Fans of the Osoyoos Coyotes hockey club are truly blessed.
Team owner Randy Bedard and head coach and general manager Ken Law deserve most of the credit for the team’s amazing success over the past several years.
Unlike many junior hockey team owners, Bedard doesn’t meddle in the day-to-day operations of the hockey club as he lets Law and his management and coaching staff do their jobs.
Bedard is too busy running the business side of the organization and has done a tremendous job making the Coyotes an integral part of this community.
Since arriving in Osoyoos just over four years ago, Law has made the Coyotes’ one of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s premier franchises.
As all longtime fans remember, the Coyotes won the league championship during Law’s rookie season behind the bench.
The excitement in this little town of less than 5,000 residents was palpable during that championship run.
If the early season returns are any indication, the Coyotes are again going to be a real contender for the KIJHL championship.
Heading into Wednesday night’s home game against the Kelowna Chiefs, the Coyotes have decimated the opposition in their first four games of the regular season.
They have scored an incredible 31 goals on their ways to easy victories over North Okanagan, Chase, Columbia Valley and Golden.
Even though they have failed to win a league title the past two years, the Coyotes’ have come awfully close as they have won their division and qualified for the league’s semi-final series during both seasons.
In his four years running the hockey club, Law has led the Coyotes’ organization to one league championship, two division titles and two trips to the league semi-finals.
Only last year’s KIJHL championship team, the Beaver Valley Nitehawks, can come close to matching the Coyotes’ record of success over the past four years.
With a handful of key veteran forwards leading the way – such as Aaron Azevedo, Troy Maclise, Rainer Glimpel, Luc Gradisar, Brett Jewell and Colten Braid – it looks like the Coyotes are going to score goals with relative ease throughout the season.
Law’s teams have always been fast and skilled, but he wasn’t happy with the fact the Kamloops Storm bullied and beat up his squad in last year’s conference final series. So he went out and added plenty of size, skill and toughness with this year’s crop of rookies.
While it’s far too early to know if the Coyotes are going to be a contender for the league title this season, the early returns are very encouraging.
It’s a credit to Bedard and Law that hockey fans here in Osoyoos are continually treated to entertaining, fast-paced action on most nights.
Hockey fans in Osoyoos appreciate the winning tradition and continue to support the hockey club as the team averages close to 300 fans per game, which puts them near the top of the KIJHL in terms of attendance.
We have lost junior hockey in this community on more than one occasion in the past.
The best news of all is Bedard and Law appear to have formed a real friendship and great working relationship and it looks like winning hockey will continue in Osoyoos for many years to come.
