by Curtis J. Phillips, Keyano Sports Information Officer, ACAC Sports Writer

11/04/2011...Lac la Biche, Alberta - If Portage Voyageurs men’s hockey coach Terry Ewasiuk were to give Keyano Huskies men’s hockey coach Paul Strand a few words of advice on building a brand new program, it would be to have the players “confirmed and committed.”

Ewasiuk started the Voyageurs program in 2008-2009 to round out the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men’s hockey to its present eight teams. The Voyageurs finished their inaugural season with nine wins and 19 losses.

The Huskies, out of Fort McMurray, will join the ACAC men’s hockey program this fall with Strand at the helm for 2011-2012.

Ewasiuk said the key in building a new team is, “to get your name out there be it Junior B or Junior A or Western Hockey League or even pro. Contacting as many coaches and General Managers out there to let them know that they are a new program in the ACAC and looking for new players.”

Ewasiuk said with Internet and “in today’s world, you can do a lot without traveling, which is usually restricted to your budget. But you still have to do your homework.”

The hockey network is also key.

“No doubt Paul has built his contacts over the years. You have to have people you trust who will scout for you and you have to rely on them in what they are telling you about the prospective player is true. I average between 50 to 100 players a year talking to and I am lucky if I can get 15 players out of that.”

The fact that Fort McMurray has a Junior A franchise with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, is also a plus for Strand says Ewasiuk.

“You have a Junior A team right there in your own backyard, so you may go out and scout when the other (Alberta Junior Hockey League) teams come to town. But we are all competing for basically the same players coming out of Western Canada.”

While many of the top Junior A players “are looking for Division I – II or III teams in the states with a lot also coming to the ACAC,” it has been extra hard to attract WHL players to some of the smaller ACAC colleges surmises Ewasiuk.

“If the WHL player doesn’t make pro he will look at university rather than college.”

When Ewasiuk first arrived in Lac la Biche, he was unable to attract Junior A graduates – “my entire team were Junior B players” – but now has a roster full of such. He believes that Fort McMurray will have no problem in attracting Junior A graduates due to its population, size and what the college has to offer.

Of his own team this season, only one win in eight games, “We are not doing well as we hoped. We have been devastated by injuries...a lot of ankle injuries for some reason…we have seven regular starters out of the line-up Our skill is the best we have ever had and now we just need to get healthy. We are moving in the right direction.”

He says Strand is probably working on a deadline right now as “You have to have your guys in place by spring for the most part confirmed and committed .”