Hockey fans in Osoyoos should be very happy after hearing Randy Bedard has taken the leap, made his partner an offer he couldn’t refuse and has taken over sole ownership of the Osoyoos Coyotes hockey club.
Bedard and Penticton business partners John Kapusty and Roy Schultz purchased the Coyotes before the start of the 2010 season.
Bedard bought out Schultz last November and has been working on a deal with Kapusty to purchase his share over the past several weeks since the end of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) season following a tough first-round defeat to Kelowna.
Bedard confirmed Monday he has finalized the deal with Kapusty and he looks forward to fulfilling a longtime dream to own and operate his own junior franchise.
Kapusty and Schultz deserve a lot of the credit for bringing quality junior hockey back to Osoyoos, but living and working in Penticton does make it difficult to do all of the little jobs needed to run a successful and profitable junior franchise in a small town like Osoyoos.
Both are fine gentlemen and their contributions to this community won’t soon be forgotten.
But having a dedicated and committed local owner like Bedard in full control of the franchise is wonderful news for local hockey fans and the Coyotes organization in general.
As longtime residents know, there have been problems with unstable ownership over the past 20 years and that’s arguably the biggest reason there have been so many incarnations of the local team, dating back almost 20 years when the Osoyoos Rebels were born.
Bedard appears genuinely sincere and speaks from the heart when he says he loves this community and doesn’t have any intentions of leaving again.
When he says he regrets leaving 10 years ago to pursue other opportunities in business, hockey and broadcasting and is so glad to be back where he belongs, it’s believable and a breath of fresh air.
Bedard is a very personable and hard-working man and there’s little doubt he has the experience and knowledge needed to operate a successful franchise in a small town.
He also has the support of the local business community and dedicated season ticket holders, which will always be absolutely critical in ensuring the long-term viability and success of the Coyotes franchise.
The Coyotes have enjoyed tremendous success since joining the KIJHL in 2010, winning the league championship in 2010 and claiming the Okanagan Division regular season title this past season.
Despite a frustrating setback to Kelowna in the opening round of the playoffs, in a series where they blew several big leads, there are numerous players returning for this coming season.
There isn’t a lot to do on a Friday or Saturday night in Osoyoos during the long winter months,  so getting out to cheer on and support the local junior hockey team remains a big deal in towns like Osoyoos.
The hockey fans in this town love the game and love the Coyotes and there’s little doubt Bedard is going to be able to continue his record of success on and off the ice for many years to come.
With a guarantee that head coach and general manager Ken Law will soon sign a new contract and assistant coach Greig Thomas and Craig Lewis also returning, the future for the Coyotes in the short term looks very promising.
And with Bedard committed to running the show for many years to come, junior hockey success in Osoyoos looks even brighter in the long term.