Ice die-hard says fans need consistency Final Edition

• Published in: Daily Townsman
• Main Author: DeBuysscher, Sandi
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cranbrook, B.C Postmedia Network Inc 22.04.2004
• Subjects: Clouston, Cory

In response to the issue of declining attendance for the Kootenay Ice in the 2003-04 season and the subsequent local furor over the long-term plans of the hockey club in Cranbrook, local hockey fan Sandi DeBuysscher originally submitted this viewpoint to the Daily Townsman in the form of a letter to the editor. However, due to it's length and subject matter, Townsman staff opted to run the copy as a submitted opinion piece in the sports section. The views held by the writer are not necessarily the views of Townsman editorial staff and appear in the spirit of spurring community discourse on an important local issue. -- Sports Ed. After watching our first few home games at the beginning of the season, I was amazed to see how awesome our team came out of the starting gate. The number-one line was made up of Dawes, Mahovsky, Cracknell. Shortly after that, the inconsistency became quite apparent and line combinations were forever changing like the wind. At the end of the season, what line was doing the best? Dawes, Mahovsky, Cracknell -- go figure. They had a chemistry that could not be beat. I don't buy the excuse of this being a rebuilding year -- every year is a rebuilding year. At the end of every season you will always lose your overagers and in the fall you always have fresh blood anxious to tie up their newly sharpened skates to prove they are Kootenay Ice material to the coaching staff. Add to this the constant trades throughout the season -- a team is forever rebuilding. This excuse is unacceptable.