CANMORE – The Canmore Eagles went from hottest to coldest in the AJHL and things aren’t about to get easier.
The Eagles look to snap a six-game losing streak this Friday (Nov. 22) at home following what has so far been a rough November for the hometown Junior A team.
Head coach and general manager Andrew Milne is asking for urgency from the team come this weekend at the Canmore Recreation Centre, with the implication that roster moves could be made if things continue the way they have been going.
“The jokes over here,” said Milne. “The work ethic needs to be front and centre. Hard work beats talent, always. We say it all the time in our locker room. If we don’t work this weekend, we’re going to have to maybe blow this thing up.
“We tell them all the time that you can control two things: attitude and effort. When your attitude and effort are good, the rest will fall into place. Right now we got to get a better effort going.”
The Eagles started the season on fire, winning 12 of their first 15 games which was the best start the team has had in the past two decades and found themselves nationally ranked in the top-10.
“We got pretty cocky,” said Milne. “We get nationally ranked, we’re playing well and then we stepped away from it. I think it’s a bunch of things that happened in a row that led to it.”
Injuries and suspensions to the team as well as external distractions in the current junior hockey landscape have factored into their losing skid, but still, it comes back to work ethic.
“Momentum was great when we were winning and now momentum is going the opposite way and we’re having trouble getting back from that,” said Milne.
“Right now, we’re struggling with the little things and it starts with our work ethic. That’s one of the biggest things, but it’s tough to challenge kids to work harder without the result.”
The offence has dried up in the past six games for the hometown squad, which has been outscored 22-4 since Nov. 3. They are currently tied in last place in goals for with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons at 52. Six teams have 61 goals or less.
On the power play, the Eagles are three-for-23 (13 per cent) in the six-game span, while allowing 8/27 goals (29 per cent) on the penalty kill.
As the Eagles try to recapture their mojo, they will have a tough task against the team that has all the rocket fuel right now.
The Camrose Kodiaks are bringing an eight-game winning streak into Canmore for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.
Some good news is that forward Owen Jones, who is one of the top scorers on the team, is expected to play Friday after being out since Nov. 3 due to injury.
Top blueliner Jaren Brinson and rookie forward Cole Wadsworth are still out until at least mid-December.
