Rob Murray: I’m speaking with Canmore Eagles Head Coach/GM Andrew Milne. How are you doing today?

Andrew Milne: Great Rob, thanks. It’s been a long time.

RM: Yeah, it has been a while. I’m actually thinking back to March and that last playoff game you played against the Camrose Kodiaks. It was the end of the Eagles season. Who knew it would be the last game played in the AJHL at all that season? It’s kind of surreal to think about.

AM: It was kind of unique, Rob. We got word just before the game started that things were escalating quickly and that we might be shut down, and we had that sort of mindset at the time that, hey, this might be the last game played. Things have definitely been a challenge and unique, but the good news I keep saying is we’re all in this together.

RM: Totally. Normally, at this time of year, this would be right around the time you’d be having your home opener or beginning the regular season. Things are changing on that front too. What is this development season that the AJHL is doing?

AM: Under Alberta Health regulations we’re obviously not allowed to play games and have people in the facilities. The players still need to develop and still need to maintain their skills. What we’ve gone ahead with is an idea that we’re going to bring in the players and continue to develop them, and sort of wait it out to see what transpires from here. Hopefully, in the event we’re able to play games here towards the end of the year, we’re ready to go.

RM: How are the players taking this? I mean, for some of them this is supposed to be their last season in the AJHL and they’re hunting for a scholarship. Obviously that final season is really disrupted.

AM: It’s stressful. I mean, you look at guys like Zach Carlson and Mike Spafford that have put in a lot of time and effort and energy into their goals and getting to where they want to get to. That’s stressful for those guys and I feel for them. They’re putting in a lot of effort to be ready to go when we get the green light and they have so much desire to move on and further their careers. Right now we’re just sort of at a standstill so that’s hard on those kids. It’s been pretty stressful having those conversations with the kids about the what ifs. The problem is we play the what if game too much and it’s becoming a bit of a challenge.

RM: As part of this development season, will the guys get a chance to play against other teams?

AM: Right now, no. The cohorting system is under 50. We’re working with Alberta Health to see if we can increase that cohorting to a larger number and that would allow us to play some exhibition games against other clubs, but there’ll be a lot of internal competition and there’ll be a lot of challenging each other within our own group.

RM: Is there a tentative start to when a regular season might happen?

AM: The AJHL hasn’t put out a date, and I think that’s smart in the sense that we want to be prepared when things happen as opposed to just sort of throwing a number out there. December 4th has been thrown around a bunch in other leagues, and really it’s just a date. Our league is ready to go as soon as we get word from Alberta Health that these numbers have increased. I mean, we’re a fan based league. We need what we call bums in the seats in order to survive financially. Without that number it’s going to be very difficult for us to operate, but we want to be ready when the go-ahead happens.

RM: Another challenge the Canmore Eagles have every season, even when it’s a regular season, is trying to find billet homes for the players. It’s even more challenging in a year like this. Have you been able to secure some places for the players to stay?

AM: Yeah, Rob, that is a challenge. We understand the housing market here in Canmore and what it’s all about. This year is obviously unique in that there’s some uncertainty with the players and COVID-19, and that’s been a challenge. What we were able to do with a great partner of ours up in Silvertip, which helped us host the annual golf tournament last week, they’ve now taken a little bit of a burden off our shoulders and allowed us to use some of their staff accommodation. Unfortunately, right now we sit with about 12 guys needing to go up to Silvertip, so our plan for the development season is to bring the players in until October 16th. We’ll send them home, and then we have a little bit of time before the start of the season when we bring our players back where we’re going to have to secure some more billets. But, for the month, we’re set up with some great billet families and our community partner at Silvertip has really allowed us the opportunity to put on this development season.

RM: How about the financials? Has this put you guys in any kind of precarious position?

AM: I think it puts junior hockey as a whole in a very precarious situation. The model right now for the development season is a pay-to-play model where the players have to fund the program. It doesn’t change much from the players’ side because they’re currently paying some developmental fees wherever they live, to their gyms, their ice, and their trainers. Then as we progress into hopefully game play, and we get some sponsorship and people coming into the buildings, we can figure out budgeting for that and try to make that number doable. That’s something that junior hockey is going to be challenged with all year, because it’s not just the Canmore Eagles, it’s everywhere across the country that’s facing this.

RM: One final question I wanted to ask, and that’s about the departure of Assistant Coach and GM Evan McFeeters. It’s big news for him career wise, but that must be a tough blow to the Eagles organization.

AM: Yeah, Evan was such a big part of our group for the last number of years and he helped build the program to where it is. At the end of the day the economics of the situation crept in. I’m real happy that Evan was able to secure something a little more stable than we were able to provide right now. He wants to advance in his career as well and eventually move on to the head coaching position, and I think for him it was an opportunity as a stepping stone in a development season. I mean, players are developing. Coaches are going to be developing as well.

RM: Once we get back to regular games, I’m looking forward to seeing you and Evan give each other dirty looks across the bench when you play the Brooks Bandits here.

AM: Yeah, won’t that be fun? It’ll be great to have Evan back in the building.

Filed under: AJHL, Canmore, Canmore Eagles