Coyotes fans are no doubt disappointed that the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference final ended in a loss in the seventh game.
This is a remarkable achievement for a team that lost many of last season’s talented players and has had to rebuild.
True, the 2017-18 team did have some highly skilled returning veterans – Judd Repole and Colin Bell are just two among several.
But the most remarkable thing was this year’s team was not made up of lone stars like Ryan Roseboom and Aaron Azevedo of year’s past.
Rather, it was a team of strong players who supported each other and worked for the greater good.
It was the team’s cohesiveness rather than individual star players that made the Coyotes such a strong force this year.
Head Coach Ken Law likes to say that he has four strong lines, all of which can get the job done.
That was very true this year, unlike some past year’s when there might be anxious moments when a less skilled third or fourth line hit the ice.
That’s not to say there weren’t mistakes made. Sometimes a dumb penalty at the wrong time can bring a power play goal that changes the momentum of the game.
And – though team owner Randy Bedard says he doesn’t want to make excuses – the reality is that the playoff schedule and constant bus travel are exhausting.
Many players continued to play despite bumps and bruises that might make the rest of us whine and complain.
These are tough young guys.
Of course it’s disappointing that in most recent years the Coyotes have been stopped in their tracks in the conference finals. But making it that far shows they are one of the top four teams in the league.
And once again they finished their regular season at the top of their division.
For that, the Osoyoos Coyotes, their fans and the community at large should be proud.
We’ve enjoyed watching this year’s team play, even though it’s meant many late nights of work to cover them.
Congratulations to the Osoyoos Coyotes, Bedard, Law and the assistant coaches for their hard work! See you in September.
