It鈥檚 business as usual for the Campbell Storm in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League final.
But for the Saanich Braves, it鈥檚 largely uncharted territory. That鈥檚 despite a Braves alumni roster that includes NHLers Adam Cracknell and Matt Irwin.
The 2018 VIJHL final between the Storm and Braves opens tonight 7:30 at Rod Brind鈥橝mour Arena. The venue, named after the Campbell River hockey legend and retired Stanley Cup-champion captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, is familiar to those who follow the league.
That鈥檚 because this is the Storm鈥檚 fourth-consecutive trip to the VIJHL final under GM and head coach Lee Stone, having met the Victoria Cougars the past three seasons. The Storm are the defending VIJHL champions and went on to lose in the 2017 Fred Cyclone Taylor Cup sa国际传媒 championship game to the Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
The Cougars won the league title in 2016, and Campbell River in 2015, en route to both the Cyclone Taylor Cup sa国际传媒 championship and Keystone Cup Western Canadian title.
This is the first time in seven seasons the Cougars, league champions three consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2014, will not be in the league final.
It鈥檚 the Braves first time in the VIJHL final since 1995.
But the Storm return, after topping the regular-season table at 36-6-6, before defeating the Peninsula Panthers 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs and sweeping the Westshore Wolves 4-0 in the semifinals.
It鈥檚 an old clich茅, but not any less true because of it, and the Storm live it: Success breeds success.
鈥淲e get the kind of recruits to be successful. Good players want to come here to a good program,鈥� said Storm owner Linda Lahtinen.
Not only has the winning been grand the past four seasons, but so has the atmosphere in Rod Brind鈥橝mour Arena.
鈥淲e have the best fan support in the league,鈥� said Lahtinen.
鈥淲e get 500 to 800 fans out each game in the regular season and more in the playoffs.鈥�
The Braves鈥� high-water mark as a franchise, meanwhile, was in winning the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial championship in 1976 at the height of the disco era. It鈥檚 taken awhile, but they are aiming for a repeat more than four decades later.
The Braves were 26-17-5 in the regular season and upset the Nanaimo Buccaneers, who finished well ahead of them in the regular season at 37-9-2, in a gruelling seven-game semifinal after rallying from a 0-2 deficit in the series.
The Braves began their post-season run by beating the Kerry Park Islanders 4-1 in the opening round.
Sam Waterfield of the Braves and Curtis Toneff of the Bucs were co-winners of the VIJHL coach-of-the-year award for the work both men did on their respective benches this season. But it was Waterfield鈥檚 crew which emerged out of their hard-fought semifinal series that came down to the Braves鈥� 5-2 victory Sunday night in Game 7.
A key to the success of the Braves can be found in the crease, where Riley Mathieson resides, with his 2.60 goals-against average and .925 save percentage from the regular season. The Saanich goaltender was selected 2017-18 winner of the Jamie Benn Award, named after the Dallas Stars captain and Peninsula Panthers alumnus, and given annually to the most valuable player in the VIJHL.
The second game of the VIJHL final is Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Rod Brind鈥橝mour Arena before the series shifts to Pearkes Arena for the third game Saturday at 7:45 p.m. and fourth game next Monday at 6:30 p.m. The remaining games, if needed, would be March 27 at Rod Brind鈥橝mour, March 30 at Pearkes and March 31 at Rod Brind鈥橝mour.
The winner between the Storm and Braves advances to the 2018 Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial championship tournament April 12-15 in Richmond.
