EMANUEL SEQUEIRA

KIJHL Communications

Tributes are pouring in for former Kootenay International Junior Hockey League president Len Dergousoff.

The longtime Revelstoke Grizzlies board member, who headed up the league from 1999-2002, died in Salmon Arm, where he resided, after a year-long bout with cancer at the age of 80.

害羞草研究所淟en made a tremendous impact on the KIJHL during his time leading the league,害羞草研究所� says current commissioner Jeff Dubois. 害羞草研究所淗e was instrumental in the addition of franchises in Nelson, Creston and Summerland at a time when the KIJHL only had 11 member clubs, and he had a vision for promoting the league and our high calibre of play that was ahead of its time. He also helped bring the KIJHL into the digital age with the launch of our first website.害羞草研究所�

Grizzlies coach-GM Ryan Parent says the Dergousoff family has been entrenched in the hockey community in B.C. for many, many years.

害羞草研究所淭hey have done some very positive things for the KI, and he害羞草研究所檚 a spearhead of that for sure,害羞草研究所� says Parent.

Jacquie Federico remembers watching her father create KIJHL league schedules by hand. Cards would be all over the living room floor.

害羞草研究所淗e was setting it up, making sure that everybody had it all equal. It was pretty neat how he used to do it,害羞草研究所� says Federico.

Dergousoff loved doing work for the league, he loved hockey and Federico described her father as 害羞草研究所減retty thick-skinned.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淗e didn害羞草研究所檛 have issues dealing with complaints and he did what he needed to do. He loved his role,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淗e was a strong man that way. He害羞草研究所檚 the one who basically got the league registered as a society. Drafted up the constitution that is still in place. I remember them hand typing them up and getting it all organized. There was a lot of push back at that time. Some people liked it, some people didn害羞草研究所檛. At least you had the rules in place.害羞草研究所�

As a volunteer, Dergousoff put in endless hours while also working full-time as a lumber grader at Downie Timber in Revelstoke. Former KIJHL president Bill Ohlhausen worked with Dergousoff as a volunteer, serving in the role of vice-president and doing statistics. Ohlhausen says Dergousoff was very good in his role with the league.

害羞草研究所淗e was focused on the league and he wanted it to go ahead,害羞草研究所� says Ohlhausen. 害羞草研究所淚t was a great honour working with him at the time.害羞草研究所�

His passion rubbed off on the family.

Federico does marketing for the Grizzlies. Her brother Ken played for the Castlegar Rebels and Trail Smoke Eaters with son-in-law Rick Finlay. And his other son Dwayne played for the Rebels and the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. Dergousoff害羞草研究所檚 grandson Louie Federico played for the Grizzlies (2014-16). Dergousoff watched all the home games and often traveled to watch the away games no matter how bad the weather was. He was always proud to wear his 害羞草研究所渢eam hat.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淗e loved being part of the game,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淗e just always loved hockey.害羞草研究所�

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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