Singing the Blues on Bell Island

If I were Bell Island goalie Mark Yetman, I'd certainly have the blues about playing for the Blues.

He’s has started six of the Blues’ seven games this season — former CeeBees forward Brent Lynch, acquired in an early season trade, started the other — and has faced an average of 50 shots a night.

The Blues, not surprisingly, given the makeup of the Avalon East this year, have yet to put a win on the board (I for one, am predicting an 0-24 season).

It’s become common knowledge in senior hockey circles the past few days that the West Coast Senior Hockey League’s Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts are very interested in acquiring Yetman.

Doug Jewer, who was lured to Central from the Mount Pearl Blades prior to last season, is reportedly recovering from surgery and the Cats are in need of a quality puck stopper.

In speaking with Avalon East league president Kevin Dicks earlier this week, it doesn’t appear the Cats will get their wish.

Not too long after the bulk of the Southern Shore Breakers lineup ended up jumping ship for the West Coast league, the AESHL executive decided no further players releases would be forthcoming unless a player could be prove his move to the West was for work, education or extenuating circumstances.

Asked what the league would decide should the Cats find Yetman a job in Grand Falls-Windsor, Dicks said it was doubtful the league would release him.

In my mind, that’s a dangerous approach to take with the West Coast league, especially considering the number of West Coast guys who landed gigs in the East this season. The likes of Andrew Pearcey, Jason Hedges, Keith and Ryan Delaney, Sean Wadden, Chris Mooney… all top end senior talent… migrated east this year.

What’s to stop the West from instituting the same rule prior to next season, thereby limiting the East’s ability to attract new talent?

Dicks, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador senior chair Bill Noseworthy and West league boss Gary Gale are set to meet soon to discuss some ongoing (seemingly neverending) issues around player movement.

Here’s hoping they solve this once and for all.