Retired defenseman Josh Gorges is not allowed to coach his son’s team because he works for the BCHL team
Josh Gorges had his day in the sun.
A veteran of 783 games and 13 seasons in the NHL, the former Montreal Canadiens defenseman, now retired, simply wants to give back to the game by coaching his children’s team with Kelowna Minor Hockey.
Unfortunately for Gorges, he can’t do that, as he and others are pawns in the political war going on between the British Columbia Hockey League and Hockey Canada.
Last summer, the BCHL decided to break away from Hockey Canada’s jurisdiction due to philosophical differences, with the main issue being that 16- and 17-year-old players had to ask their parents to reside in the province. they wanted to play in the BCHL. The same rule applies nationally to all junior leagues except the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League .
This rule has been a deal breaker for the BCHL, whose main selling point is providing NCAA prospects with an extremely high level of competition and exposure. The 61-year-old league is a feeder system for NCAA hockey with 321 former players currently playing at that level, according to the league’s website.
The BCHL’s approach also conflicts with Hockey Canada’s model, which prefers to see young players move up to the three major junior leagues rather than the NCAA – even though they have no problem with players from the NCAA in their national teams represent the country in international competitions.
According to BCHL commissioner Chris Hebb, the league has prepared a 35-page white paper suggesting a coordinated effort with BC Hockey and Hockey Canada. The latter did not even respond to the initiative while the first was disdainful.
The end result is that BC Hockey and Hockey Canada come down hard on players, coaches, referees, teams or organizations that associate themselves with the BCHL and promise dire consequences, as Ben Lypka of Black Press Media pointed out in his article. find here.
As for Gorges, all he wants to do is give back to the game he loves.
As a player development consultant for the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors and as a hockey dad wanting to coach his kids’ team, Gorges was caught in the middle of this conflict.
“It was at some point, late spring or early summer, I can’t remember exactly, but we knew the BCHL was moving away from BC Hockey. That’s when I started to wonder about my status as a volunteer coach in minor hockey. At the time I was like, wow, they’re not going to say I can’t coach eight-year-olds because I’m working with a junior team because I don’t understand where the conflict would be. It’s not like I can take my eight or nine year old kids and move them to BCHL. But then I applied to coach my son’s minor hockey team and my application was denied. That’s when I was like, ‘Oh, this is real,'” said Gorges, who appealed to BC Hockey and Hockey Canada but was ultimately denied an exemption.
Gorges is certified to coach representative hockey up to under-18s, but he would have had to take additional courses to be qualified to coach his boys’ team. He intended to do so, but once his appeal was rejected, he decided there was no reason to continue the process.
With a son already playing in the HPL (high performance level) league which is also not recognized by Hockey Canada, Gorges chose to stay with the Warriors, help coach the HPL team and help with his other son’s Kelowna minor team in a limited capacity.
“I can go on the ice to practice and watch practice. I am not allowed to take control or direct practice and I am not allowed to be on the bench due to an apparent liability issue,” said Gorges, who retired from the NHL with the Buffalo Sabers in 2018.
Gorges strongly emphasizes that it’s not about him. It’s about giving back, which I know from personal experience is part of its DNA. He has always participated in charity events in the Kelowna area, whether it be fundraisers for the Kelowna Hospital Foundation or golf tournaments, he is selfless with his time.
Now he just wants to be able to give back to the kids – and give back to the game.
“There is nothing in my life that has brought me more joy than being with these little children and seeing them develop and grow and knowing that I can help them be part of the dream that they continue. I love it – I love it. It’s not like I’m doing it because I have nothing else to do. In fact, I want it. I love being on the ice with these kids. I have fun with them. I push them hard in a way that they seem to enjoy – they don’t get frustrated,” Gorges said.
“I build relationships with these little kids and become close with them to the point where I walk through most rinks in Kelowna and there’s usually two or three of them that come up to me and say, ‘Hey coach.’ . For me, that’s the greatest feeling – these little children who could look up to me and act on the things I tell them – that brings me a lot of joy. I know that if my children were to learn from someone who has been where they want to go, I would want them to learn from them. And I’ve always felt that as gamers, we have a responsibility to give back to the next generation – to come back and help continue to develop the game so that it’s better than before.
Regarding the ongoing saga, Hebb and the BCHL have requested a meeting with Federal Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough to express concerns over what they perceive to be actions contradictory to Hockey Canada’s mandate which is to promote sport in Canada.
In the meantime, Gorges and others continue to pay the price.
Veteran BC sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes twice a week for Black Press Media.
LEARN MORE: BCHL separates from Hockey Canada and forms an independent league
LEARN MORE: THE MOJ: Lions Safari in Victoria to show it’s not just about the Vancouver team
