Junior Hockey Season Put On Hold
ANCHORAGE-August 1st, 2001-As promising as the upcoming seventh
season has appeared for the Arctic Ice, plans to play have been put on hold. The Junior
“B” Hockey team, which plays in the Northern Pacific Hockey League against other
teams from Alaska, Canada, Washington, Oregon and Idaho, suffered an unanticipated setback
Wednesday evening.
The league is split in two divisions, with the Northern Division consisting of teams in
Whitehorse (Canada), Anchorage, and Soldotna. Teams play an average of 40 games a year and
consist of players from around the world, aged 16 to 21. Most players hope to move on to a
Junior “A”, or college team, such as the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Increased costs of travel to and from the Northwest U.S. for all the teams in the league
have grown beyond expected incomes. These high travel costs contributed to the decision of
each team in the Northern Division to become inactive for the 2001-2002 season. Emergency
meetings of both the Yukon Claimjumpers and the Arctic Ice Board of Directors Wednesday
evening produced a positive outlook on returning to play in the 2002-2003 season.
Tryouts for the Arctic Ice were scheduled for the 2nd to the 5th of August and the timing
of this decision couldn’t have had a more sudden impact. Plans are already being made
for getting more teams in the 2002-2003 season, including possibly replacing a team that
once played in Wasilla.
Suffering most this year will be those players who are too old to play local youth hockey,
but are either not financially able to travel, or attending school at an institution such
as UAA. Fans who have supported the Arctic Ice throughout its seven years, including its
Junior C National Championship year in 1996, will also feel the absence of Junior Hockey
in Anchorage.
The Arctic Ice want to emphasize that they fully expect to return to action in the
Northern Pacific Hockey League after a one-season break to reorganize.
More information is available on the organization’s web site at
www.alaskaarcticice.com , or the team can be contacted at (907) 929-ICED(4233).
