Weekly Review: B.C. Division

 

The teams are back at it after a ten-day break in the schedule. When the Western Hockey League returned to action, the schedule during the final week of December was very busy with a number of teams playing four games in five nights. The B.C. Division was not immune to this activity level.

The WHL regular season schedule consists of 792 games. Between January 1 and March 19, the teams will continue to jockey for playoff positions. Here’s a look at the week that was and also some scheduling information as to how the second half breaks down for B.C. Division teams.

Prince George Cougars (27-10-2-0…56 points)
Games remaining: 33
Divisional games: 15
Kelowna: 4; Victoria: 2; Kamloops: 6; Vancouver: 3.

All eyes will be on the Cougars early in 2017 to see if the team can maintain its position atop the B.C. Division standings. On average, the Cougars are the tallest, heaviest and oldest team in the league. Expectations are very high at this point in Prince George, a city that has yet to see a banner raised at the CN Centre. The Cats dropped two games in Victoria after the Christmas break, as PG native Griffen Outhouse stoned the Cougars in both affairs. A great bounce back effort came two night later when Prince George waltzed into Everett and handed the Silvertips a 4-3 defeat in a tilt among the top two teams in the western conference. The Cougars also announced that former NHLer Shawn Chambers has been added to the coaching staff.

Kelowna Rockets (23-14-2-0…48 points)
Games remaining: 33
Divisional games: 19
Prince George: 4; Victoria: 4; Kamloops: 5; Vancouver: 6.

Kelowna played the last week of December without Calvin Thurkauf (SWI), Dillon Dube (CAN) and Tomas Soustal (CZE), which meant the youngsters were given plenty of opportunities to step up. At some point early on during the 2017 portion of the schedule, when everyone is healthy and back in Kelowna, the Rockets will finally ice its best possible roster combination. This is a robust group, fast and skilled. Looking forward, the month of March appears favorable for the Rockets as they play nine games, seven of which are at home. Half a dozen of the tilts are against division rivals and there is a home-and-home set with the Everett Silvertips. By that time, the Rockets could very well be playing for western conference supremacy.

Kamloops Blazers (23-15-1-1…48 points)
Games remaining: 32
Divisional games: 18
Prince George: 6; Victoria: 4; Kelowna: 5; Vancouver: 3.

Goaltender Dylan Ferguson continues to fill in admirably for Connor Ingram, despite the Blazers 6-1 defeat on home ice to the Victoria Royals in its final game of the 2016 calendar year. Prior to Christmas, Ferguson earned the WHL Goaltender of the Week honors as he was outstanding while the Blazers journeyed along its Central Division road trip. The Blazers added some toughness up front last week when they moved top-four defenceman Dawson Davidson to the Regina Pats, in return for husky forward Luc Smith. Veteran forward Matt Revel remains sidelined with an injury suffered just prior to the holiday season.

Victoria Royals (21-15-4-0…46 points)
Games remaining: 32
Divisional games: 18
Prince George: 2; Kamloops: 4; Kelowna: 4; Vancouver: 8.

The Royals played four games in five nights during the final week of December…and won them all! Victoria dispatched the division leading Prince George Cougars twice, sweeping a doubleheader on Vancouver Island. They then endured a seven-hour travel delay to the Okanagan Valley, where they clipped the Rockets 2-1 in Kelowna. A lopsided victory in Kamloops by a 6-1 count completed the productive week. Overage goaltender Griffen Outhouse was world class, stopping 138 of 141 shots during the four games. Victoria will play four games in five nights on three more occasions during the second half.

Vancouver Giants (14-20-1-2…31 points)
Games remaining: 35
Divisional games: 20
Prince George: 3; Kamloops: 3; Kelowna: 6; Victoria: 8.

The Giants managed an overtime win against the Everett Silvertips before dropping its final two games of the 2016 calendar year. The battle is all uphill for Vancouver in the New Year as the team is 11 points out of a wild card playoff berth. Some great news out of the Giants camp over the holiday season emerged when Tyler Benson signed an ELC with the Edmonton Oilers. Radovan Bondra (CHI) is slated to return from the WJC early in January.