Junior B hockey isn’t only played on the mainland under the umbrella of the Pacific Junior Hockey League, but also on Vancouver Island known as the VIJHL as well as the interior operating as the KIJHL.

All three Junior B leagues have sent various talented players to move on to play in the BCHL as well as the NHL, which shocks many.

Teams have a way in which they operate for the betterment of the community they play out of and if this wasn’t the case, they might not be in operation due to the community turning their back on the team with no support.

Giving is one manner in which to attract fans to “small town’ Canada and we are hearing about a young man from Nanaimo who played four seasons with the Oceanside Generals  and was one of the club’s top snipers. 

Max Creighton (24) eventually advanced his career to play for the Vancouver Island University Mariners’ hockey team, playing two seasons with them.

As a dedicated athlete who strives to always be in peak physical shape, it came as a huge surprise to Creighton and his family when he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time.

“I had it all my life and I didn’t know anything about it,” said Creighton, now an assistant coach with the Generals. “It’s just been like an underlying thing that I’ve had.”

Over the years, Creighton said he had chronic lung problems, suffered from bronchitis and had difficulty breathing.

Doctors initially believed Creighton was simply asthmatic. 

But that diagnosis changed when he was hospitalized in the summer of 2019. After a series of tests, doctors found out Creighton has CF.

With the month of May being Cystic Fibrosis month, Creighton has decided to raise awareness and funds for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, in the search for a cure.

Creighton planned to ride 200 kilometres on his mountain bike, with the goal of raising $2,500 though a GoFundMe account that he has set up. What happened next surprised him and I hit that goal just on the first day.” 

He continued saying “this might be bigger than I think so I made it $5,000 but I hit that in a day or two then I moved it up to $7,500 and hit it again so I made it $10,000.” 

Who really knew how high this would go when it was first started so as he mentioned “I moved it up again to $12,500. I got another $1,500 so I made it $15,000. I think GoFundMe shuts down the goal once you reach it and that’s why I kept on adjusting it. I just didn’t want it to end. I want it to keep on going.”

He is ever so grateful for the on-going support that he has received from family, friends and former teammates.

Creighton mentioned “I am definitely surprised with the support coming from my former teachers, teammates and old acquaintances that I haven’t talked to over the years reaching out, some of whom I don’t even know.”

Creighton currently works at Arbutus Financial as an intern while he completes his Bachelor’s degree in business with a major in finance at VIU having a goal to eventually become a certified financial planner.

He will no longer be playing but intends to continue to coach with the Generals in the VIJHL

Anyone wishing to support Creighton can go to his GoFundMe account.