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Sale of Jr. A Raiders falls apart leaving ownership in limbo "The status right now is that the team is still up for sale and that we don't want to say much beyond that," said Moon, who is committed to the Raiders as the GM until the end of May, when they'll stage their rookie camp. He added that if the club remained unsold for an extended period, the organization has EAMONN MAHER identified some candidates to take over the Staff Writer team's currently vacant coaching-staff posiThe apparent ownership exchange of the tions. Georgetown Raiders to Campbellville resident Heinz said he'd be willing to keep negotiaRick Heinz has fizzled and the OHA Provincial tions open and also entertain opportunities to Jr. A Hockey League club remains up for sale. buy another junior club if dealings with When contacted two weeks ago about his Georgetown can't be re-opened. interest in purchasing the Raiders from Peter "It has to be the right opportunity - someFriedmann and Ted Niche, Heinz said that thing close to home, so I can enjoy it," he said. finalizing the sale seemed to be "just a formaliFormer Georgetown bench boss Jay ty" and that he would Anderson accepted the soon take over operahead coaching post tions of the team. But `I don't think we with the Milton "financial discrepancies" IceHawks-- officially can agree on how led to the nixing of the coming on board last to transact this deal late last week, leavTuesday-- and brought ing the team's operathing to make it assistant Blaine Mctions in limbo for the Cauley with him. The work. I would sustime being. longtime Western RICK "It doesn't look like pect it's (the deal) Conference skipper said HEINZ it's going to go through. dead in the water.' he has no plans to There were some T's to reconsider his options cross and I's to dot and because of last week's it's become more of an issue than that," said turn of events-- stating Thursday evening that, Heinz, a former NHL goalie who runs hockey "I'm where I want to be (with Milton)." schools across North America. CRUSHERS ELEVATED: Add another team "I would suspect it's (the deal) dead in the to the OPJAHL's North Conference as the water. I don't see it happening." Orangeville Crushers are just awaiting OHA Raiders' general manager Jack Moon said approval for their move up from the MidMonday that reports of his own departure are Western Jr. B league for the 2006-07 campaign. false and that there are currently no offers on With Georgetown resident Robin Inscoe the table to buy the team. serving as GM, the Crushers will stage a spring When Friedmann bought the Raiders from a training and conditioning camp at the Teen non-profit, community-run group in 2002, a Ranch in Caledon May 5-7. stipulation was made that any future sale of the --With files from Steve LeBlanc, special club was to be reviewed by a locally based (Eamonn Maher can be reached at committee that would have the opportunity to emaher@independentfreepress.com) match any offer. GM Jack Moon denies reports of his own departure from squad Defenceman Deron Cousens (right) of Georgetown just completed his first full year with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League, and while he personally had an excellent season, his team had to endure a stinging elimination from the playoffs earlier this week. Cousens had been motivated to make his return home with the Vees for the Royal Bank Cup championship tournament in Brampton in early May. Submitted photo Cousens' bid to return home for RBC Cup dashed by OT defeat EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Georgetown native Deron Cousens traveled west to play his Jr. A hockey this past year and his hopes of coming home for the 2006 Royal Bank Cup were dashed with a heartbreaking season-ending overtime loss on Monday night in Burnaby. The 19-year-old Cousens and his Penticton Valley First Vees had home-ice advantage in their series with the Burnaby Express, but they came out on the short end in four of the six final games. The Express now moves on to play Fort McMurray, Alta., with the winner of that series qualifying for the Royal Bank Cup, to be hosted by the Streetsville Derbys at the Powerade Centre in Brampton May 6-14. Cousens, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound defender, had hoped to return home to Ontario with the Vees for the national championship tournament, but there is still the consolation of having earned a full scholarship to Michigan Tech University beginning in September 2007 thanks to his exceptional play over the past couple of seasons. "When I set out for B.C., one of the goals was to get back here to play for the Royal Bank Cup, but you know how it is, someone has to win and someone has to lose," said Cousens on Tuesday, just a few hours after the five-hour bus trip home from Burnaby. "We've got a good nucleus coming back here for my last year of junior and hopefully we can make another run at it." The Vees ran into injury problems and some miraculous netminding by Burnaby's Bryce Luker in losing the BCHL final. Cousens had two goals and four assists in 15 post-season games played and notched seven goals and 24 assists in 53 regular-season contests, seeing first-line powerplay duty. Penticton won the BCHL's Interior Division regularSee COUSENS, pg. 22 Umpires and teams needed for ball season New and experienced umpires are needed for slo-pitch and baseball for the 2006 season in Halton Hills. Umpires are required for local high school afternoon games and adult evening slo-pitch leagues. Training and insurance will be provided. Professional umpire clinicians can also be made available to run clinics for baseball, fastball, modified and slo-pitch through the Ontario Umpires Association. For more info e-mailontarioumps@aztecnet.com or call Jim Cottrell at 905-791-0280. ··· Team entries and individual players are being accepted for the Halton Hills Slo-Pitch League's 30 & over competitive men's modified fast-pitch division. Games will be played Sundays at the Georgetown Fairgrounds. For more info call Ed Serjeantson at 905-873-4977.