Top of the Morning to you White Division Hockey Fans and Stay in Shapers!!
Firstly, on behalf of Matt Paget and David Schwarz, we would like to welcome you to the 2023/2024 White Division season. I am sure I have met most of you, but for those whom I have not met, my name is Patrick Rea, but you friends can call me Paddy. Matt Paget will be our co-convenor and David Schwarz will be our pool convenor. Together, our goal is to ensure you all have the best season, most fun, safe and hopefully injury free.
Secondly, I want to acknowledge and thank, Andy Thorpe for his perfect job steering the White Div. ship for the past 3 seasons. Thank you, Andy, for all your hard work, dedication, setting the table and bar high for me to assume this role.
We have 6 classy captains and 12 awesome Ass. Caps in place to echo the White Div./BOHC mindset that we are all here for a good time, with buddies. Thanks to Steve, Glenn, Tim, Mike, Jordo, Lloyd and all your Ass Caps for volunteering your time and help to keep this div. the best in the BOHC.
I would also like to take this opportunity to go over some expectations for our division and reiterate some of the takeaways from the Captains and Convenors meeting 2 weeks ago. We want to make sure the only way the BOHC executive hear about our div, is because we fill Hector’s with more peeps than any other division. We want zero ‘In Person Hearings’ with the BOHC Disciplinary Chair and zero suspensions. We want a competitive division with all understanding where the ‘too much intensity' line is, so as to not cross it. I will need all your help with that!!
I have been in the BOHC and this division for 15 years, I was a captain for 4 years, poolie and co-convenor for 5 years. I have been running weekly shinny for about the same length of time and been playing at the Wave in an open/18 years or older division for the last 6 years, summer and winter. I understand completely what raises the on ice temperature and how things can get escalated. The shinny I run is competitive, everyone wants to score and win but never an on-ice disagreement or issue. With all these experiences and with all your help, I know we can find that perfect balance between compete and fun. I have a ton of buddies in this division, we have solved many of the world’s problems at Hectors over the last lotta years and the last thing we want is for this division to start gravitating into a chippy ‘Wave’ type environment. Respect for all of our division mates, should be a high priority for all.
Eliminate the cross check, as this ugly and nasty play that could easily result in an injury and/or retaliation is not needed in the BOHC. There are other ways to move someone and a rabbit punch with a horizontal stick, against a division mate’s back or shoulders, should not be one of them. Matt, David and I will be keeping a close eye for this un-BOHC play, looking to suspend if we see it.
I am sure your captains have already let you know after the C & C meeting, that according our disciplinary chair, Warren Osbourn, a minimum 7 game suspension will be handed out if a hearing is required involving abuse of officials. This is a stiff punishment, but the reasoning behind it is that the officials are sick and tired of the abuse and are quitting. If you get or see 20 bad calls throughout the season, I can ensure you that half will be in your favour and half against. Leave the refs alone, the calls will all balance out!!
Zero tolerance for racial or homophobic slurs! Last time I heard, suspensions were set at a 15-game minimum for this offence.
If you are assessed a match penalty requiring a hearing, you are not to play until after the hearing and suspension. Warren mentioned that, by the time he sets up a meeting date for all involved, including captains, convenor, player(s) and himself, it could be weeks before the hearing takes place, then you start to serve the suspension. Warren wants to suspend and send a message to the division and club (word travels fast), that these meetings are a pain to coordinate and schedule, therefore he will go heavy on the games to ensure his goal of very few hearings is achieved. That said and with an eye on ‘not on my watch’…….NO HEARINGS FOR WHITE DIV.!!
The club has 15 timekeepers this year, 12 are new, please have patience for them! NO slamming penalty box doors, NO swearing or arguing with someone in the other box as that is just intimidating to the young timekeepers.
I am sure you have heard or seen but there is zero Friday games for the club until at least the New Year, therefore pub nights will be limited. Zero is the number of times I have been back to the club and not had a great time. This past summer, my BOHC summer team put a different player in charge of ‘Meat of the Week’, we opened the club back doors, dragged the BBQ out and had a feast. I also had a family member drop me off at the rink, then I made my way to the club post game, fun times were had, then ‘Ubered’ home. It’s doable dudes, lets support our club house and plan a safe way home!!
As mentioned, with zero games on Friday nights until the New Year, I am proposing we find a Friday or two before the New Year and ask the club to open it up for the White Div. More to come on this as everyone wins!
I have confirmed that 6 or more teammates back to Hector’s post game will be eligible for a free pitcher of beer.
The club can also not afford to leave any money on the table, so please, please let you captain know, with enough time to allow him to let the pool convenor plan for a replacement. We all felt the registration fee increase this year, the first in a lot of years, pool fees up as well to $20 per game, but the pool fees collected go a long way to ensure the BOHC has the cheapest fee per game in the city. Don’t be the guy to leave club money on the table, let your cappy’s know with enough time that you can’t make a game.
That is all for now, hopefully your feet haven’t fell asleep…..lol….but I am very much looking forward to having a beer with you all back at the club, with some hockey in between. Good luck, play safe and have fun.
Paddy, Matt and David
