At Powell River Kings’ annual awards banquet Friday, March 31, one thing was clear: nobody wanted to be there, including front office staff, bus drivers and even the anthem singer. As for the players, they wanted to be in uniform on the ice that night, not dressed in suits and saying goodbye to teammates and billets who had become like family, or to a town they had come to love.
The junior hockey organization endured 60 BC Hockey League regular season games and 11 more in the playoffs before a heart-wrenching game-seven double-overtime loss to Victoria Grizzlies ended its season. But there’s always next year.
More often than not, sports deal agonizing blows. More teams lose than win. We leave it to the ficklest fans to be sour and grumble about the Kings bowing out in the second round. They are not loyal to the team, true believers and followers of this community-owned organization. If they were, they would know the Kings are more than wins and losses.
Head coach Kent Lewis doesn’t recruit stars to become Kings. He wants, in his own words, “good kids.” He looks for grit, determination and discipline.
Lewis has built one of the best programs in junior hockey. It takes a special kind of kid to play for Powell River Kings, one who is a team player and a volunteer. On the ice, his teams have always made the playoffs and the players who have played here have done very well outside of hockey. Off the ice, they have become better people from their enthusiasm for what makes this place great: the bond of community and qualities of character.
The six 20-year-olds who ended their junior hockey eligibility are all going on to post-secondary school. Throughout the season, unlike many hockey players who are mocked for being inarticulate and aloof, we found the Kings to be intelligent, generous of their time and grateful to community, all qualities that make great players and even greater role models for young kids who idolize them.
The Kings are good kids made better by playing in Powell River and for Lewis and his coaching staff. Each of the graduating players said playing here was the best experience of their lives.
Lewis is old school and his roster has always been filled with players who have depth of character and commitment to community. We see and cheer for them on the ice. We should also cheer for what the Kings do for Powell River.
David Brindle, community reporter