FILLING THE VOID

It’s difficult to put a value on one win in the history of a hockey franchise, but to an expansion team the importance of a single key victory might be immeasurable. As the newest member of the Winnipeg U17 AAA Hockey League, the Westman Ice Bandits’ victory in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series could ultimately have more historical significance than simply pushing this start-up organization into the next round of the playoffs. The thrilling series clincher in Steinbach back on March 1, against the Eastman Selects may have also cemented the program’s existence. “That win was huge,” said Erich Hoemsen, who is both an assistant coach with the Ice Bandits and co-manager of the team with Alison Swereda. Both are also parents of players on the team and were instrumental in providing the vision and administrative energy to get the Westman program operational for this past season. “It’s a huge step for the future of U17 AAA hockey in our area and probably solidifies the fact that it continues next year,” said Hoemsen. “And it proves how needed this program is – not only outside the Perimeter Highway – but also west of Brandon.” As the seventh team in a league that also includes three Winnipeg teams (Bruins, Thrashers and Wild) along with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Interlake Lightning and Eastman, the Ice Bandits have provided a competitive environment for kids in an expansive catchment – an environment that will further their AAA careers. “Previously, if a player graduating the U15 AAA Yellowhead Chiefs or Southwest Cougars programs didn’t make the jump to either of the two regional U18 AAA teams the following year, there was only one option to fall back to and that was high school,” said Swereda. “And the difficulty there is several high school programs in the area are already pushing beyond the limits of manageable roster sizes.” That void was a crack in the system that both Hoemsen and Swereda felt needed to be filled. And that alone provided the impetus to create the Bandits program that encompasses practically all of southwest Manitoba and has players travelling upwards of 90 minutes or more on the highway to practice in either Oak Lake or the team’s home arena in Elkhorn. “I don’t know where these 18 players would have played if this team wasn’t here,” said Hoemsen, who owns and operates H&S Repairs, a mobile glass repair and replacement business out of Virden. “To me, that was the biggest push to have this team. There needs to be options. And this is a great option.” When team formation was finalized last fall, the Ice Bandits were a collection of players who weren’t too familiar with one another. But as this past winter progressed, the team gelled together nicely. “It’s probably the closest knit group I’ve ever been part of in boys’ hockey,” said Hoemsen, who will have only four players graduating out of the program this season in what was a predominately 2007-born roster. In their inaugural season, the Ice Bandits concluded with an 8-23-2-3 record and some notable individual contributions. In fact, forward Tyson Draper finished second overall in league scoring with 25 goals and 58 points in 34 games. However, the true validation for the program came in that first-round playoff series victory before they bowed out in the next round to the eventual league champions, the Winnipeg Bruins. “With any expansion team your goals are different,” says Swereda, the vice-director of development with Yellowhead Hockey and a financial planner with RBC in Shoal Lake. “Truly, it’s gone very well. It’s definitely a feeder system, but the overall goal was to get more kids playing hockey. To me, it was important for the region.” Forming a new team can be a difficult challenge. And it was no different for those trying to spearhead the Ice Bandits’ franchise more than 12 months ago. There were obstacles, opposition voices and logistics to overcome. But in the end, Westman received full approval and acceptance from the Winnipeg AAA Council into its U17 AAA league. The organizers eventually cleared other obstacles within their own region to move forward. Those hurdles included finding an arena to call home. The town of Elkhorn stepped up in that regard and has embraced the team in what Hoemsen refers to as “one of the best hockey towns” in the province. “It didn’t come easy,” he said. “But we never gave up.” In addition to providing a quality, high-level opportunity for 15- and 16-year-old hockey players, the Ice Bandits are also fostering the characteristics of commitment, hard work and teamwork. They also focus on developing young people for life after the game. As Hoemsen puts it: “We’re teaching more than the score.” As mentioned, Swereda and Hoemsen both had boys playing on the Westman team this season. However, their desire to formulate a U17 AAA team in the area and pursue the venture was never self-serving. Far from it. Both agree the legacy of their hard work to get the program up and running will hopefully be long lasting. And generations of kids in the two areas will have another option to continue in the game long after their boys age out. “There is a gap between U15 and U18 that has been filled,” said Hoemsen. “It’s a developmental team and program. Our objective is to advance every kid to the next level.” And while both Hoemsen and Swereda led the charge in getting the Ice Bandits to fruition, as you might expect from the small town, rural areas the team draws from, the daily operation of the team has been a community undertaking. Many other individuals have helped out in countless ways, including game-day assignments at home games, fundraising and even social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. “It’s been a true team effort, not only from the players but the parents as well,” said Hoemsen. “This team has been the most enjoyable team that I’ve been part of. And that includes the parents.” Adds Swereda: “The feedback has been great. They’re excited and people out here feel their kids can have a choice on where they want to go.” What the Ice Bandits program has achieved in its first season has not gone unnoticed across the southern half of the province. In fact, there’s been an expression of interest from the Central Plains region to perhaps include a U17 AAA program in that area, too. If so, the model for doing it efficiently is right next door – just a little to the west.