If you can’t beat them, join them.
The Calgary Mountaineers outlasted the Okotoks Raiders to advance to the Minto Cup, Aug. 18-26 in Whitby, ON and they have bolstered their roster with three players from other franchises in Alberta, including Raiders alternate captain Cam Copland.
The Okotoks transition player said it was flattering to be asked by a hated rival to join the team on a temporary basis and felt there was no leftover ill will after losing the league final.
“Don’t get me wrong when I first met all the guys and saw all their faces it’s hard to think that you’re talking to all the rivals that you just lost to,” Copland said. “But they were nice about it, they were a great group of guys, they brought me in and it was a very easy transition.
“They said it doesn’t matter what team we’re all from, we’re in it together for the Minto.”
For the first time in Minto history, Alberta’s representative were allowed to bring three players from other organizations as a means to level the playing field with B.C and Ontario.
Alberta teams have never won a game at the Junior A national championship.
Copland said he was approached by the Mountaineers’ coaching staff minutes after Game 7 of the Alberta Jr. A final in Indus.
“Basically, right after Game 7 they gave me the choice of going,” Copland said. “It was a very tough decision just with all the stuff that was going on with both teams, going to Game 7 with the Mounties.
“I had three hours to decide whether I wanted to go or not, it was basically a now decision.”
Copland said the Raiders’ coaching staff told the players they could possibly be approached by the Mountaineers to go to Whitby.
“We spoke to all the kids and told them that a couple of them might get asked,” said Raiders general manager David Fehr. “And that if they did we wouldn’t stand in their way.”
Fehr said the Raiders would likely have picked up a couple players from other franchises in Alberta if they advanced to the Minto Cup.
“We spoke about if we had the opportunity to pick up some players we would,” Fehr said. “We were going to pick up one player from the Mountaineers we were interested in, that was the goal scorer (Tyler) Melnyk.”
Copland said his acceptance did cause a little commotion just because of the recent history between the two teams.
“I made a decision that was going to benefit me the most,” Copland said. “There’s scouts everywhere at the Minto Cup and you really get your name out there. This was my third (Minto), so the more the merrier.”
The 19-year-old received mostly supportive comments from his Raider teammates, he said.
“Most of the guys I’ve talked to, don’t get me wrong they’re probably a little angry, but they all wished me the best of luck and hope I do well,” Copland said. “They’re not taking it too hard.”
Copland made a dream debut for Calgary. He opened the tournament scoring for Alberta’s representative at the Minto against the host and defending champion Whitby Warriors.
“It was a two-on-one. I got the pass from Dan Taylor and had all the time outside of the crease and scored,” Copland said. “It was nice, a good feeling that’s for sure.”
The Mountaineers would lose the game 11-3 on Aug. 18 and followed it up with a 12-2 loss to the Coquitlam Adanacs on Aug. 19.
They narrowly escaped a shutout in their tournament finale at the hands of the heavily favoured Orangeville Northmen when Melnyk scored with eight seconds left in a 15-1 romp on Aug. 21.
Copland said the Ontario teams were not as strong as last year’s Warriors’ squad, who won the Minto Cup in Okotoks last August.
“They were still good, but the level of play was not as strong as last year,” said Copland who called Orangeville the best team by a large margin. “They’re the most hard-working guys I’ve ever played against. They don’t care that they were five-foot nothing, they’re gritty and go off the ball.”
He said the Raiders would have put in a better showing had they advanced to the Minto for a third consecutive year.
“Of course I feel that way because that’s my team,” he said. “I think we definitely would have done a little bit better.”
