Rik Fedyck

“The Hardy Boys” coming up big for the Giants in the playoffs

March 26, 2019.

It all started on that night in Game 3 of the Giants’ first round series with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Vancouver had just split the first two games on home ice and were maybe looking to switch things up a bit after a lackluster performance and loss in Game 2.

Enter the trio of Owen Hardy, Dawson Holt and Jared Dmytriw….or “The Hardy Boys” if you will.

Prior to being put together, Hardy and Dmytriw had gone pointless while Holt had a goal and an assist after two playoff games.

Since Game 3 of the playoff run for the Giants, the trio has been the hottest line in the WHL, collectively putting up 31 points in their ten games together and are coming off an incredible comeback win in Game 2 of the Western Conference championship where their line contributed four points.

Dmytriw is in his fifth and final season of junior hockey, having played in 360 WHL games (regular season and playoffs) between the Giants, Royals and Rebels. The Giants traded a 2018 third round pick to Red Deer to acquire the Craven, Saskatchewan native on November 28, 2017 and he was named captain of the club prior to this season. He had 38 points (15G, 23A) in 65 regular season games.

Hardy, a 1999-born, was originally drafted in the second round by Vancouver (42nd overall) in 2014 and has played in 249 games as a Giant since joining the club mid-season from the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL during the 2015-16 season. The Nanaimo, BC native put up 21 points (9G, 12A) in 64 games this season.

Holt, also a 1999-born, was the Giants’ eighth overall pick in 2014 and has skated in 219 games with the club and had 19 points (6G, 13A) in 53 games this year.

Dawson Holt scored the game winning goal in Game 1 versus Spokane (photo – Chris Relke)

“They do such a good job down low, they’re a hard line to play against.” Coach Michael Dyck said after Game 1 of the Victoria series where Dmytriw had a goal and an assist while Holt had a goal of his own in a 3-0 win.

All three have a certain physicality to their game to go with an offensive touch, the perfect combination for playoff hockey.

Owen Hardy has been a force on the forecheck all season but has seemed to step it up a notch during the Giants’ playoff run. The 6’1, 202 pound forward is the biggest of the three and makes opposing defencemen think twice about retrieving dump ins deep in their zone.

“We know our role, know what makes us play our best game….keeping our feet moving, finishing our checks, cycling the puck, wearing teams down. When we do that we seem to have good games.” Hardy commented after Game 1 against Spokane.

Hardy had a goal and two assists in that Game 1 where the Giants won 4-1 and was named second star of the night.

Owen Hardy beats Bailey Brkin in Game 1 of the Western Conference Championship (photo – Rik Fedyck)

Holt had the game winner in Game 1 to go with an assist and scored another goal and assist the next night. His performances earned him WHL Player of the Week, the first Giant other than Bowen Byram to earn the honour this season.

In Vancouver’s most recent game, the line led the way in the come from behind victory where the Giants scored four goals in 3:21 with Holt and Dmytriw being responsible for three of them.

Jared Dmytriw scored the tying and game winning goal just 22 seconds apart, improving his point totals in the playoffs to 12 points (6G, 6A) in 12 games.

Jared Dmytriw scored the series-clinching goal in Round 1 to defeat the Seattle Thunderbirds (photo – Brian Liesse)

So far, as a line, in the Western Conference championship, they have 10 points in just two games and need to continue to shutdown impact players like Jaret Anderson-Dolan to continue their success but they don’t consider themselves as being just a shutdown line.

“We don’t look at it as being a shutdown line, we don’t care who we’re out against. We just want to go out there and outwork them to the best of our ability.” Hardy replied when asked how they like having the role as a shutdown line.

These three have been a treat to watch for Giants fans these last ten games of being together and have shown no signs of slowing down, as the Giants are just two wins away from their third WHL Finals berth and first since 2007 where they lost in seven games to Medicine Hat but went on to win the Memorial Cup on home ice, beating those same Tigers in the final.

Game 3 goes tomorrow night in Spokane.