Camrose Kodiaks Perspective

By Kelly Sharp

      CN Centre home to Royal Bank Cup

While tournament organizers expected more fan support for the RBC Royal Bank Cup, the club president and founder of the Camrose Kodiaks is applauding the host committee and the attendance at the National junior A hockey championship. Barry Fossen , who has watched the Kodiaks compete for the Royal Bank Cup at much smaller venues, has nothing but good things to say  about CN Centre.

“This is an outstanding facility, we should have 300 Camrose fans here for the weekend, you don’t want to be beating down the doors to see your team play,” Fossen said.

The army of volunteers for the week long tournament has impressed the head of the Kodiaks. “They are so helpful, there always is somebody available to answer questions, Fossen said.

He can’t wait until next fall when the Kodiaks skate at their new 3200 seat facility and say good-bye to the 1500 bench seating of the Max Mclean arena.

The Camrose sports development non-profit society is celebrating a tenth year of operation of the junior A hockey team. Wanting to bring junior hockey to a city of 16,000 was the impetus for 26 Camrose businessmen to purchase an Alberta Junior Hockey League expansion franchise. Since then, the Kodiaks have been a model of consistency and success on and off the ice in the rural Alberta community. This is the junior A club’s fourth appearance in the RBC Royal Bank Cup. The Kodiaks were gold medalists in 2001 at Flin Flon and silver medalists in 2003 at Charlottetown and 2005 at Weyburn.

Operating under a modest yearly budget of $275, 000, the non-profit organization’s lone paid employee is head coach and general manager Boris Rybalka who has been with the Kodiacs since day one.

Being good community partners is an absolute must for the junior A hockey team. Players are expected to participate in community projects, combine that commitment with on ice success  and  no wonder fan support is exemplary for the Kodiacs.

“They travel everywhere,” Barry Fossen said about the passionate fan base.

“Some people call them crazy, some people call them loyal, they love their team and support the community,” Kodiacs head coach and general manager Boris Rybalka said.

“Camrose is unbelievable, we sell-out every playoff game,” Camrose goalie Allen York said. “When we were in Naniamo playing the Clippers, at times the only cheers you could hear was from our fans.”

The Camrose contingent should be in fine form this weekend at CN Centre with the Kodiacs two victories away from a second National junior A hockey title.

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