CREMONA - The Cremona Coyotes hockey team made its home debut at the Cremona Agricultural Society Community Arena on Saturday evening against the Stony Plain Eagles.
Although the Coyotes came up short in the Dec. 3 7-0 loss, the team did get 34 shots and hit the post several times. And lots of fans came out to cheer on the new squad.
“The fans were great,” said team president, general manager and player Patrick Gillies, whose hometown is Carstairs. “We saluted them at the end and they cheered and cheered and it was nice to see that.”
The team is the latest addition to the revived, three-team AAA senior men's Chinook Hockey League, which also includes the Innisfail Eagles.
The Coyotes joined the league this season, playing their first few games in Innisfail.
After negotiations to make Carstairs the team’s home arena didn’t pan out, the team approached the Cremona & District Agricultural Society about making the newly refurbished Cremona arena the team’s home rink.
“Officially we were the Coyotes, but now that we have a hometown we are the Cremona Coyotes,” said Gillies. “From now on, our home games are at the Cremona arena.”
The Chinook Hockey League has players 18 years of age and older.
The Coyotes have players from across the region, including from Red Deer, Calgary and elsewhere, he said.
The Coyotes were hoping to make Saturday’s first-ever home game also the team’s first-ever win in the league, he said.
“We are 0-3 right now, but as a learning curve against teams that have been in the league for many years we are doing alright,” he said prior to the Dec. 3 game.
“We are hoping for a good turnout and some good hockey for the fans,” he said. “The ag society has been great. The arena looks really nice. Good boards and glass and ice.”
As for the long-term plans of the team, a decision will be made at the end of the 2022-23 season in February on whether to stay in Cremona, he said.
“We are going to have talks with the ag society about having another season there,” he said.
Cremona’s next home game is against the Innisfail Eagles on Dec. 17.
