Win 3 & Let The Others Be

Before I start this week's blog, I would like to take a moment and commemorate the life of Al Gillies, the Victoria Grizzlies long time Equipment and Stick/Skate repairman Extraordinaire.  I just learned only moments after posting this blog of Al's passing and I have added this piece just now.  Last Friday on the team's trip up to Port Alberni, as we passed Al's house near Spencer Road at exactly this very hour, our Bus Driver honked twice to say hello to Big Al and I know I said a quite prayer for Al along with those on the bus.  Al was a kind, smart and savy equipment man and he was an even better human being and friend to all of us here in the Victoria Grizzlies.  We love you Al and you will be missed.  God Bless you and your family in these difficult times, our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

 Win 3 & Let The Others Be

I always love a good race.  Whether its the Kentucky Derby, the Daytona 500 or yes, even this year's US Presidential Primary Elections, I just love watching a good race.  This year's Island Division playoff run is no exception.  With that said, this year's race is becoming less clear every day.  I will admit though that it is by far more interesting than anything going on in the other two divisions, so maybe we should count ourselves lucky.  What's weird though, at least for the moment, is that just about everybody in this race is losing.  And I do mean everybody.



In a post New Hampshire presser on Tuesday, Trump reacts badly to news of the Grizzlies 4-1 loss to the Kings

Unless your team is the Powell River Kings or the Nanaimo Clippers, you just aren't winning very many games in the run up to the BCHL playoffs in the Island Division.  Conveniently the Grizzlies have managed to have timed their current 5 game losing streak just as the very two teams with whom they are in contact are also suddenly losing.  In the span of the past week, the Grizzlies (0-2) along with the Cowichan Valley Capitals (0-2) and Alberni Valley Bulldogs (0-2) have combined for exactly 0 points between all three clubs.  And that's good news to Grizzlies fans.

Strong goaltending and D will be huge keys to the Grizzlies playoff chances

You have to start asking yourself, does anybody want to win this thing or what?  The fact is that the Grizzlies believe it or not, once again control their own destiny.

With a game in hand now and 2 more wins than Alberni on the season, the math ever so slightly favours the Grizzlies.  Victoria's 4-1 loss at a packed Hap Parker Arena on BC Family Day on Monday was but the latest installment in the longest skid since the start of the season.  The good news is that the team played pretty well after a long day on the road.  It was a brutal day of travel, 17 hours in total and a road trip which even featured a car accident in the Courtney White Spot parking lot to boot.  Apparently an elderly female driver who thankfully escaped without injuries was hoping to create a Drive Thru Window at the Courtney restaurant with her green SUV as the Grizzlies awaited their pre-game breakfast.  What else is new when you travel to "The Rock"?



Its just not a trip to "The Hap" without some sort of drama

Brett Stirling was back in the lineup, along with rookie phenom Tyler Welsh.  Both men were likely not yet 100%, but were able to make up for that with a lot of skill and determination. The goaltending was also pretty solid.  The Grizzlies did connect on the PP in the First Period with PJ Conlon collecting his 20th of the year.  The bad news is that the Grizzlies were once again outshot, this time by a count of 36-30.  It marked the 7th straight game in which the Grizzlies were outshot.  It is a trend the club really needs to break and soon.

The newly designed "Drive Thru" window at the Courtney White Spot

If anybody asked me (and nobody does BTW) I would map out the road to the playoffs for the Grizzlies by suggesting the following simple strategy.  With 8 games to play, call up some APs to rest up anybody who needs a break and not risk further injuries.  But at the same time pick 3 specific matchups which you think you can really win and do everything in your power to win those games.  In other words, play those three target games like they were playoff matchups and win them all.  As for the other 5 matchups, consider them all bonus games.  I call the strategy: "Win 3 & Let The Others Be".

If the Grizzlies can manage to win just 3 of their remaining 8 games, it will force the AV Bulldogs to win 4 of their last 7 games and also demand that the Bulldogs collect an extra point from an OT game in there somehow.  Basically that math would ask the Bulldogs to earn points in 5 of their final 7 games, essentially 9 points in total out of those remaining 7 games.  In spite of a softer February schedule, that could be a very hard task for a Bulldogs team who finish the year with two games at home vs Powell River.

Can #22 Gelsinger with the best snap shot on the club stay hot down the stretch?

This approach will allow the team to get healthy just in time for the playoffs while still remaining competitive.   It will also realistically manage expectations in the face of some pretty daunting opposition down the stretch including two remaining games vs Chilliwack and road games in Wenatchee, Penticton, Langley and Cowichan still on the ledger.

It all starts this weekend for the Grizzlies who will host Merritt on Saturday night and Chilliwack on Sunday in their ultra cool retro 1990's Victoria Salsa jerseys.  Hopefully, Merritt could prove to be Win #1 out of the three victories which I believe the club needs in order to ensure a playoff spot. Alberni will host Salmon Arm on Saturday and Merritt on Sunday.  There will be scoreboard watching a plenty in Victoria over the weekend, that is for sure.  No matter what happens, I can promise you one thing, its going to be entertaining.  See you all this weekend at The Q. - CC

The Value of Momentum

It was a wet and cold night going over the Malahat on Tuesday night, but that didn't seem to worry the Grizzlies who were playing in the rubber match in a season long series vs the Cowichan Valley Capitals which was tied 3-3 at the time.  In less than three hours, the Grizzlies bus would be on its return trip, this time flush with two points on the road after a commanding 7-1 win over the Capitals who frankly looked shell shocked after suffering such a significant loss a home.

The game surprised everyone, but not the first period.  In spite to a pair of penalties against the Grizzlies, shots at the end of the Period #1 were 15-5 in favour of the visitors.  The Grizzlies had plenty of chances but the key moment in the entire game for me was a curious decision by Coach Craig Didmon to use up his timeout with only 51 seconds left in the period.  After an icing call which left his charges gassed, Didmon recognised the strategic significance of what it would mean to suddenly give up a goal so late in the period after dominating it so well.



The ISC, sight of the 7-1 Grizzlies victory on Tuesday night

The timeout worked and moments later the Grizzlies and Caps retired to their respective rooms tied at 0-0 but with Victoria still enjoying the full balance of momentum.  In my humble view, it was the turning point of the contest.

Just a minute and a half into the second period, that momentum would prove vital as the Grizzlies would score off a beautiful half spin move by #17 Joey Visconti.  The Ontario native found himself parked at the right side of Cowichan goalie Storm Phaneuf's crease after a long pass from Illinois D-Man, Jake Setvens who spotted Visconti heading through the slot.  Visconti, waited out Phaneuf and fired the puck over the former QMJHL goal tender and the Grizz were in front for the first time.

Late in the period the Captain, PJ Conlon, who was +5 on the night, would score what looked like a PP goal but with time expiring on the penalty to the Caps, Brayden Gelsinger would make a beautiful cross ice pass from the slot and feed Conlon who was beavertailing for the pass at the far right of Phaneuf.  Conlon dispatched a picture perfect one-timer and suddenly it was 2-0 Grizzlies on the road versus a team who won all three of the first meetings between the two clubs.

The PG Coliseum at -11 without wind chill will host the Grizzlies Friday night

But the bigger story of the game to that point however was Matt Galajda, once again turning back shot after shot and when necessary halting play when he felt pressure.  This goalie is starting to now garner the attention of the whole league.  His GAA numbers are now in the top 3 and his win-loss record in the last two months is as good as any goalie in the league.

But it was the third period which saw what is really interesting about this year's Victoria Grizzlies.  This team is truly a team of redemption.  After suffering through the worst start in franchise history, the Grizzlies now seem to have shaken off the past and are scoring at will on most nights.  They are also defending with a fierce determination.

Saturday night will see the Grizz return to Chilliwack, site of the team's frist win of the 2015/16 season

With two more quick goals, Conlon would earn a natural hat trick early into the third period which would be his first as a Grizzly but more importantly would represent the team's second hat trick in three games after witnessing Gelsinger's 3 goal performance on Friday night versus the Kings.  The period would continue to go all Grizzlies with Pickup scoring a goal along with his three assists but only after Gelsinger (my pick for BCHL Player of the Week BTW) would score his 6th goal in three games.  The game would end with a Nick Guiney unassisted goal on a breakaway created by the Langford native who timed a wayward interception in the neutral zone perfectly.

Sunday, the Grizzlies will close out the 4 game road swing on the Olympic size surface in Surrey

The Grizzlies now get set for three big games on the road in the longest road trip of the year in Prince George, Chilliwack and Surrey.  In PG, the Grizzlies will see A/HC Tyler Matheson behind the bench for the very first time as the Acting HC with Coach Didmon back in Victoria with school teaching duties.  We will now see if this surging Grizzlies club, the only BCHL team without a defeat in the 2016 calendar year can keep this theme of redemption and its incredible momentum on the rise as the month of January reaches the midway mark.  Talk to you from the Prince George Coliseum on Friday night everybody. -CC

Flying Under The Radar, Grizzlies Saga Continues

Before we start this BCHL Grizzlies blog I have just one thing to say:  The CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders (I will never call them the Renegades or the Red Blacks or whatever they are supposed to be called these days) are going to the Grey Cup next Sunday!!!  OK, I am done now, back to the Grizzlies.



Could a repeat of the 1981 Grey Cup avenge #77 Tony Gabriel's outrageous, "Triple Offensive Pass Interference" call?

As this Grizzlies Club approaches the halfway mark of the 2015/16 season, if I had to sum up the season in one word I would say: "under the radar".  OK, fine, that's technically three words but you get the idea.

I recently noticed something which may prove my point.  Have you seen the latest Subway Poll on the BCHL Web Site?  The latest poll asks BCHL fans to decide whom they think is the BCHL's fastest skater. I enjoy these polls and I never, ever pass up an opportunity to cast a vote. But Keyvan Mokhtari didn't even make the list for some reason.  That tells me that the Grizzlies are literally flying at tree top level at this point in the 2015/16 season.  Nobody is paying any attention to this team and that suits me just fine. 

So why is that?  Why are the Grizzlies off of everyone's radar?  With all due respect to any Eagles fans reading this blog, if your team starts the year 1-10 and one of your losses is at home vs South Surrey and your "1-10 team" also sports the league worst Powerplay with the most SHGA, chances are that you won't be turning too many heads.

Nope, as we approach the halfway mark on this season, I think it is safe to say that the Victoria Grizzlies may be the least talked about team in the league by BCHL pundits.  And that also suits me just fine.

But here is what is really interesting to me:  the Grizzlies are now 6-3-0-1 in their last ten games, which makes them the hottest team in the Island Division over that period of time.  Remember too that during that stretch, the Grizzlies lost twice to the Trail Smoke Eaters for reasons which still elude even the most knowledgeable BCHL experts.  In short, the Grizzlies are doing just fine for a team which returned only 6 veterans who played for all of last season.

Alleged designer of Grizzlies 2015/16 Schedule

What is also pretty impressive is that due to a Machiavellian designed schedule, the Grizzlies have played no less than two straight 3 game back to back sets in 8 days and five of those six games were on the road.  Its not a season, its more like an ancient saga.  They are accomplishing all of this with a Powerplay which has surrendered a league high 9 SHGA and is running at 7.81% efficiency on the road.   That is pretty unbelievable and when you think about it.

So how is this possible you ask?  here is how:

Nov 10 - Grizzlies 5 at Powell River 2. The Grizzlies, after nearly vomiting their entire way across the Strait of Georgia in one of the worst storms since Hurricane Katrina lead by Alex Peck, (Miley Cyrus's inspiration to the song "Wrecking Ball") and owner of the most sick jersey number in the BCHL, scored a SHG and an assist, an act which single handily doubled his season's offensive totals in one game.  He, along with his billet buddy, Brett Stirling on D, lead the club in breaking the collective spirit of the Kings to see the Grizzlies enjoy the first Regular Season win at The Hap Parker in almost two years.

Nov 13 - Grizzlies 3 at Coquitlam 4 (OT 2). Coming from behind, the Grizzlies force OT at the "Poirier Pin-Ball Palace" lead by the Smoothie Line of Gelsinger, Hahn and Livingstone along with the young and speedy Tyler Welsh and Keyvan Mokhtari, two players who also lead the league in "most hours spent in deep REM sleep" while travelling in a BCHL team bus this season.

Captain PJ Conlon with D-Day Veteran in Coquitlam on 13 Nov

Nov 14 - Grizzlies 3 at Merritt 2.  While playing in the league's smallest ice surface, towering 6'5'' forward Spencer Hunter's 2nd period blistering wrist shot from the top of the circle would find the net. The shot and ensuing goal which would normally have measured at 30' in most arenas but was closer to 10' at the Nicola Valley, would be credited to rookie phenom Welsh.  Welsh who was somehow confused by the referee with the "somewhat taller" Spencer Hunter, was not only on the bench at the time of the goal but was to his credit, like his line mate Mokhtari, wide awake and out of any REM sleep at the time of the go ahead marker by his more vertically endowed team mate. But the club would neither care nor complain about the box score or win and instead travel all night, arriving in Trail like frat house students at 7am the following morning to sleep about 3 hours before playing the Smokies at 3pm.

Grizzlies @0630 posing upon arrival at their Rossland BC chalet on 15 Nov

Nov 15 - Grizzlies 1 at Trail 2.  After team +/- leader, Dante Hahn (+11) would give the Grizz a first period 1-0 lead, the Grizzlies would suddenly realize in the second period that they were playing on about 15 minutes of sleep and fail to hold on, surrendering a crushing SHGA in the second and lose a squeaker at the oldest rink in the BCHL (Cominco Arena 1949).  They would then travel all night and look far worse than anything National Lampoon could ever conjure boarding a BC Ferry the next morning at Tswassen.  All the while knowing that they would be facing the Clippers at The Frank on Wednesday.

Nov 18 - Grizzlies 1 at Nanaimo 5.  Trailing 3-1 with one minute to play, the Grizzlies would give up the puck on  a bit of late high risk play in an effort to come back vs the always offensively powerful Clippers.  The good news was that the Grizzlies PP went 1 for 3 on the night on the strength of Cole Pickup's 8th goal on the season from Conlon and Massy.  The Grizzlies would outshoot the Clippers 31-27 in a game much closer than the score would indicate.

Nov 19 - Trail 3 at Grizzlies 2.  With a first period PP goal by Pickup and a short handed maker by Mokhtari (possible Goal of the Year candidate), the Grizzlies would squander a 2-0 lead and lose the game to a Smoke Eaters team who had apparently seen the movie Animal House and instead chose to travel the day prior in order to save bus legs. Trail would outlast the travel weary Grizzlies team who were running on less fumes than a Chrysler Cordova during the Carter Administration's 79' Oil Crisis.



#15 - Mokhtari's 19 Nov SHG vs Trail on Goal of The Year?

 

Nov 20 - Capitals 2 at Grizzlies 6.  In front of a season high nearly 1,200 fans at the Q Centre on Military Appreciation Night and with Coach Didmon completely changing around his line combinations, the Grizzlies would have a coming out party in a number of areas. Brayden Gelsinger would net 4 points on the night while Mokhtari would earn 3 himself.  But the story of the night was Chuck Bennis's impression of the WWE's "The Undertaker" as he gave Ayden MacDonald every reason to suddenly "come down with the flu" on the morning of 12 Jan, 2016 for the teams' next scheduled meeting.  The fight was so one-sided and primordial in nature, after breaking the internet on Saturday morning, YouTube put out a new directive forbidding the posting of any hockey fight videos containing the words "Chuck Bennis", "The Undertaker" or "This video hurts my eyes" until further notice.



BCHL pundits have suggested that this image may be the source of an expected flu epidemic at the ISC on 12 Jan, 2016

By the way, I never did cast a vote in that BCHL poll.  How do you vote in a poll which was missing the correct answer?  Go Renegades! -CC





       





 

Is There a Most Improved Award? Grizzlies On a 4-0 Roll

It never seemed to matter what year it was for me, I always loathed the moment.  Nearly every year it was the same thing, winning the dreaded Most Improved Student Award. The school would even phone my parents to make sure that they were in attendance.  The whole student body would be sitting in the auditorium and all the smart kids and all the athletic kids would get trophies and awards.  Eventually near the end of the ceremony, they would present a blue ribbon for the student who showed the most improvement for that year. And each year they would call up this awkward looking idiot savant to collect his ribbon.  And trust me back then, there was way more "idiot" than there was "savant".

The Victoria Grizzlies in my humble opinion may just end up at the end of the year being the BCHL's most improved team.  And while there are no blue ribbons, that team more often than not is the one that goes on a nice playoff run.

When we last talked, the Grizzlies had gone 1-2 on a very average road trip to the Interior.  There was improvement, but it was hard to spot.  The team were being called Team Ikea by some of the young people and fans I talk to outside the Q Centre after games.  "I tell ya Clay they're Team Ikea, all hard work and fine craftsmanship but no finish."

Then the Grizzlies travelled up to Nanaimo two weeks ago and experienced what I will refer to as "The Mid Island Meltdown".  Even after Scotty Didmon's stirring and motivational pregame speech as the bus unloaded at The Frank, the Grizzlies still lost.  Leading 4-3 with 35 seconds to play, they would somehow end up losing 5-4 in regulation.  It may have been one of the worst losses in franchise history.  In many ways it was the Grizzlies' Chernobyl.



Frank Crane Arena as seen from the air on 28 Oct, 2015

What was missed however was how well the Grizzlies played in the first 59 minutes and 25 seconds of the game. I saw an offensively challenged team suddenly erupt with 4 goals over one of the best teams in the entire league.  Sure it was a bad loss, but I saw it as a positive sign in many respects.
The following night back at The Q Centre the Grizzlies outplayed and outlasted the Powell River Kings.  They won 3-1 on the strength of an early lead, great team play and outstanding goaltending by Matthew Galadja.  The next night and it was the Cowichan Valley Capitals. Once again it was a nice tidy 3-2 win with only two unfortunate short handed goals to blame on an otherwise picture perfect night of balanced hockey.  Then on Friday the Grizzlies would win a 2-1 squeaker at The Q Centre on Parents Night.  Suddenly the Grizzlies were 3-0 since the Mid Island Meltdown.

And just hours ago, the Grizzlies blew away a very frustrated Prince George Spruce Kings team 7-3 and it is now 4 wins on the bounce.  What is going on in Grizzlies Land?



Parents Weekend pre-game ceremonies for The Grizzlies on Friday

Before I answer that, I want to explain why I used to dislike so intensely that award for Most Improved Student in Middle School.  Even as the Principal read out the award, it always translated in my head like this:  "In September this young man was without question the #1 worst student in school.  This student was an absolute grease fire when it came to math, English and science.  In fact, this student was so bad, many on the faculty wondered if maybe there wasn't a village somewhere looking for its requisite idiot."  Then they called my name and I walked past Barb Graham who used to like me when I was the class clown, but not so much since I changed into Dudley Do Right.  I climbed up on the stage to receive that blue ribbon from our school Principal with my parents snapping photos and looking so proud.  To me the whole thing was a humiliating episode.  I remember secretly promising myself that one day, I would burn the ribbons.  Remember, I was only 12 and I had a crush on Barb Graham at the time.

The Victoria Grizzlies are doing a lot of things really well at the moment and that starts in goal.  I believe that the Grizzlies possess the best "One-Two Punch" in goal in the entire league.  While Matt Galadja is universally excellent, Mitchell Benson is perhaps the best kept secret in the BCHL.  I think he may even be the most under-rated player in the entire BCHL.  On the nights when he starts, he is flat out fantastic in net.  The Grizzlies are also playing very well defensively.  Van Lierop, who at times can keep the puck in the zone by simply using the back of his trailing skate, has been outstanding.  But so too has the rest of the D-Corps who are now all beginning to add a goals and helpers from the point.

Cody Van Lierop high fives his adoring fans at The Q Centre

Maybe best of all are the forwards.  Everybody is contributing now.  "The Senior Line" of Pickup, Conlon and Barker are routinely +1 each night.  "The Smoothy Line" with Hahn, Gelsinger and Livingstone score goals and cause fits in the offensive zone.  Then there is the fan favorite "The Shock and Awe Line" of Welsh, Mokhtari and Guiney.  The line has quickly become one of the most fearsome line combinations in the league and they seem to improve each night.  There are PGA golf balls which fly through the air slower that Mokhtari when he gets going.

In short the Grizzlies have made a serious turn on their season.  With three lines capable of scoring and doing so on a regular basis, suddenly the pressure is coming off the leaders in the Dressing Room.

But much work is still left to be done.  To say that the Powerplay has issues is a bit like saying that Dr. Phil's guests may need to "do a little work on themselves."  The Grizzlies PP is currently dead last at 17th in the league with a 12.24% efficiency rating.  But if you calculate in the 8 Short Handed Goals Against, that stat drops to 4.081% in terms of overall effectiveness.  The good news is that the PK is second only to that of the Penticton Vees.  The PK is solid and was a big part of the recent 4 game win streak.

Dr.Phil recently discussing the Grizzlies Powerplay and SHGA

So while they don't hand out little blue ribbons at the end of the season for "The BCHL's Most Improved Team Of The Year", the Grizzlies can take solace from the fact they are slowly pulling themselves out of a very deep hole. This slow improvement could pay off huge come playoff time.

One last word about those humiliating "Most Improved Student" blue ribbons.  You know those little boxes/chests people keep usually in their garage or attic with mementoes and pictures from days gone by?  Well I just went downstairs to have a look at mine. 

There's a whole pile of report cards in there and some high school football pictures.  At the bottom are these three blue ribbons and you will never guess what they say?  There's even a picture of me and Barb Graham at the Grade 8 Graduation Dance.  I guess sometimes even Dudley Do Right can get a second chance.  Talk to you in Powell River on Tuesday Night. -CC

Thuring Points, Mercury Cougars and Bobby Smith: The Grizzlies Get Weekend Split

Whenever I think of the term "turning point", I don't think of the iconic "TSN Turning Point", I think of the great Bobby Smith.  I still remember those rides home with my Dad after Ottawa 67s games as I sat in the passenger seat of that big American built, 1975 Mercury Cougar.  For those of you who have no idea what that might have been like, let me provide you a quick visual description.  The 75' Cougar was half boat/half luxury car/half army tank.  It was so fast and powerful that it actually won the 1976 Daytona 500.  The car was so big and so intimidating that Clint Eastwood would one day make one of his finest films about the very vehicle which inspired the Cougar, the Grand Torino.  In 1975, the Cougar's massive Q-code 351 "Cobra Jet" V8  engine was so big that to this day, some environmentalists still claim that the Cougar was likely the primary and singular cause for modern day climate change.

1975 Cougar, a greenhouse gas, muscle car if there ever was one

I remember sitting in the passenger seat after those Ottawa 67s games, unable to see over the massive front dash board of the great beast, but still able to hear my Dad's predictable question:  "Well Clayton what did you think was the turning point tonight?"  Back in those days, my answer was almost always something like, "I though Bobby Smith's 3rd period Power Play goal was really cool." (give me a break, I was 9).  True story, Bobby Smith, who played for the Ottawa 67s from 1975-78 was actually a patient in my dad's medical practice at the time. 


Smith, played as a 20 year old in 77-78 winning the OHL Scoring Race

Yes, it's true.  When the great Bobby Smith, the player who beat Wayne Gretzky in the 1978 OHL scoring race was playing Junior for the 67s, he used to visit a doctor on Carling Avenue in Ottawa who drove a gas guzzling 2 door luxury sedan which only got about 3.9 miles/gallon.  His family doctor's name was Brian M. Cochrane, MD, my dad.



Bobby Smith's former doctor with grand kids & (Grandmom) long after the 75' Cougar

Soon Smith would be drafted 1st overall by the Minnesota North Stars and on his way a Calder Trophy, later a Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Montreal Canadienns.  But back in those days, in that old 75' Cougar, Bobby Smith was just the normal topic of post-game hockey conversation, as our family car spewed primordial levels of carbon monoxide and other untold gases up and down the Ottawa Valley on those long trips home in the dark.  If Jane Fonda only knew, she would have been outraged.

Smith in NHL, his goal celebrations were to skate back to Centre Ice

The point of those conversations though, often centred, not on the 6'4'' stalwart 67s Centre, although my Dad often pointed out to me how "Bobby never celebrates beating an opponent", but on the importance of turning points and momentum in hockey games.  I also learned that not very often, but occasionally, there is a play in a game, which not only turns a game around, but it can actually end up as a momentum changer which can turn around a whole season.  Other than Coach Didmon's return behind the bench last December, I can't think of a singular on-ice moment which was a season changing moment.  But I think that an actual on ice, season turning point may have actually occured at The Q Centre last Friday night.

With the Grizzlies on a 6 game losing streak and facing the Island Division leading Powell River Kings on Friday, nobody was worried about turning points; certainly not the Grizzlies who just needed a win.  Trailing 2-1 after two periods, a four goal 3rd period explosion suddenly took place lead by Cole Pickup(4th), Chuck Bennis(2nd), Kevin Massy(3rd) and Keyvan Mokhtari(1st).  The sudden offensive outburst not only ensured a victory against the top team in the BCHL at the time, but it may very well have turned around the expectations and outlook on an entire season.

#5, Falconer, a Grizzlie Rookie Forward finding his game

But let's get back to that turning point for a second, because I don't want this moment to be lost on any one reading this article.  It wasn't a goal.  It wasn't a save.  In fact, at the time it wasn't even very noticeable at all.  But it was huge just the same.

With just seconds ticking down in the 2nd period, with the Grizzlies trailing yet again in a hockey game, a mad scramble suddenly ensued in front of the home net.  Powell River's Liam Lawson broke free of his check near the crease with a wide open net in front of him.  After putting the puck on net, a quick thinking Keyvan Mokhtari, seemingly coming out of nowhere arrived in the crease and with the puck dribbling ever so close to the goal line, the young Grizzlies rookie batted the puck clear.  The buzzer sounded.  His defensive intervention, not only saved an obvious goal and kept the game to within reach for the third period, it might have saved the Grizzlies entire season.



Every Grizzlie contributed to the 5-2 win over Kings on Friday

Think about it.  Had that puck gone in, both club's would have gone to their respective dressing rooms with the visitors up 3-1.  It would also have been another of those dreaded buzzer beaters, pure momentum killers.  With a Grizzlies team who at that point was averaging well under 2 goals/ game, the prospect of a comeback would have been slim.  But with that innocuous goal line puck clearance by Mokhatari and the rest of his line mates, the Grizzlies made a statement. "Not tonight. Not on my watch".

It changed the whole game and I think it may end up changing the whole season.

The Grizzlies came out of that final intermission like men possessed.  They moved the puck so quickly and they threw the body around so hard, the Kings never stood a chance.  The Grizzlies would not quit.  Two nights later they would show the same intensity, this time in a losing effort to another team vying for the Island Division title, the upstart Cowichan Valley Capitals.  Disappointingly, the game would end in a 5-4 loss, but not before another rookie, this time #17 Joey Visconti would score a pair of goals, including his first of the season.  Visconti's first was also the club's first short-handed goal of the campaign.  In short, the Grizzlies would end up going 1-1 on the weekend but only after scoring a total of 9 goals. Amazingly, those 9 goals on the weekend represented almost half the number of goals they had scored in the previous 12 contests combined.  The Grizzlies are scoring again.  The team is finding its form and confidence.  Best of all the rookies are contributing offensively just as the injured defensemen are beginning to return to the roster.

Trivia Question: Which Grizzlie buried this season's 1st Shortie?

Now if you will excuse me, I have to run out and go pick up one of my son's from hockey practice.  I don't know what we will discuss tonight on the ride home, but I am sure hockey will be the subject.  All I know is that our post practice talk will take place in a fuel efficient, ultra-low emission, Japanese built, Acura 1.7 EL, a vehicle which can run on a thimble of fuel.  It's also a car which I am pretty sure will never, ever win the Daytona 500.  Don't worry, I only drive it to impress Jane Fonda.

Talk to you Friday night from Salmon Arm. -CC

Lose An Engine, Wind Your Watch: Grizzlies After Three Straight Losses

I remember this funny thought I had on the day the entire world learned the name, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

US Airways Flight 1549 with Captain Sullenberger (Insert)

 

If his name still eludes you, Captain Sullenberger was the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 on 15 January, 2009.  The plane struck a flock of Canadian Geese during its climb out of LaGuardia, NYC and ended up making an emergency ditching in the Hudson River just a few kilometres from the World Trade Centre.  To this day, most aviation experts consider the actions of Sullenberger and his crew that day to be one of the finest examples of airmanship in the history of commercial aviation.

Back to that funny thought which I had as I gazed, mouth wide open at the live CNN television coverage of an airliner floating on the surface of the Hudson River, its passengers all standing on the wings.  I remember thinking about the pilot and wondering out loud about something which the guys at work all thought was crazy of me to ponder.  I wondered if the pilot had just wound his watch.

Craig Didmon is one of the few coaches in the BCHL who I would humbly submit might need to wind his watch at the moment.  After three games to start the new season, the Victoria Grizzlies are 0-3 and off to one of the slowest starts in recent memory.  If the Grizzlies were the Vancouver Canucks, the local Vancouver media would be up in arms and there would be a line-up of reporters outside of Coach Willie Desjardins' office demanding answers.  In short, there would be bedlam in Vancouver after an 0-3 start.  That's just the way it is nowadays in this world of instant gratification.  The fact is that many hockey coaches and GMs in the game would at this point be either hitting the panic button or at least searching frantically for its location.

And that's where Captain Sully Sullenberger and his wrist watch comes into the Grizzlies' story.



Capt Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles

 

When I was a teenager and was working on my Private Pilot licence, I had this great old school instructor at the Ottawa Flying Club. I always remember his instruction concerning in-flight emergency procedures.  I remember one day when he threw this emergency at me while we were in the air over Carp and he watched me conduct a series emergency procedures.  After the drill was over and I was feeling quite proud of myself for nailing it, (or so I had thought), he told me that I had forgotten the most important and first thing you need to do when you have a serious problem in an aircraft.  "And you know what that is right Clay?" he queried over the aircraft's headsets?  Flush with my freshman philosophy about flying at the time, I retorted with a typical teenager response to a good question from a great teacher, the sound of crickets.

Captain Sullenberger with a young flying enthusiast (possibly author's 1986 doppelganger)

I  remember my instructor smiling and explaining to me that when things are really "turning pear shaped" in the cockpit, you should always take a moment and wind your watch.  The basic idea behind this seemingly strange routine is to slow your mind down.  This way you tend to not overreact with too much "fast hands and feet" which could make a bad situation a whole lot worse.  If you don't take a second to think and you just react, you might take a recoverable aircraft which is in trouble and put it into an unrecoverable position and end up having a really bad day.

When we got on the ground and we shut down, he told me that I was quite strong with my emergency procedures and checklists but that my "hands and feet" were a bit too fast and that I needed to slow down a bit and take time to think.  "And that's why you always just check your wrist and wind your watch before you do anything, OK?"  I felt a little lump in my throat as I looked at my instructor and recognized the wisdom of this invaluable lesson in both flying and life.

When it comes to the Grizzlies, a panicky type would point to the fact that The Grizzlies have been outshot in 6 of 9 periods thus far and point to the lack of offense.  One might notes how many players are well into minus numbers in their +/- stats after three games.  A "Nervous Nelly" might demand action pointing out the fact that in the last 300 minutes of play, (less 5 mins in Cowichan) going back to 7 March 2015, the Grizzlies have trailed in every minute of those 300 minutes.  The over-reactive type might call for a bunch of drastic line changes and maybe even a few roster moves.  Good move or bad move, a panicky coach would certainly forget to wind his watch and he just might start making wild moves.

Gelsinger (22) and Pickup (14) Leading the Grizz

 

But let's step back for a moment and talk about how the Grizzlies are playing.  Frankly, I am not overly concerned, heck we are only three games into a 60 game schedule.  I think in general, the Grizzlies are playing quite well in spite of the three road losses.  Remember the Grizzlies have only seven retuning veterans in the lineup and two of them, Cody Van Lierop and Nick Guiney were sidelined in the last two losses with Van Lierop, a top D man missing all three games.  The losses have all been close one or two goal contests. The Grizzlies have one of the best goaltending tandems in the BCHL and team defence looks solid so far.  The Power Play can score goals and the team's leaders like, PJ Conlon, Cole Pickup, Kevin Massy and Brayden Gelsinger have lead the way offensively pretty well so far.  Don't forget that the Grizzlies also own the #1 PK in the league, which currently sits at 91% efficiency.  In fact the PK would be at 100% efficiency if it were not for Kevin Massy being tripped while killing off a Clippers PP on Friday night which temporarily left only three penalty-killers on their feet, which turned a 5 on 4 PP into a 5 on 3 situation.

 

So are things really that bad?  I think not.

Capt Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles

If you go on-line and listen to the Cockpit Voice Recorder, (CVR) of US Airways 1549 its really quite chilling.  There's Sully Sullenberger, climbing out of LaGuardia on a cold January afternoon on his way to Charlotte, NC.  He even points out to his co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles how beautiful the Hudson River looks on the day.  Suddenly he says to his Co-Pilot says: "Birds."  The Airbus A320 flies through the flock of geese and within seconds the two pilots know that they have lost both engines. They know as well that they have zero chance of a re-start on either engine and they have nowhere to land as they are now gliding over Manhatten at well under 5,000 feet.  This is what pilots call "an in-flight emergency".  Within three minutes, the airplane would be carefully managed to a safe and effective emergency water landing in the middle of the Hudson River and all passengers would exit unharmed and be rescued by various water craft who would rush to the stricken airliner.  Meanwhile Captain Sullenberger, after wading through water up to his knees in the back of the airplane to check for any forgotten passengers, would be the last to board a rescue craft.  No panic, no emotion, just a cool, professional reaction to a frightening situation.

Coach Didmon at The Office

And frankly, that is what the Grizzlies need at the moment, just a calm and professional reaction by the one commanding "the aircraft".   I am pretty sure that is exactly what Coach Didmon has in mind; I have watched him coach for years now.  At the end of the day, The Grizzlies have simply lost a few hockey games.  They have lost a few hockey games with a roster full of talented rookies, each of whom who are slowly finding their way in the early days of their respective BCHL careers, hardly an emergency.

You know I read somewhere that Tom Hanks is going to play the role of Captain Sully Sullenberger in a new Hollywood movie coming out soon about Flight 1549.  I wonder what they will have his character do when he suddenly sees that flock of Canadian Geese appear in his window and he finds himself at low altitude over America's largest city in an airplane full of people and fuel with no operating engines?  I hope they show him winding his watch.

Grizzlies Meeting Author's Idol, Ron MacLean (note author not in photo)

New Season Game 1: Nothing Shawshank About It At All

OK, straight up, this blog has nothing to do with the movie The Shawshank Redemption.  You hear me?  Nothing! 

 

But here is the strangest thing:  I recently learned that if I mention that movie even one time in my writing, my readership goes up five times its normal rate, all thanks to the magic of the internet.  Five times!  And if I can get 500 English Lit students in Germany to suddenly read about the Victoria Grizzlies, well all I can say is: Zihuatanejo. 

 

 

 

OK, now that we have established the fact that I am a complete shill, let's talk about the first game of the 2015/16 Regular Season.

 

Game 1 is in the books, a 3-2 road loss to The Cowichan Valley Capitals on Friday night at The Island Savings Centre (aka The Big Stick).   Frankly, even though it was a loss, there were a lot of positive signs for Grizzlies fans to take away from the night.

 

Oh, and BTW, if I have already lost you with my selfish Shawshank nonsense, you can watch this cool Youtube video by our amazing Video Guy Roy Antonisen (best in the BCHL) which shows the night's action and pretty much tells the whole story:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQsmC5fFqJ4

 

In the first period the Grizzlies were outshot 11-7 in what I thought was a bit of a scrambling opening frame.  At the halfway mark of the first, the Grizzlies surrendered the first goal on the night to the Capitals Matthew Hudie after he broke in on Matt Galajda.  What stung on that goal was the assist to Chris Harpur, who the Grizzlies lost in the off season in compensation for the January 10 Thomas Gobeil trade.  In spite of the Caps early lead, a late PP goal by Cole Pickup provided a window of insight into what the team may become this year.  

 

Grizzlies newcomer but long time BCHL veteran Brayden Gelsinger really got things going on the goal by moving the puck with authority and finding Pickup alone in the slot which the Langford native quickly dispatched past Storm Phaneuf, the Caps goaltender.  The Grizzlies showed that they definitely have the parts necessary to compete on the man advantage with fluid puck movement on the PP.  The point men of Brett Stirling and Jake Stevens were impressive anchoring the PP all night.  The first period ended all tied up 1-1 and things were looking pretty solid in “Grizzlies Land” while on the road on the opening night in the BCHL.

 

Photo Credit - Kevin Rothbauer - Cowichan Valley Citizen

 

The second period started even better for the Grizzlies as none other than Cole Pickup put his team ahead with a shot banked off the light blue coloured left pad of Phaneuf, still sporting his equipment from his last QMJHL club the Chicoutimi Sangenuees.  That goal was set up by a solid Grizzlies forecheck and a battle behind the Caps net which included Gelsinger again, along with new team Captain, PJ Conlon.   It was looking like Pickup might collect his first ever BCHL Hat Trick on the night, but the goals dried up pretty quick after the Grizzlies took the lead as Phaneuf started to show why he played 80 games in the QMJHL over the last four years.  With Phaneuf showing his Major Junior form in net, the Grizzlies struggled offensively in spite of a number of quality scoring chances throughout the game.

 

But the story of the night unfortunately devolved into rough and perhaps even dirty play as a number of scrums broke into fights or near fights.  Queue the turning point on the night, late in the second period after a scoring chance in the Caps crease came up empty, far away from the play a melee broke out involving Gelsinger and former Grizzlies player Mitch Meek.  Meek was playing in his first game as a Cap since he was picked up in the 2012 Supplemental Draft by this very Capitals organization. 

 

What actually occurred in the bottom of the pile may never be known, but one thing is for certain, Brayden Gelsinger needed assistance to get off the ice in order to have his right eye examined after an alleged gouging at the hands of the former Grizzly, Meek.  Meek ended up with a Match Penalty in the incident and a Game Misconduct was handed out to Gelsinger for his role in the altercation.  The upshot of it all was that the Grizzlies would be without possibly their best player on the night for the final period when the game was tied at 2-2.  Gelsinger, along with the rest of the top line of Pickup and Conlon were +1 at that point in the hockey game when he was forced to take an early shower.

 

But the hockey game would turn on its head during a Grizzlies Powerplay just three minutes into the 3^rd period when rookies Cory Iapalucci and Tyler Welsh would get caught up with each other while both players were trying to carry the puck into the offensive zone.  At that moment the Capitals crafty Adam Osczevski would steal the puck and race into the Grizzlies end taking a quick shot from the slot.  The shot was saved by Galajda but the rebound bounced clear into the open crease and Kade Kehoe sat over the gift puck with the easiest of finishes he will probably see all season.  It was a tough play, but one that will often occur early into any new season for any club with so many rookies.  In spite of a spirted attempt in the final minutes to tie the game with the net empty, the Grizzlies would come up short and the game would end 3-2.  The Grizzlies would outshoot the Caps 28-25 in the contest in front of a healthy 907 fans at the ISC.

 

All told the Grizzlies made a proper account of themselves.  I was particularly impressed with the team's ability to manage long periods of sustained puck possession in spite of only having a single left handed defenseman in the lineup with new Assistant Captain Cody Van Lierop out with an upper body injury.  Van Lierop is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday night vs the Nanaimo Clippers at the Frank Crane Arena.   

 

I also liked the look of the D men in general, the goaltending also looked fantastic and is a major improvement from last year.  The forwards I think will be fine once everybody settles into their respective systems.  This team is exiting and I see very few problems for the 2015/16 rendition of The Victoria Grizzlies.  I am already looking forward to Friday night at “The Frank” and hopefully there will be a large contingent of The Grizzlies Nation making the trip up to the mid island for the 7pm start.  Until then, I will let you go.

 

 

 

Now we will see how my Shawshank experiment works.  If it does work, the only question I have left is, what happens if in next week's blog I mention Donald Trump?  Talk to you Friday night folks. - CC 

Main Camp 2015 Preview

Grizzlies Main Camp opens in less than two weeks and as promised, I want to take a moment and map out how I see camp shaping up in terms of what the roster is beginning to look like.  First the bad news: it looks certain now that Matt Baker, arguably the Grizzlies’ top off-season prospect has decided to play with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders of the USHL.  It was hoped that the 2016/17 Dartmouth College committed forward would sign with the Grizzlies, but Baker has opted for the USHL and we wish him luck.  Now the good news, the team still has a lot of fresh faces and new talent, so let’s examine the club.

 

First in the vacated position of goal:  The #1 spot in net for the Grizzlies will likely be filled by 97’ born Matthew Galajda from St.Andrew’s College.  Galajda posted stellar back to back years at prep school, winning a pair of 13/14 championships (CISAA and MPHL) in the process.  He could easily have played in the BCHL last year but opted for one more year of prep. In 42 games last year, Galajda posted a 1.40 GAA and a very impressive .938 SVS%.  Galajda will be challenged in net by two other newcomers, Mitchel Benson (MM Victory Honda) and Aidan Doak (Revelstoke Grizzlies KIJHL).  Benson a 97’ born Windsor, Ont native, may earn the coveted backup role for the Grizzlies with his solid 1.97 GAA and .926 SVS% with Victory Honda.  But don’t rule out Doak who had a very good year last season playing in Jr.B.  Doak’s 11-5-0 record combined with a 2.48 GAA and .918 SV% was impressive, especially on a Revelstoke team which plays in that ultra-competitive Doug Birks Division.  Goal may end up being the most competitive position at Main Camp.

 

In spite of the mass exodus of defensemen in the off-season, the defensive corps, lead by returning veterans Kevin Massy and Cody Van Lierop looks surprisingly strong.  Why that is so is by virtue of the three completely new names coming to camp, plus two others who are a bit more familiar to Grizzlies fans.  The familiar faces are 98’ born Drayson Pears (West Shore Wolves 47-6-18-24) and 97’ born Mark Krabben (Okanagan Rockets BCMML 79-9-21-30 over two seasons).  Krabben had a solid final year in BC Major Midget and is expected to make the club and feature in the third defensive pairing.  Pears who has worked incredibly hard over the past year in Jr. B, will likely be slotted into the 6^th or 7^th D spot on the roster.

 

The new faces on defence are Jake Stevens 96’, Brett Stirling 96’ and Calvin Walker 97’.  Stevens, who hails from Naperville Illinois, is another Lake Forest product and is an ex-teammate of Cody Van Lierop.  But unlike his Canadian counterpart, Stevens played 57 games over a full four years in prep.  Brett Stirling, a 2012 draft pick of the Peterborough Petes, is an Aurora Ont native.  He is a 2 year veteran of the Salisbury School prep team in the USHS.  Prior to that, he was with St. Andrews College of the MPHL in 2012.  As BCHL rookies, Stirling may end up paired with Stevens, but both 19 year-olds are certainly ready for the BCHL and both will probably see a lot of ice time as top 4 D-Men on the club.

 

Finally there is Calvin Walker.  Walker also from St. Andrews College amassed (96-5-41-46) totals in two seasons of prep. Walker may be like a younger Kevin Massy.  He is a big, physical and imposing defenseman with a right handed shot who skates very well.  He will fight for a spot in that second D pairing and he may see some time on the right point of the Second PP Unit.  Regardless you can expect to see Walker as a regular on the blue line this coming season.

 

The forwards will be lead by Brayden Gelsinger who the Grizzlies picked up from the West Kelowna Warriors in last month’s Garrett Forster trade.  A natural left winger, he could be joined on the first line by returning veterans Cole Pickup and PJ Conlon.  That said, there will be several new forwards at Main Camp who offer lots of offense.  Start with the 96’ born Kirkland QC native, Corey Iapalucci.  “Lucci” as he is known, is a former WSHL Ogden (Utah) Mustang (41-18-35-53) and is a natural centre.  He is a gifted passer and play maker who will compete for the Grizzlies top line centre position. 

 

Iapalucci will likely play the role of set-up man on a scoring or PP line with 97’ born and St. Andrews College graduate J.D. Falconer who will likely assume the role of finisher on the line.  Falconer, a natural shooter who can also play centre, posted solid career numbers of (110-69-61-130) for an impressive 1.18 ppg during his two years at St. Andrews College.  The other new name as a potential 3^rd member of this line could be 97’ born Ontario native, Joseph Visconti.  Visconti, a right handed shooter, played in Illinois last year in the MPHL with Lake Forest. He has scored at every level thus far.  Visconti (24-9-6-15), much like nearly all of the new names mentioned, was ready to play in the league last year but chose to finish off the academic side of the his NCAA eligibility before moving up to Jr. A.

 

Returning veteran forwards Spencer Hunter (98), Mitchell Barker (96) and Nick Guiney (96) will likely provide 3^rd line and PK support among other roles.  Those returning forwards will battle for spots on that line with a couple of new faces, 96’ born American imports, Alex Peck and Sage Fleming. Peck, a Vermont native, played with Detroit’s Victory Honda last year and posted (28-8-16-24) in Tier 1 Elite Major Midget.  Fleming, from Costa Mesa California, played in the NAPHL in 13/14 for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and put up good numbers in U16.

 

One surprise returnee to Grizzlies Camp this year, will be Nathan Looysen.  Looysen who played 57 games in 13/14 for the Kamloops Blazers, played 7 games as a Grizzly last year before being moved on Halloween 2014 to the Peninsula Panthers where he dominated Jr.B.  He ended up with the Victoria Cougars as that club loaded up for the 2015 VIJHL Playoffs.  Looysen, who had been linked last season with a possible move to the Cowichan Valley Capitals will compete for a Grizzlies roster spot again this year. 

 

But the two forwards whom I am really exited to see at camp are Tyler Welsh (97) and Keyvan Mokhtari (98).  Welsh if you remember played in that one call-up game in January at the Hap Parker where he scored in his first shift (and his first shot) in the BCHL.  But just as impressive, he co-lead the entire VIJHL last year in Regular Season assists with no less than 58 helpers on route to his 75 point season for the eventual Champions of the VIJHL.  The other name who is new to a lot of Grizzlies fans is Mokhtari.  The 98’ born forward played 3 games as an AP with Trail last year but was most impressive with the Burnaby Winter Club as he put up huge numbers vs the elite talent he faced with (22-19-17-36) for a 1.64 ppg pace.  Mokhtari played well at the Grizzlies Spring Camp in June.  It will be interesting to see how the talented 17 year-old plays against the somewhat bigger and more established BCHL talent at Main Camp.

 

And forget not that the Victoria Royals Major Midget Camp just ended on Sunday.  There were loads of young players on hand who will also get an invite to Grizzlies Main Camp on the 21st of Aug, each ready to push the veterans.

 

Until then, I look forward to seeing you all along the glass and along the rail next Saturday at Main Camp.  The new-look stability and professionalism of the club's Front Office and Coaching Staff will finally be matched this year by the talent on the ice, a great recipe for success.  See you next week. -CC

Grizzlies Season Post Mortem 2014/15

 

Well, its good to be back talking to you all again, but I owe you all a quick explanation about the long delay.  I deliberately avoided the temptation to write a post mortem on the 2014/2015 Victoria Grizzlies season until the entire Jr. A season was over.  I wanted to wait until the completion of the 2015 RBC Cup, which of course was a goal of the club.  Some reading this might scoff at the thought of that goal and think it a bit lofty, but not me and perhaps by the end of this, you might feel the same way.

 

But before I get into a dissection of the season I want to acknowledge the loss of several players from the roster and wish them all well in the future.  At the time of the writing of this blog, we have just recently learned in the last few hours that the Grizzlies will be giving up Forward Ayden McDonald (96) and Defenseman Chris Harpur (96) to the Cowichan Valley Capitals in exchange for the futures in the Thomas Gobeil (94) Jan 10^th trade.  The acquisition of Gobeil instantly made the Grizzlies better and I still think it was the right move for the club; the deal took guts by both organizations.  But I also remember at the time quietly thinking to myself that one day that deal will cost the club and now that day has come.  Two weeks ago we saw the leader of The Hands Line, Brett Gruber (96) drafted #2 overall in the USHL Draft by the Green Bay Gamblers.  Gruber will move back to his native state of Wisconsin next year and play out his Junior Hockey career as a forward with the Gamblers. 

 

With Shawn McBride (95), Jay Mackie (95), Dane Gibson (94), Meirs Moore (94), Matt Kennedy (95) and Jake Emilio (94) all off to respective 2015/16 NCAA scholarships and with a few more likely on the way for next season, the Grizzlies will no doubt have a few open spots at Training Camp which is just 90 days away if you can believe that.  And forget not that Gobeil is off to play Pro Hockey possibly in the ECHL next year.  Add to Gobeil, the loss of Team Leader in Plus/Minus, Zach Dixon (94) on defence and suddenly the task of Grizzlies Scouts and Coaches just got even bigger.  Last but not the least is #1 net minder Michael Stiliadis who has aged out and suddenly the Grizzlies will face an August Main Training Camp with the task of filling a minimum 12 roster spots.  That is a tall order, but not an impossible one for Coach Didmon and his staff.

 

But before we get to August Training Camp, let’s look back and do a proper post mortem on this past, tumultuous 2014/15 Season.

 

After losing Game 6 of Round 1 in OT to the Powell River Kings, I think we all felt a sense of profound disappointment, especially considering the manner in which the Grizzlies came back so late in that game and nearly pulled off the miraculous comeback.  Had the Grizzlies won that game in OT, a game which saw Zach Dixon hit a post just moments into OT, perhaps the story would have been different.  My guess is that the Grizzlies would have gone on a bit of a run in the playoffs, but in the end, we will never know.  That’s hockey.

 

In the meantime, I want to reflect for a moment on what I consider to have been a transformational year for Grizzlies.  The pink elephant in the room and the knock on the Victoria Grizzlies for years has been the front office.  You only need to go as far as the nearest BCHL Blog site and you will find many vilified comments about the club’s struggles in terms of ownership, management, a litany coaches and multiple behind the scenes dramas.  Right or wrong, that has been the narrative of the club for years. The truth is that you will find many of the same issues in most Junior Hockey clubs anywhere. 

 

What I try and remind people when they spout that narrative about the Grizzlies is this: The Victoria Grizzlies were the only team in the BCHL to see a change in Head Coach/GM during the course of the Regular Season and it was a highly successful change in essentially all respects.  Next, the Grizzlies took major steps in early December to reset the ownership model and set firmly in place an ownership team which featured the fans, the community, the club and local business/sponsorship all on the same page.  The fans responded and a lot less of those burgundy seats at Q Centre were visible on game nights.  The team started winning immediately and climbing in the standings.  Things were looking up.  By January at the trade deadline, the Grizzlies pulled off the biggest player move I have seen the club make since the Steve Sigaty deal way back with the 2000/2001 Salsa.  The team acquired the aforementioned QMJHL phenome, Thomas Gobeil from Cowichan and with the undisputed #1 Power Play in the league it started to look like the Grizzlies might be ready to go on a run in the playoffs.  The Hands Line was firing on all cylinders with Brett Gruber, Matt Kennedy and Dane Gibson almost unstoppable on certain nights.  The team boasted what I have long said was the best defensive core in the history of the organization going back to 1991 when I first started following the Victoria Warriors out at the old JDF Arena.  The PK was very solid this year as well.  And the goaltending, while not tops in the league, certainly was coming along to the point where you started thinking, maybe…maybe.

 

In short, by season’s end, in spite of the crippling loss of Matt Kennedy to a season ending shoulder injury, the team went on a 8-0 run down the stretch and many considered the Grizzlies as the most dangerous team in the BCHL heading into the Playoffs.  Well it didn’t quite work out that way and in the end the Grizzlies had to shake hands with Powell River at the Q Centre and wish the Kings well on their way the Second Round.  So I thought that we would give the team its year end report card in terms of where it ended up.  This time I chose six basic team categories to sum it all up: Goal, Forwards, Defense, Special Teams, Coaching, Ownership/Management.  Here is how I saw it at year’s end:

 

Goal: C+

 

Goaltending was good, but it never became great as it did under Alec Dillon the year before, which in the end was what it needed in order to be successful in the playoffs.  One of my few criticisms of that position was what I saw in terms of a lack of using the backup.  I felt down the stretch and even into the playoffs that the Grizzlies never really managed the position as well as they perhaps could have.  I would have liked to have seen Sean Cleary (next year’s prospective #1) just a little bit more, if only to take a bit of the pressure of Michael Stiliadis and provide him some rest.

 

Forwards: A

 

The Hands Line along with Jay Mackie, Garret Forster (95), Shawn McBride (95), Kevin Massy (95), Cole Pickup (96) and Ayden MacDonald were but a few of the names who were key to providing the Grizzlies with one of the highest flying offences (219 goals for) the club has enjoyed in years.  Every night the Grizzlies had three lines, each of whom who could score and the 4^th Line was never a liability no matter where we played on the road.  In short, the forwards were excellent all year.

 

Defense: A-

 

You might think with me singing the praises of the D Corps being the best in club history, they would be worthy of a grade of A+.  Don’t get me wrong, “D Corps” as they liked to call themselves was fantastic all year.  If you count Kevin Massy’s goals when he played as a D-man, they scored the most goals as a corps of defensemen in over twenty years at 40.  But unfortunately, the one major knock on the squad all year was the high number of goals allowed, (210 goals against).  A small part of that was the responsibility of the defensemen.  Also, as we saw in the playoffs, the team often skated with just five defensemen with Massy used primarily as a forward with Kennedy out of the lineup.  This tells me that the team wasn’t 100% settled in terms of that position, so as great as the D corps was all year, they never fully hit their stride in terms of personnel.  While I loved their overall play, that sixth defenseman’s spot was empty at year’s end and I think that fact came back to roost to some degree.

 

Special Teams: A-

 

The Grizzlies lead the league almost wire to wire during the season with the top Power Play in the BCHL.  The PK was also very good and was consistent all year with players like PJ Conlon (95), Mitch Barker (96) and Jay Mackie as key pieces to playing shorthanded.  The Grizzlies scored 12 times shorthanded last year which was double from the 6 shorties in the 2013/14 season.

 

Coaching: B+

 

Under Craig Didmon the Grizzlies were flat out fantastic and fought to win every night.  Over 100 more fans came to home games under Didmon as well.  In December, the team went from a distant 4^th place in the Island Division to 2^nd place and managed to finish the year in that spot with a game to spare.  Under the old regime which was changed out at the end of November, you simply could not say the same and for only that reason, the coaches get a lower grade.  If it had been Didmon and Scott Hawthorne all year long, I can only imagine how well the team might have fared but we will never know.  So on the balance of the entire season, which included the team’s former Head Coach receiving a three game suspension after a Merritt Centennials road game, the bench only deserves a B+ in my opinion.

 

Ownership/Management: A-

 

By the end of the season with the new ownership group fully on board and committed to keeping the club not only competitive but remaining in Colwood, the Grizzlies are looking very good going forward.  The Grizzlies season and maybe their future was saved in my opinion when John Wilson and the rest of the new owners stepped forward in early December.  They made the hard decisions they needed to make in order to be successful.  With local businesses back on board and with a firm commitment to supporting the West Shore, I would say that this is by far the most responsible and stable ownership model the club has enjoyed in the club’s history.  Time will tell if that can continue, my guess is that yes it will continue.  Last week’s scare involving Q Centre tenancy negotiations going temporarily off the tracks was in my opinion an example of a steady hand at the helm and not to be interpreted negatively.  These owners mean business and that is good for all Grizzlies fans and players.

 

To sum up, this past season was indeed a transformative one for the Grizzlies.  What lies ahead in terms of replacing the many missing pieces still remains very much to be seen.  The loss of the entire Hands Line plus 4 out of 5 key defensemen will no doubt be a challenge moving forward.  The good news for the Grizzlies is that recruiting talent to come to the jewel of British Columbia has never been a problem.  The next three months of recruiting and Main Camp will no doubt be key.  As long as the Grizzlies are competitive, the new business model and ownership group will support this club like it never has before.  The Coaching Staff and leadership group is not only solid, it represents a major positive contrast to where the club was just a year ago.

 

So come on out to the Q Centre and join us this Fall for the 2015/16 Campaign.  I know it will be a lot of fun. - CC