- After a deficit of over $50,000 in 2006-07, the Stamps were happy to report a surplus of $28,736 in '08-'09. The three home playoff dates sure didn't hurt that.
- Season tickets went from 240 a year ago to 330 this past season.
- Fundraising numbers sky-rocketed from year to year.
- Increases in season/game day tickets have not been discussed.
- President Derek Boychuk is stepping down after 9 years on the board (story below)
- The MJHL is changing the draft from 5 rounds to 10, however teams cannot auto-protect their five local players before the draft. They have to pick them during the draft, and if they go outside their zone, it opens up their zone to the league's other teams.
- Head Coach/GM Guy Vestby was asked the million dollar question. What's happening with Vigier?
"As of right now, Steph Vigier's a Swan Valley Stampeder and hasn't told me differently. He hasn't committed one way or the other yet." (Stampeders or Sioux City of the USHL)
- However Guy is confident 1989 goaltender Chris Ward is returning, and says 1991 defenseman Paul Bonar is the only returning player attending a Western Hockey League Camp (Moose Jaw Warriors).
- F Kyle Severson and D Cody Straker are spending their summers playing Junior Baseball with the Moose Jaw Eagles. Severson says he's a middle reliever, but gave Guy a blank stare when asked if he's Goose Gossage.
Here's a Q & A with Derek Boychuk following the meeting.
CS: Derek, you started off your speech tonight saying 'what a difference a year makes.' What did you mean by that.
Boychuk: Well, a year ago I stood up here and pleaded with the people, we had just had almost a $51,000 deficit, and it seemed everything was rolling downhill. Our season tickets had dropped off, our corporate had dropped off, the team was having issues on and off the ice. Then this past year, at the last AGM I set forth some goals, and made it pretty clear to the public we need their support if we want this team to be successful, we had to do something about it. We set goals for season tickets and surpassed that goal of 300. Our corporate is back to levels of two or three years ago, our fundraising has been phenomenal. This board really worked hard this past year. I think we owed it to our community to show them that we as a board of directors could do the opposite of what we did last year. Obviously it helps when you've got an exciting team on the ice, they don't have to win it all, winning is great, but they have to go out and perform, and they did that, and it showed in the bottom line tonight. It feels great to be where we're at right now.
CS: Guy likely won't take credit for this, but I think you're the first to say he's a big reason for these positives.
DB: For sure. He's done a phenomenal job, I don't think you could ask for anything more. When you have 2 players from the previous year and end the season a few games under .500, but you take the MJHL Champions to seven games, that speaks for itself and he continues to do a tremendous job. He knows a lot of people, he's got a lot of contacts, he works hard and puts a lot of miles on. Having such a young team accomplish what they did was phenomenal for sure.
CS: Something you said to me early in the year which really is true for any team, if you miss the playoffs, you're lucky if you break even, but you make the playoffs, chances are you're in the black, so that playoff appearance was huge for this club and the bottom line.
DB: For sure. I think that goes for any junior hockey team across the country, is that playoff revenue. It's revenue our budget doesn't reflect because you don't know if you'll be there every year. But definitely if you make the playoffs, as you can see from our playoffs, going seven games in the first round, we netted almost $10,000. You take that to next year and go two rounds or three rounds, and sooner or later you're looking at very positive dollars.
CS: Derek, you started off your speech tonight saying 'what a difference a year makes.' What did you mean by that.
Boychuk: Well, a year ago I stood up here and pleaded with the people, we had just had almost a $51,000 deficit, and it seemed everything was rolling downhill. Our season tickets had dropped off, our corporate had dropped off, the team was having issues on and off the ice. Then this past year, at the last AGM I set forth some goals, and made it pretty clear to the public we need their support if we want this team to be successful, we had to do something about it. We set goals for season tickets and surpassed that goal of 300. Our corporate is back to levels of two or three years ago, our fundraising has been phenomenal. This board really worked hard this past year. I think we owed it to our community to show them that we as a board of directors could do the opposite of what we did last year. Obviously it helps when you've got an exciting team on the ice, they don't have to win it all, winning is great, but they have to go out and perform, and they did that, and it showed in the bottom line tonight. It feels great to be where we're at right now.
CS: Guy likely won't take credit for this, but I think you're the first to say he's a big reason for these positives.
DB: For sure. He's done a phenomenal job, I don't think you could ask for anything more. When you have 2 players from the previous year and end the season a few games under .500, but you take the MJHL Champions to seven games, that speaks for itself and he continues to do a tremendous job. He knows a lot of people, he's got a lot of contacts, he works hard and puts a lot of miles on. Having such a young team accomplish what they did was phenomenal for sure.
CS: Something you said to me early in the year which really is true for any team, if you miss the playoffs, you're lucky if you break even, but you make the playoffs, chances are you're in the black, so that playoff appearance was huge for this club and the bottom line.
DB: For sure. I think that goes for any junior hockey team across the country, is that playoff revenue. It's revenue our budget doesn't reflect because you don't know if you'll be there every year. But definitely if you make the playoffs, as you can see from our playoffs, going seven games in the first round, we netted almost $10,000. You take that to next year and go two rounds or three rounds, and sooner or later you're looking at very positive dollars.
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