Michael Bacso enters 10th season as board president of Fort St. John Huskies
Michael Bacso is heading into his 10th season as the board president of the Fort St. John Huskies.
Bacso won by acclimation during the team's annual general meeting on May 7th, where head coach Todd Alexander was also recognized for his 12 years with the organization.
According to Bacso, the team has come a long way from the instability that impacted the team off the ice when he started with the organization.
“We went from an organization scraping by and counting our pennies and nickels to being able to put some money away at the end of the year and save for a rainy day,” said Bacso.
He was surprised to receive his initial nomination for president in 2014, having just finished his studies at Thompson Rivers University.
“Coming on a decade is a monumental milestone for my hockey career. It's a role I didn't see myself getting into, but I feel lucky,” said Bacso.
Since head coach Todd Alexander's arrival in 2012, the Huskies have enjoyed incredible success, including five consecutive finals appearances.
“He’s an outstanding individual and highly respected in the hockey community here in Fort St. John,” Bacso said of Alexander.
“I imagine he’ll work extra hard this offseason with his coaching staff to ensure we're ready to compete for another league championship.”
Fort St. John lost to the La Crete Lumber Barons in this past season’s NWJHL finals, missing out on a fifth consecutive league championship.
Bacso feels the team doesn’t have to change much in terms of play to get back to the top of the mountain.
“We have to make sure we’re bringing our championship mentality every night,” Bacso said. “Whether you're playing Dawson Creek, Fairview, or Peace River, it needs to be there consistently.”
The team also announced that long-time executives Sarah Lange and Danielle Brownlee would be retiring and replaced by Monica Bogner and Alberta Bruce.
Overall, Bacso wants to further the team's relationship with the community and enlarge the volunteer staff, as, according to him, the organization “is always looking for new blood.”
Visit the Fort St. John Huskies website to learn more about the club and volunteer opportunities.
Edward Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca
