Community economic woes force Mackenzie Moose to drop out of CIHL teams roster The CIHL is poorer today (Sept. 4, 2007) for the loss of the Mackenzie Moose, a long time member of the league. Moose’s general manager, Tony Atkinson has written to league president, Rose Ruffell of Burns Lake, to announce that the Moose will be unable to ice a team for the 2007-08 season. Atkinson notes that “between the mills situations with Canfor and Pope and Talbot mills, both having problems, and Abitibi and East Fraser in similar positions, this town can’t support the Moose the way the team needs money. We have lost 10 players and a head coach. I feel it isn’t fair to the league, the team or the town to force the issue. We feel if we take this season off then we can get things lined up for next year and be an asset to the league. I would like to thank the people who put in tireless hours to run this league” Let’s hope Tony and the Moose can benefit from a year off, re-group and return to action in the 2008-09 season. We wish the players, the team and the community luck in the coming months. The late announcement of the Moose pulling out, however, exacerbates the current league scheduling position and President Ruffell has accepted Terrace’s Rich Clair’s offer to work on a new schedule. This work has been going on for several days and we are hopeful can be concluded shortly.