Spruce Grove Saints - ajhl

[MoneyGuy]

The Saints organization (going back to the Edmonton and, later, the Spruce Grove Mets) have sent more players to the NHL than any other Tier 2 team in the country. It's over 50 and I think they've roughly doubled the next team, the Vernon Vipers, I think. I saw those stats but can't remember them exactly.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

The Saints organization (going back to the Edmonton and, later, the Spruce Grove Mets) have sent more players to the NHL than any other Tier 2 team in the country. It's over 50 and I think they've roughly doubled the next team, the Vernon Vipers, I think. I saw those stats but can't remember them exactly.

I didn't realize it was that impressive but the alumni list is quite extensive. Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, Troy Murray, Steve Reinprecht, Fernando Pisani, Rene Bourque, Mike Comrie, Jamie Lundmark, Stu Barnes, Rob Brown and the list goes on and on.

They also sent at least one web guy to the NHL.

[Resolute 14]

...or a close approximation thereof.

[MelBridgeman]

Saint win the AJHL championship, but fall short to the Vernon Vipers in the Doyle Cup.

[Resolute 14]

Ouch...

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

1998 all over again...

[Sainters7]

I don't really follow the AJ, are they still getting lousy attendance? I live in St. Albert; where the Saints used to play, so I hear about them the odd time. I just hear how awesome of a team they are but they draw pathetic crowds.

I guess their excuse was that there wasn't enough actual born & raised SG kids on the team so no-one really cared. Yeah, because if the Flames didn't have any Albertans on them but were running away with the President's Trophy I'm sure none of us would show. What an awful excuse. This was a couple years ago I heard that though so things may have changed.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

I don't really follow the AJ, are they still getting lousy attendance? I live in St. Albert; where the Saints used to play, so I hear about them the odd time. I just hear how awesome of a team they are but they draw pathetic crowds.

I guess their excuse was that there wasn't enough actual born & raised SG kids on the team so no-one really cared. Yeah, because if the Flames didn't have any Albertans on them but were running away with the President's Trophy I'm sure none of us would show. What an awful excuse. This was a couple years ago I heard that though so things may have changed.

I don't know what their attendance is, but for that league a lack of local players is a pretty legit excuse. A good chunk of the attendance is going to be of the friends and family variety. I know that when i had friends playing for the Canucks I went to a bunch of games, many times more in those couple of seasons than in the rest of my life combined.

[Resolute 14]

Attendance varies. Grande Prairie averages north of 2000 a game, while the Canucks and Royals are a couple hundred each. But then, you also have the Flames, Hitmen, U of C, two ACAC teams and four AMHL teams in the city. Buried under the bigger teams and too much competition. Most other teams are in the 500-1000 range.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by valo403

I don't know what their attendance is, but for that league a lack of local players is a pretty legit excuse. A good chunk of the attendance is going to be of the friends and family variety. I know that when i had friends playing for the Canucks I went to a bunch of games, many times more in those couple of seasons than in the rest of my life combined.

That's in the city though, they're 3rd banana in terms of hockey. I realize Spruce Grove is essentially Edmonton, but I'd still expect to see more local support from them(if what I heard 2 years ago is still true). If you're ranked as the top team in the country and are drawing piddly crowds, its probably time to find a new home. I know before we got the Steel, a lot of people in St. Albert were hoping they'd come back, especially when word got out about the terrible S.G. attendance a couple years ago. They were always well represented here.

I swear if I played junior "A" I'd much rather be out in some small town than somewhere like Calgary, Edmonton, etc. I used to work for the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL for a year, they'd get 3-4000 per game, I was stunned at my first game. It was a great atmosphere too, the crowd was very loud. All I'd ever known growing up with junior A was Canucks/Royals games with their sparse attendance in a small rink so I was especially shocked when I came to Nanaimo. Those kids just ran that town, they were little celebrities.

[Yeah_Baby]

The Kodiaks are huge in Camrose. But that being said, it's Camrose.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

The Kodiaks are huge in Camrose. But that being said, it's Camrose.

Haha and that's the other side of it. I've always lived in the city so Nanaimo was a bit of a culture shock for me.
Summer Nanaimo= awesome beach party city. Winter Nanaimo= depressing ghost town that shuts down by 8pm.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Haha and that's the other side of it. I've always lived in the city so Nanaimo was a bit of a culture shock for me.
Summer Nanaimo= awesome beach party city. Winter Nanaimo= depressing ghost town that shuts down by 8pm.

And being a hockey team I'm assuming the latter is the town that the players 'ran'

I get what you're saying though, big fish in a small pond can be a lot more fun, at least in the short term.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by valo403

And being a hockey team I'm assuming the latter is the town that the players 'ran'

I get what you're saying though, big fish in a small pond can be a lot more fun, at least in the short term.

Haha ya pretty much. Not much to do there, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a ton of ridiculously cute girls living there, who were always kicking around the arena. The team and staff had a deal with a local restaurant to make at least brief appearances there after every game, and the tables they were sitting at would just be surrounded by knockouts at all the other tables, who were eye-balling them the whole night. Haha I can't even imagine how that would get to your head, especially at 17-18 years old when you're already cocky as hell at that age.

Not to make them sound bad or anything though. That was a very well run team and it was full of great character guys(at least that year). They did a lot for the community. It was just very clear to me that they were by far the most important thing in that town. Which is miles different from if you're playing for the Royals I'm sure.

[Julio]

Wow...read in the story below that there was 8 Saints who were 20 years old...i know Junior A has more 'overagers' than the Dub, but is 8 anything close to normal?

http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjourn...4-0bbd166d99a0

[Resolute 14]

Yeah, it's pretty common, especially for the teams looking to contend.