By Dan Hermanutz

expansion teams sees success

Rocky Rams wrap up first year in Heritage Junior Hockey League

Feb 21, 2020 | 3:11 PM

The Rocky Rams have wrapped up their inaugural season in the Heritage Junior Hockey League.

The Rams won eleven games in the regular season and made the playoffs before losing out to the Sylvan Lake Wranglers four games to one.

“Our goal from the start of the year was try to get into the playoffs. I knew it was going to be a lot of work,” said head coach Clint Robinson. “It was a huge success community wise, we had huge crowds. Every team that came into Rocky was amazed with the amount of fans we were getting. So community support was top notch.”

Fan support for the Rams was strong as during playoffs they brought in around 500 fans. Robinson said he knew junior hockey would be a success in Rocky just based upon the support that the community shows for the minor hockey program as well at the town’s senior team. The next step was building a team.

“We had to start from scratch. Basically in 2018, I was watching a midget hockey tournament in December. A guy that I’ve known for quite a few years came up to me and asked me my thought on if a Junior B team would work in Rocky. I’ve always thought we should have a Junior B team,” said Robinson.

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“I think last year there were twelve kids playing Junior B in Red Deer, Blackfalds, Stettler and Ponoka. They were doing a lot of traveling when our old senior team would get three-four hundred fans a game. I always knew that aspect (drawing fans) would work. It would be just build (a team), build a program and try to attract players to come and play in Rocky.”

Through this first season with the Rams, Robinson says his main goal was to keep everyone having fun.

“It gets frustrating. These boys have a lot of other stuff. They’re in school, they have full-time jobs. Keeping them having fun and keeping them working hard, and keeping it positive. And that’s what they did. They kept it positive. They kept working hard and getting better.”

The first season for the Rams has set a solid foundation for the future, Robinson says.

“It was challenging. It was very busy, stressful. To see our community step up and support it, the volunteers, very rewarding at the end of the year. Our coaching staff and management want to thank the fans for incredible support that rocky has shown for this team.”