The St. Charles Chill Inaugural Season came to a close this past Saturday following Fan Appreciation Night.
A post season party was held at Shamrocks in St. Charles on Monday evening where players, fans and the front office staff celebrated the inaugural season with a final gathering.
The players were eager to talk about how they felt the season went.
“I felt the season was difficult for the first year but being a new team and franchise sometimes that happens. I think the team and organization learned a lot this year and is heading in the right direction,” said Kyle O’Kane, forward for the Chill.
O’Kane was not the only one that felt that the season’s misfortunes may have been in part due to being a new organization.
“I think the season could have went better, we didn’t make playoffs but we had a lot of close games, it’s to be expected with a new team,” said Cameron Cooper, defensemen for the Chill.
Cooper also weighed in on his experiences being on a team led by Coach Jamie Rivers.
“It was awesome playing for Coach Rivers, I learned so much from him as a past defensemen in the NHL, he taught me a lot of tricks and tips,” said Cooper.
Cooper’s teammate Zack Josepher felt similar about Coach Rivers.
“Playing for Coach Rivers was a lot of fun, I just learned as much as possible, he is a great influence,” said Josepher.
Some of the team discussed the challenges that they faced this season.
“I would say that the biggest challenge was having a completely new team and coaching staff, everyone is trying to gel and obviously this season it didn’t work out that well and it took longer than we expected,” said Justin Levac, forward for the Chill.
O’Kane weighed in on why he thought the team had such a hard season.
“We had a few challenges we faced this season, we lost a lot of players to illness and injuries,” said O’Kane.
Even through illness and injury, the guys reflected on the most memorable parts of the first season.
“My favorite memory with the Chill was the first game we won here at home against Brampton it felt really good to win,” said Cooper.
“Playing in front of my hometown was a great experience and great opportunity that I won’t ever forget,” said rookie forward TJ Moor.
O’Kane, also from St. Louis, reflected on how great it was to play at home.
“Playing in my hometown was an unreal experience, having my family and friends in the stands every night was so special. It is something unique and I will never forget it,” said O’Kane.
Outside of all the games that the team played this season, they also attended many charity and non-profit events.
“My favorite event that I went to this season was the Boys and Girls Club of St. Charles where we played floor hockey with the kids and just had a really great time,” said Josepher.
All the guys were in agreement that next season they hope for more wins and a really good playoff run.
The Chill will be back in action later this year, a completed schedule will be available in June. You can keep an eye out for it on the St. Charles Chill website at http://www.stcharleschill.com.
