The River City Jaguars’ management team sees their team’s move to Mountain View Ice Arena in Vancouver as a win-win.
For the Northern Pacific Hockey League franchise, it is a chance to create a real community connection that was lacking during the Jaguars five seasons at Beaverton’s Valley Ice Arena.
For young hockey players in Clark County, the team will offer the chance to perhaps raise their stock while playing in their home town.
“Right now we’re a hockey team. We want to build a hockey franchise here,” said Keith Bemis, the team’s assistant coach and head scout.
General manager Chuck Cheshire is a Vancouver resident and business owner who was involved in the background with the NORPAC franchise, the Pioneers, that played at Mountain View Ice Arena from 2003 to 2007.
Cheshire said his first priority is to begin building a relationship within the community so that Clark County hockey fans embrace the Jaguars as their team.
The River City Jaguars will keep their team name and begin playing at Mountain View Ice Arena in October.
The Jaguars will provide an option for up-and-coming hockey players in Clark County, noted assistant coach and head scout Keith Bemis.
Several Clark County players have played for the Jaguars in recent years. Most local hockey players with college ambitions play outside the area to get noticed by scouts.
Rudi Pino, a former player for the Pioneers, is a Vancouver resident who is playing for the Helena, Mont., team and is among the top scorers in the NORPAC.
Team owner John McBride on Friday signed an agreement with Mountain View Ice Arena owner Bob Knoerl to move the team to the rink at 14313 S.E. Mill Plain in Vancouver.
The team is for players ages 16-20. It plays in one of five Tier III Junior A-level amateur leagues sanctioned by USA Hockey. The players are the same age as those who play for the Portland Winter Hawks. USA Hockey Tier III is roughly three levels below the Western Hockey League.
McBride owns and operates Valley Ice Arena, where the Jaguars have played since joining the NORPAC in the 2005-06 season. He said he suggested moving the team to Vancouver because he believes the team can attract more fans than it was in Beaverton.
“The reason we’re here is this community always supported the hockey teams that have been here,” said McBride.
He said the team has attracted crowds of 200-300 at the 400-seat Beaverton rink. Mountain View Ice Arena has seating for about 500.
“They always had bigger crowds here than we ever did at Valley,” McBride said.
McBride was a founding member of the NORPAC in 2000 and was a part owner of the Portland Pioneers when that team moved to Vancouver in the 2003-04 season. In 2005, the Pioneers were purchased by eight investors led by Joe Loftgren.
The Pioneers won the league championship during the 2006-2007 season. During that season, both the league and USA Hockey investigated accusations of misconduct.
Loftgren and head coach Tim O’Neal agreed to lifetime bans from USA Hockey as part of an agreement that allowed the team to finish the season and participate in the national championship tournament.
Banned from USA Hockey, Loftgren’s Pioneers joined an independent Canadian junior league the following season, but folded after playing only a few games citing unexpected transportation costs.
The Jaguars are one of 12 active teams in the league, which is known in hockey circles as the NORPAC. They play in the Pacific Division against teams in Washington and Oregon.
The NORPAC season runs October through March. The league’s championship series is underway between teams from Seattle and Helena. Both of those teams will play in the USA Hockey Junior A Tier III nationals.
McBride estimated it costs about $175,000 to operate the Jaguars for one season. Ice time and travel are two of the biggest expenses.
Players for NORPAC teams must pay at least $5,500 per season to play under league and USA Hockey guidelines, though teams are allowed to charge more. Most of the players in the league are trying to work their way up the hockey ladder, perhaps by earning a chance to play college hockey.
Some NORPAC graduates have moved on to higher leagues or college hockey. Among the most successful is Tyler Johnson, among the top scorers for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. Johnson scored 56 goals in 39 games with played in the NORPAC’s Ceour d’Alene Lakers in 2006-07.
Most of the players in NORPAC come from the Western United States, though teams are allowed to have two players from outside North America.
The Jaguars finished fourth in their division this season and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
The team will likely play its home games on Fridays and Saturdays, according to Cheshire.
The Jaguars plan to hold a tryout camp in June.
The first order of business, Cheshire said, will be to find local sponsors. Team management will also work to find host families for players. Cheshire said anyone interested in learning about sponsorships or hosting players should visit the team’s Web site, www.rivercityjaguars.com.
Knoerl and his wife, Lisa, purchased Mountain View Ice Arena in 2008. He said bringing in the Jaguars — who will practice for 75 minutes four days a week during their season — strengthens his business.
“To be successful, you have to have diversity in the schedule,” Knoerl said.
