The Ridge Meadows Flames will have a new head coach and general manager at their helm next season.

That's because Tavis Eaton recently announced that he is stepping aside at the end of this season due to what he describes as "philosophical differences" with the junior B hockey team's ownership on how the Flames should be run.

Eaton has been with the Flames organization in a coaching capacity for eight years.

Over the past three years, he has served as head coach.

While the Flames are clinging to the fourth and final playoff spot in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League's Harold Brittain Conference, the team has struggled mightily this season.

Heading into tonight's road game against the Richmond Sockeyes, the Flames are 7-26-0-1 and have lost four straight since their 10-1 rout of the Port Moody Black Panthers back on Jan. 7.

Last season, the team made the playoffs with a 21-23-0-2 mark, and in 2009/10, the Flames topped the Harold Brittain Conference's regular season standings with a solid 28-16-0-4 record.

This down year has been taxing on Eaton.

"When I was at the top there was no differences," Eaton said. "Now there is all of the sudden, and if that's the way it is, it's time to move on. You can go from the penthouse to the outhouse in a heartbeat. It's time for me to step aside, and they can bring in a new guy and he can do it."

Eaton has agreed to finish this season out.

"I'm disappointed," he said. "I didn't want to do this but I've decided it's best for me and my family. I'm at ease with my decision; I'm at peace. This is part of the business and I get it."

Once he leaves the team, Eaton will miss the players, some of whom he has known for the past four years.

"People don't understand why you do it [coach]," Eaton said. "It's because you realize how much of a difference you can make in [the players'] lives. I've seen some of these guys go from teenagers to young men."

Flames' captain Shane Harle is a perfect example of whom Eaton is referring to.

"I've watched Shane Harle evolve into a bright, intelligent young man," Eaton said. "I'll miss the camaraderie and the special bond you make with all of them [the players]. These are all great young men who all come from great families."

What Eaton describes as "the outside stuff" matters little to him. What's most important to him, he said, are what the players think, noting that they all know about the extra time their head coach spends at the rink.

"Do I make all the right decisions as a coach? No, but I know that in the NHL, they don't always make the right decisions, either," Eaton said. "But this is big boy country and I wear big boy pants, and I get it."

Eaton's 13-year-old son is a goaltender at the bantam rep level, and his home games are played on Friday nights.

"I've only seen him play four times this year," Eaton said.

"People don't understand the extra time myself, my parents, and my wife gives up for this kind of stuff."

Eaton said he's "certainly not" coaching junior B hockey for the money, but he's committed to making a playoff run with a team that he believes can do some damage, if it manages to qualify for the post-season.

Eaton remains philosophical: "You can't have a winner every year. There are times when it's not there, and you have to do what you can."

RIDGE MEADOWS DROPS FOUR STRAIGHT

The Flames are flickering as the losses are beginning to mount for Ridge Meadows' junior B hockey team.

Losses to Richmond Friday and North Delta Saturday drop the Ridge Meadows Flames' record to 7-26.

The Flames remain in fourth spot in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League's Harold Brittain Conference.

They currently have a hold on the final playoff spot in the Harold Brittain, and are four points up on the fifth-place Mission Icebreakers, who are plodding along with a 4-25-0-3 mark. The Icebreakers have two games at hand on the Flames.

"There's lots of talent there [on the roster]," Flames head coach Tavis Eaton said. "We're working hard and we're a lot better team than we were at the start of the year, that's for sure. We've improved a ton. The record is never going to be pretty at the end of the year, but the No. 1 goal is to make the playoffs."

Ridge Meadows, which saw its record drop to 7-25-1, has now lost four straight since its 10-1 thumping of the Port Moody Black Panthers back on Jan. 7.

North Delta Devils 3, Flames 2

Saturday at North Delta's Sungod Arena, Julius Ho snapped a 2-2 tie with 1: 10 remaining in the third period, to lift the home team to victory.

"We made one little mistake at the end of the third and we lost a point," Eaton said.

Danny Brandys scored twice for the Flames in a losing cause.

The Devils had a knack for scoring late during Saturday's contest. North Delta's Stephen Campbell tied the game at 1-1 with two seconds to go in the opening frame.

The teams entered the third period tied at 2-2.

Richmond Sockeyes 7, Flames 2 The Sockeyes led 5-0 early in the third period before the host Flames gave their fans something to cheer about, by scoring their first goal of the night Friday at Planet Ice.

The Sockeyes responded by scoring twice more to move ahead 7-1.

The Flames' Matthew Bissett notched his second of the period with 8: 09 remaining in the game, to round out the scoring in a lopsided Sockeyes' victory.

Richmond, which leads the Tom Shaw Conference and entire PIJHL with a 30-6 record, struck quickly to start both the first and third periods.

The Sockeyes scored 55 seconds after the opening puck drop and then made it 5-0 with a goal at the 51-second mark of the third period.

Jeremy Hamaguchi led the visitors with two goals and one assist while Kyzen Loo scored once and added a pair of helpers for the winning Sockeyes.

The Sockeyes outshot the Flames 34-22 on the night.

The Flames will need to be at full power if they hope to snap the skid on Thursday. That's when they visit Richmond Arena to take on the Sockeyes again.

Then, on Saturday, the Flames will host the 22-9-0-2 Abbotsford Pilots at Planet Ice. Opening faceoff is 7: 30 p.m.

tlandreville@mrtimes.com