 season.
“The league doesn't want to be down a team,” Hines said. “The other teams have been very gracious in offering them this arrangement, and now they have to prove themselves.”
The Warriors got back on the ice on Dec. 15, losing to the Frog Lake T-Birds in Saddle Lake, by a score of 8-5. The Warriors also took on Killam over the weekend, falling by score of 9-4.
The Warriors and St. Paul Canadiens will meet up in St. Paul on Dec. 23 at 8 p.m.
