GANDER BLAMES ESCHL FOR NO CENTRAL HOCKEY THIS WINTER

The Gander Flyers and Grand Falls Windsor Cataracts will NOT be playing any games this winter.

In a statement by the Flyers on Monday they lay the blame for no Central Hockey play this winter on the East Coast Senior Hockey League. They specifically say the league would NOT allow Conception Bay CeeBee Stars to play interlocking games this winter so the idea of a Central League has gone by the wayside.  This comes after the East Coast Senior Hockey League told the Central League two years ago they were not interested in playing interlocking hockey and confirmed it again in June of last year. 

The Flyers statement reads 

“What transpired after many delays late into the beginning of the normal hockey season, and appeals to block the CeeBees in the East, they finally got accepted into that league but with one large condition, “No Interlocking Hockey with Central”. That action immediately meant we could not move forward as a league but they the East was not up and running again. We thank the CeeBees for trying to accommodate us and keep hockey alive in Central but we also recognize the position they found themselves in trying for hockey survival themselves. Shortly after the announcement of the CeeBees returning we found ourselves in a position where players wanted releases to play both out East and West. Gander Flyers lost 9 players that are still active in both leagues from our roster however the releases were granted in good faith realizing that players just want to play hockey and not experience further delays in getting a game of hockey. As well as player transfers, other players decided due to other priorities in their personal lives like family, work and school commitments that they would not return at least for this season. Our attempt to save hockey with a 12 games series was a hard sell as both for players and fans as it meant playing the same team with no variation.”