Ceebee Stars Looking to rebuild

East Coast Senior Hockey League - Teams include CeeBees, Breakers, Eagles, Caps & Blues
Post Reply
User avatar
catsfan200
Posts: 5978
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:40 pm
Location: Grand Falls-Windsor

Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:50 pm

CORNER BROOK
DAVE KEARSEY
The Western Star


A handful of key players leaving for greener pastures and the retirement of several cagey veterans will leave the Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars no other choice but to rebuild the organization.

At least six members of last year’s CeeBee Stars roster will suit up in the West Coast Senior Hockey League for the 2009-2010 campaign, according to a member of the organization who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Keith and Ryan Delaney, the dangerous scoring siblings, are headed to the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts to provide the scoring punch Cats GM Dave Canning was hoping to find during the off-season. Also joining the Delaneys will be former CeeBee Stars faithful Sean Wadden, Mike Stevens and Matthew Thomey.

Michael Dyke, a standout defenceman with the CeeBees, will be patroling the blue-line of the Deer Lake Red Wings this season.

CeeBee Stars GM Ralph Earle realizes some players will ultimately leave for the west, but he insists no player from last year’s team has been given a release. He also said there have only been two players who asked for a release, and he refused to identify them.

“ ... There is nobody gone, and that’s right from me,” Earle told The Western Star last week. “There will be somebody go, but they all won’t go.”

Earle said he wouldn’t stop any player from leaving, but the team has the right to protect their investment by keeping them on a card until at least the Jan. 10 deadline. He has also talked to officials with Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador to see if any team has broken the rules regarding tampering with players and will keep a close eye on any developments.

Nonetheless, Earle is committed to putting a team on the ice in the Avalon East Hockey League again this year if they have enough players to make a go of it. Earle was hoping to see his team skate in the west setup this season along with Mount Pearl, but that idea was scrapped when GMs in the west turned down the proposed setup with two new teams. According to Earle, both teams were told acceptance into the league was dependent on a unanimous decision from the four existing teams. He don’t know who voted against the proposal and he isn’t really worried about it.

“We were interested and geared up to go that way, and it just never worked out and I don’t want to blame anyone,” he said. “It’s like our players too ... yes there are players who are going to go to the west coast, but when we’re ready to let them go, we will let them go and I am sure they will get there.”

As for rebuilding, he said the organization will do what it can to provide a good senior hockey team for its loyal fan base.

“It’s coming down now to your first couple of practices and if some of our players decide to stay with us. I hope we don’t lose them all,” he said.
2011 Herder Champions
2014 Herder Champions
2015 Herder Champions
2016 Herder Champions
Go Cats Go!


Follow me on twitter @markie800200

User avatar
simonsays
Posts: 303
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:18 am
What is the shape of a hockey puck?: triangle

Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:19 am

Let the moaning and groaning begin.
GET AT ME WOLF

up the bay
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:09 am
What is the shape of a hockey puck?: triangle

Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:15 pm

........keep up the good work with the team Mr. Earle!!!

User avatar
herder head
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:54 pm

Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:19 pm

Senior hockey goes in cycles so you're not going to be a powerhouse every year. There's still lots of time before the new season and just because there's rumours of certain players leaving and retiring doesn't necessarily mean it's a definite thing. We'll know on opening night who's in the CeeBees' lineup and who's not, till then the rumours will continue to fly!! However, if certain players do leave for the dough I'm sure the CBN executive will make every effort to put a competitive team on the ice. Like was mentioned before, in the event that certain players leave for the west, there are several quality local players who can step into the lineup if they are interested in playing senior.

Some of these players have played with CBN at some point over the past few years but were cut by Eddie Oates after Christmas, these fellas should be invited back to give it another go under a different coach. The list includes Steven Greeley, Chris Petten, Steve McLean, Peter George, Andrew Dawson, Andrew Drover, Craig Mercer, Randy Sellars (not sure if he was cut though), andTommy Snow.

Other young locals who havn't played senior yet but could help out include Fred Earle, Peter Mercer, Brent and Cody Roach, and Claude Garland.

There could be some other players I'm not thinking of (maybe from the over 19 league), maybe someone else could add a few more names.

User avatar
simonsays
Posts: 303
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:18 am
What is the shape of a hockey puck?: triangle

Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:31 pm

Well said, you can't win every year. Just hope the fans understand out there and keep coming to the rink to support their local team. If not, it'll fold within a few years. Bums in the seats means $$$ in the executives pockets = money to spend on players.
GET AT ME WOLF

rockpile
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:22 pm
What is the shape of a hockey puck?: triangle

Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:28 pm

Considering Earle played a few games with Clarenville last year, he will probably be playing with them this year. Also with the possible losses of French, Dyke, Stevens to the west and quite possibly Reardon and Moores to retirement, who do they have on the blue line?

It just doesn't look good...

CeebeeFan18
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:53 am
What is the shape of a hockey puck?: triangle

Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:06 am

The ceebees will have a team, It may look different as we all know but they will ice a team and be competitive, not on the level as previous years but still decent. I have been involved in many converstaions over the past 3 years that have argued the fact that the "ceebees could split into 2 teams right now, add a couple of players and still be the 2 teams in the Avalon West final" well that is what is now happening, the team is being split, they will have to add players locally, but i still believe they will be fine, maybe wont win a championshiip, but will provide exciting hockey.

My next question should have been asked a long time ago, and I beleieve it is important. We all know that some of these talented ceebees have asked for releases, I want to know the fans opionion on this. Should the releases be granted, if so what if any should be the compensation to the ceebees for releasing their top talent to west coast teams?

User avatar
catsfan4
Posts: 5455
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:46 pm

Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:06 am

All they would get from their releases is money from the west teams that want them

User avatar
herder head
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:54 pm

Sun Sep 13, 2009 11:19 pm

The Delaneys are great players and if indeed they're gone, CBN needs to move on without them. Maybe they will come back next year if CeeBees are part of a new provincial league. If Dyke and the Delaneys are determined to go, hopefully CBN will not give them up without compensation from the west coast teams, this money could be used to look after some of the players who want to play here this winter.

George and Greeley deserve a game of hockey this year, even though these fellas were cut by Oates last year, they stuck with the team and kept going to practices, true team players! If K. Delaney is gone, put the "C" back on Crosbie's chest, he keeps himself in great shape and can show the young fellas how it's done. Assuming they all return, French, Moores, Parsons, Reardon, George, and Earle can be a solid defense. Petten, Mclean, and Peter Mercer could fill in some of the holes up front. Craig Mercer, Andrew Drover, and Andrew Dawson are other possible pick ups. Any combination of Randy Sellars, Bradford Saunders, and Gary Sparkes could provide some toughness. The opportunity exists this year to have more locals on the team than ever before. Lee Noseworthy (if he can be gotten from Torbay) is another local who could help. If the team is not quite going to be quite as strong this year whoever is in the nets for CBN is going to be facing more rubber than last year.

The question is who's going to coach? Crosbie or Moores could be player coaches but Eddie Oates tried that a few years back and it didn't work that well, IMO it's hard to play and coach the same time.

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests