B.C. Division Recap

Western Hockey League put the wraps on the unofficial first half of the regular season schedule last weekend. The well-earned 10-day break will enable players to relax briefly and recharge, allowing some bumps and bruises to mend before the busy second half begins on Dec. 27.

The B.C. Division is home to the team that leads the entire WHL standings: the Prince George Cougars. Each group in the five-team division has played 36 of its 72 scheduled games, save for the last place Vancouver Giants with 34. The Giants are the only team sporting a sub .500 record.

When the pucks drop again after Christmas, a total of seven players from B.C. Division teams will be absent from WHL play, busy at the 2017 WJC. However, both Prince George and the Victoria Cougars will not feel any impact.

Here’s a look at the a few notes from the first half. 

Prince George Cougars
The fan base in B.C. northern capital has been yearning for a winner for some time and the veteran-laden group in Prince George is primed to deliver. Rookie WHL head coach Richard Matvichuk and his staff have successfully instilled belief and discipline this season. At 26-8-2, the Cougars possess the best road record in the league at 13-3-1 and streaked into the break with eight wins in its last 10 games. The Cats have improved immensely in terms of team discipline, averaging 12.2 minutes in penalties per game. They have the best penalty killing numbers in the entire league with a PK clipping along with an 88.1% success rate. Brad Morrison leads the team in scoring with 35 points, good for 43rd in league scoring. This is evidence that confirms Prince George brings a balanced scoring attack to the mix. The Cougars lead the division by eight points.

Kelowna Rockets
Kelowna limped out of the gate this season with a 3-7 record through its first ten games under rookie WHL head coach Jason Smith. Since mid-October, the Rockets have been on a 19-5-2 tear, and heads into the break going 7-1-2 in its last 10. Of note is the team’s recent run away from home, where Kelowna collected 11 of a possible 14 points during its seven-game road trip prior to the break. Kole Lind is having a breakout season offensively, leading the team in scoring with 46 points during his NHL draft year. The Rockets roster depth is emerging, as the team has continued to win of late with three key veteran players attending the WJC. Perhaps the only major concern – Kelowna provides opponents with too many man advantages. The Rockets are far and away the league leader in penalty minutes with a total of 605 through 36 games and have given up a league high 45 power play goals.

Kamloops Blazers
The Blazers continue to hang tough in the B.C. Division, thanks in part to a recent run of good play on the road. Kamloops is 7-2-0-1 in its last ten starts. Kamloops won five of six games on the road prior to the break. The Blazers don’t seem to mind putting in extra work, having won five of its seven overtime games so far. Kamloops has been very good at the Sandman Centre this season, posting a 12-4-1 record, good for the best winning percentage at home in the division at .735. The Blazers reside among the league leaders on the penalty kill, allowing opponents only 26 goals in 155 power play opportunities. The Blazers have lost three players to the WJC, representing three different countries. At 22-13-1, Kamloops is only two points behind Kelowna at the midway mark of the schedule. The teams renew acquaintances after Christmas with a home-and-home set to begin the second half.

Victoria Royals
Unlike the top three teams in the B.C. Division, the Victoria Royals wound up the first half with perhaps more questions than answers. The Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy winners last season, Victoria is only just above the .500 mark at 17-15-4 so far. Of late, the Royals have gone only 3-5-2 in its last ten games. While on the power play, the Royals efficiency is squarely in the middle of the pack league-wide, but it’s potentially dynamic power play has collected 41 goals with the man advantage. Victoria is among the league leaders in team penalty minutes. After Christmas, the Royals will play a challenging schedule to wind up the month, with four games against division rivals in five nights. Victoria does not lose any players to the WJC, but in fact, it has added an import with the return of 19-year-old Russian forward, Vladimir Bobylev.

Vancouver Giants
While a pair of wins to close out the first half of the schedule is reason for some optimism, the Giants continue to search for consistency. The division cellar dwellers are 13-18-1-2 so far and struggled through its last ten games going 3-4-1-2. Vancouver’s power play is the second least productive in the entire WHL and its penalty killing efficiency is the second worst as well. The Giants are also the only team in the league without a shorthanded goal. With only 29 points, playoff aspirations are dim, which raises questions regarding the team’s core group. The WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10 and contenders looking to beef up their rosters must certainly be contacting the Giants front office. The organization has got to be encouraged that team captain Tyler Benson has been healthy all season long and import forward Radovan Bondra will participate for Slovakia at the WJC.