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‘Cats reflect on season after upset by Eagles
Despite being beaten out by the Canmore Eagles in the first round of Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) playoffs, the Lloydminster Bobcats have a lot to be proud of.
The ‘Cats playoff run was cut short on Sunday evening as Canmore defeated the local boys 5-0 in Canmore during Game 6 of the best-ofseven series.
“The game didn’t go the way we wanted last night, but I do believe every one of those players gave it everything they had this year, and I’m very proud of that,” said first-year ‘Cats coach Brad Rihela at the Civic Centre after player exit interviews on Monday afternoon.
“Obviously, I wanted a series-win for them and to see it go further, but I’m also very proud of them and very appreciative of the effort they gave us this year. I have nothing but good things to say about them as people,” added Rihela.
“I’m very proud of our group, and at the end of the day, you have to give credit where credit’s due, and Canmore played a hell of a series.”
The Bobcats are graduating three players this season due to age, with captain Caden Cabana, defenceman Blake Set - ter and Ryan Redekopp moving on, but Rihela is already looking at next season.
“Cabbie, Reds and Setter, those are guys you bring forward in your program and you reference them as you go. They brought so many intangibles to our team, and as a coach, you can’t ask for anything more from your older guys. I’m really proud of those guys and they have bright futures ahead of them, for sure,” said Rihela.
“They left a lasting mark on our hockey club, not only in the room, but also in the community as well.”
For captain Cabana, who hails from Bonnyville, this will be a season to remember as the AJHL’s overall scoring champion, but wearing the black and orange also taught him the importance of being a member of the community during his time in the Border City.
“To give back has been unreal,” he said. “The community does so much for us, so giving back to them has been awesome.”
A season highlight for Cabana simply revolved around spending time with the guys.
“It was awesome being with this group, it was a great group to have,” said Cabana.
“Our coaching staff was also awesome; I was soaking it in for my last season (of junior).”
For Setter, who spent three seasons with the Calgary Canucks before being traded to Lloyd, the Border City’s hockey culture was drastically different in the best way possible.
“It’s definitely really different. Calgary’s a big city, there’s lots of teams to compete with there; you’ve got the Flames, Hitmen and now the Wranglers, as well. There’s a lot of teams there and people might not be coming to your games,” said Setter. “In Lloyd, you’re the show in town and it’s pretty cool to see how involved the com - munity is here.”
Setter also echoed Cabana when it came to the importance of community involvement.
“It’s so special to see 50 little kids lined up to give you a high five or knucks before every game,” said Setter. “It’s pretty special.”
For top-scorer Ben Aucoin, who hopes to continue his career with the ‘Cats next year, things felt good this season right out of the gate.
“I think we had a great group of guys coming in from the start,” said Aucoin.
“We gelled super quick and that’s huge for the team … if we’re close in the room it really shows in the ice.
“We didn’t have a bad first half, but that second half, we really stepped it up, got some wins and had a great push at the end. Not the result we wanted in the playoffs, but it happens. We wanted it this year.”
Aucoin is looking forward to off-ice training and a bit of weight gain to prepare for next year.
“Off-ice training is huge,” he said.
“I train with a good group in the summer; we’re on the ice almost every day, in the gym every day doing lots of mobility work to get us ready for the season.”
Despite the loss of three veterans, the ‘Cats are confident in the future of this year’s young talent.
“We have a lot of good guys, many who are 19 this year and able to come back to make a big difference as 20-year olds next year,” said Aucoin. “It’ll be good to see who comes back.”
