Only hours into his new job, Bill Chow still had some brushing up to do on key issues, but he had a message to send to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and its member clubs.
"We need to assist each other as a league. It's not us against them," the new SJHL president said in a Thursday interview, addressing the sometimes divisive nature of league politics.
Chow, 52, had been announced earlier in the day as the league's new front man, replacing former president Laury Ryan, who stepped down in March. He signed a three-year contract.
Chow has worked with the Prince Albert Police Service for the last 29 years, also spending 25 of those years as a Western Hockey League scout, including the last 10 with the Spokane Chiefs.
The league's board of governors had narrowed down its choice to two applicants the previous week.
Chow scouted for the Melfort Mustangs when they joined the SJHL in 1988 and he said the league's "prestige" and "history" drew him to the job.
"Hockey is deeply embedded in me, obviously, and I thought it was a great opportunity."
SJHL board chairman Rick Shultz said Chow is best equipped to combat the league's issues.
"He recognized the challenges the league has going into the future, and as a board, we believe he had the best ideas to resolve the problems we face," Shultz said in a release.
The chairman added that Chow's time on the force should help him to deal with team complaints effectively.
To that end, the new president said he has "always been able to maintain a level head in making decisions when dealing with people."
Chow will be able to plunge into the new role at next month's league meetings in Nipawin, and there will be a host of issues to handle.
Attendance has been on the decline in many SJHL centres, making it tougher for teams in smaller markets to stay financially stable.
"When it comes to attendance, I don't think we can take a look at each centre and deal with them from a provincial, league point of view," Chow said.
"We have to take a look at each centre and say, 'What's going to work in your centre?' What might work in Estevan might not work in Flin Flon or La Ronge or Kindersley."
Observers across the league have expressed misgivings with the number of U.S. scholarships granted to SJHLers and whether the circuit has marketed its top players well enough.
Chow said the item is high on his priority list for the annual meetings.
"It's been raised as a bit of an area of concern, so I think it's important we figure out a way of maximizing the potential of our players."
The Junior A Supplement was a lightning rod for criticism last season and while it is a two-year pilot project with four other leagues, Chow believes the SJHL should focus on clarity.
"The one thing is I want to make sure everybody understands what it is and how the referees have to call those things.
"Now we have to educate the players. We really want to sit down and communicate with everybody and say, 'What do you think this rule means?'"
Chow also hopes to use his experience and contacts in the WHL to establish better communication between the two leagues.
He said he will keep his job in Prince Albert until early August, long enough to tie up some loose ends.
