Posted:
December 16, 2020
By Emanuel Sequeira
“Jerry Bancks and the organization had already started making us an elite program, I’m just trying not to screw it up,” joked Derek Stuart, who took over from his former coach in 2016 and is working hard to build on it.
Derek Stuart
“If there is one area I think that is important to me as a coach is getting the buy-in from the players on the ice and off the ice. Doing what it takes to be a (Kimberley) Dynamiter and getting the true commitment from each player. Where the team becomes more important than the individual. That’s one thing we try to instil here and we’ve done a good job.”
Posted:
December 11, 2020
By Emanuel Sequeira
COVID-19 had a life-changing impact for Braeden Ostepchuk.
The former Kimberley Dynamiters goalie was preparing to transition from playing minor pro hockey to becoming an engineer. Through a contact, he had a job lined up in Philadelphia, PA., that he was excited about.
The then 26-year-old was playing in his final season with the Evansville Thunderbolts in the Southern Professional Hockey League when the coronavirus put an end to his season. In 20 games, he was 13-5-0-2 with a 3.18 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
“I’m down in the U.S on a temporary visa, I no longer have a job, I no longer have any health insurance. I no longer have a place to live. I don’t have any income,” said Ostepchuk, 27. “I have $70,000 in student debt left over. There was talk about what would happen with the border, but I decided I had to go home so I drove back to Alberta. The job I was going to do in the summer got pushed b