Lee Stone calls his team an underdog, but the general manager and head coach of the Campbell River Storm is in a position to claim back-to-back Cyclone Taylor Cup championships for the first time since the Richmond Sockeyes managed the feat in 2003 and 2004.
Having won the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, Cyclone Taylor and Western Canadian titles last year, Stone has his team in position for a second straight provincial crown, taking the VIJHL鈥檚 host spot after losing the league championship to the Victoria Cougars in six games.
The Storm face the Pacific Junior Hockey League champion Mission City Outlaws today at 4 p.m. at Archie Browning Sports Centre.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any question we鈥檙e an underdog, we鈥檙e the only team that didn鈥檛 win our way in,鈥� said Stone, hoping to fly under the radar. 鈥淥bviously, we鈥檙e glad to be here. We would have preferred winning our way in, but sometimes that can be an advantage, too, right?
鈥淲e鈥檒l be looked at differently, but the bottom line is I think we鈥檙e a pretty talented group and if we buy into the game plan and executing, and if we do that, we鈥檒l be in every game, at the very least.鈥�
There is little doubt of that. Always competitive, Campbell River has that experience from last season.
鈥淚n my opinion, in the research that we鈥檝e done, this is going to be a very competitive tournament. Campbell River didn鈥檛 win their way here this year, but they鈥檙e more than capable, on any given night, of beating any team here,鈥� Victoria Cougars head coach Mark Van Helvoirt said.
The Cougars came through that VIJHL championship series in six games and both teams will be well rested. That could mean the Storm get goaltender Jake Mullen back, who missed the entire Victoria series.
鈥淗aving him between the pipes will strengthen our chances,鈥� said Stone, who lost Mullen to injury in the last game of Round 2 versus Nanaimo. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not quite 100 per cent. I would say he鈥檚 the best goaltender in the tournament, so that鈥檚 a huge plus for us, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�
Mullen has not lost a game in 15 outings since joining the Storm and has a 1.89 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
鈥淟et鈥檚 hope he continues that,鈥� said Stone, who could not draw on Mullen in the league final. 鈥淔our of those games could have gone either way. I think the last two games they [the Cougars] took advantage of us.
鈥淭hey鈥檇 probably be the first to tell you that any game we played against them would be close and could go either way. In a tournament like this, you have to show up, worry about your first game and see what happens. There鈥檚 no question we鈥檙e an underdog and we have to work our way to the top again, for sure.鈥�
It starts today against Mission City.
鈥淲e played them last year [at the Cyclone Taylor Cup]. They have a bundle of guys returning from that team so I imagine that will be a real strong team again,鈥� said Stone.
CYCLONE CLIPS: The Cougars will face 100 Mile House tonight at 7:30. If games are tied, they will go to two overtime sessions of five minutes, 4-on-4, then 3-on-3, followed by a shootout if a winner is not determined. 鈥� NHLer Karl Azner was a member of the Richmond team that won in 2003, playing as a 15-year-old.
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