— Brandon Jensen thanks community for supporting Osoyoos Spurs —
(OSOYOOS TIMES — Feb. 28, 2007) —
By Julie TurnerrnOsoyoos Times
After a tumultuous season of playing right wing for the Osoyoos Spurs, Brandon Jensen admits he is extremely disappointed in the way the new junior hockey league's first season ended.
The World Hockey Association's (WHA) inaugural season, which began last September, was supposed to conclude mid-March. However, the WHA announced recently it was cancelling the rest of the regular season games and holding playoffs to determine a league winner.
The league has been struggling amidst rumours of unpaid bills and unfulfilled contracts, but to 16-year-old Jensen, a Grade 11 student at Osoyoos Secondary School, the politics mattered little “ the game meant everything.
Jensen told the Osoyoos Times he has been playing hockey for over 10 years, for a number of South Okanagan Minor Hockey teams. He says despite the coaching changes mid-season, he enjoyed playing for the Spurs, which was a higher-performance hockey that allowed him to advance his skills.
It was a new experience, getting used to the early morning practices, bus trips, playing with kids from other places, making new friends. I'm disappointed that it ended early.rnHis mother, Michelle Zwick, says seeing the disappointment on the kids' faces was gut wrenching when “ instead of being able to play their last home game in Osoyoos February 16, which was cancelled “ they arrived at the Sun Bowl Arena to pack up and clear out their belongings.
It was devastating to see that. A lot of families came down to watch their kids play and they didn't get the chance. The boys wanted to play one last time for their fans, their families and their friends. I was shocked.
Jensen says with his Osoyoos Spurs contract now over he'll attend the Penticton Vees spring training camp in April. He says he will be eligible to play amateur hockey next season, but cannot play for the South Okanagan Minor Hockey Association for the remainder of this season.
I hope to do well there and get a couple of invites to play on Junior B teams, he says. As for the WHA and the Osoyoos Spurs, Jensen says the experience lived up to some of his expectations. He also learned a valuable lesson: hard work opens up more opportunities.
It was different from Midget Hockey. It was more challenging, faster; there was more puck movement. And my skating improved due to the extra practices.rnZwick says she feels torn; the WHA has been both a positive experience for the players and a disappointing one.
I really hurt for the kids, because it's out of their hands. She adds, the coach (Willie Siemens) always stressed to the boys to remember why you're here, why you're playing “ for the love of the game. So I have to commend him for that.
She also says she doesn't blame the Town for cancelling the contract. I'm sure the Town could have locked the doors a long time before but they didn't, and I thank them for that. Hopefully, the Town will get the money that's owed to them.rnAs for the fact the Town is accepting proposals for another junior hockey team in Osoyoos, Zwick and Jensen are hopeful.
That would be sweet. This is a great community, a great hockey town. The support from the community has been the best, which is why it was so disappointing how Mr. (Ricky) Smith handled this, says Zwick.
Jensen agrees the Osoyoos community has been behind the team through all its struggles.
I'd like to thank the community, my friends, family, the fans and volunteers and my coach, he says, reserving a special thank-you for the team's stick boy Tony Batista.
He believed in us, whether we won or lost.
