Clippers GM and head coach Mike Vandekamp shipped 1996-born Adam Donnelly and 1997-born Tate Coughlin, both forwards, in moves eastward. Donnelly, of Ontario, was traded to Carlton Place Canadians of the CCHL and Coughlin, a local product who played with the Western Hockey League鈥檚 Kelowna Rockets for parts of four seasons, was shipped to Camrose of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Victoria came away with 1-0 and 5-2 victories over their sa国际传媒 Hockey League Island Division rivals in a back-to-back, home-and-home stretch Nov. 25 and 26
The 20-5-3-3 Grizzlies, who are coming off a three-game road trip over the weekend in which they earned five of a possible six points, return to Frank Crane Arena tonight to tangle with the 12-14-5-1 Clippers. Victoria is 8-2-2-2 on the road this season, second only to Penticton鈥檚 14-3-0-0 away log, while Nanaimo is 7-8-3-0 at home.
鈥淲e get another look at them,鈥� said Grizzlies鈥� leading point-getter Cole Pickup. 鈥淲e had a couple of good games against them recently. They鈥檙e a good team that, even if you get up on them, they don鈥檛 go away or give up. Playing in their barn, they had a lot of fans behind them. Doing that makes it fun, though.鈥�
As for the changes, Pickup said it matters not what the Clippers are doing with their roster.
鈥淕etting rid of a couple of veteran guys, I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 a sign of them imploding or trying to improve for this year or next year,鈥� said Pickup. 鈥淭hey were good players so I鈥檓 scratching my head a bit on those trades, but either way, you know Vandekamp is going to have them ready.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not worried about what鈥檚 happening off the ice with that team. We just need to be ready to go,鈥� addd Pickup, who had five points over the three-game weekend and still leads the team in points with 37 in 26 games played (12 goals).
Tyler Welsh is next with 35 points, before defenceman Jake Stevens settles into third at 33 points, including five over the weekend. Welsh missed Sunday鈥檚 8-2 win in Coquitlam as he nurses a lower-body injury.
Stevens had collected three assists in a 5-2 win over Nanaimo prior to the recent three-game trip. Tim Friedmann scored twice in that result and had four points over the weekend. In 14 games since joining the team, he has seven goals and 11 points.
Friedmann was skating on a line with Pickup and Welsh, who was replaced by Cam Thompson on Sunday.
鈥淚鈥檓 starting to get back on pace,鈥� said Pickup. 鈥淲elshie has been banged up a bit, battling injuries, and we鈥檙e still getting used to having Friedmann on our line rather than [Nathan] Looysen. We wanted to spread it out a bit to see if we could get another line going and it worked this weekend.
鈥淗opefully, Welshie can get through these next few games and go into the [Christmas] break. He鈥檚 a guy who plays a lot of minutes and we need him to get back to 100 per cent.鈥�
IN THE DEN: Grizzlies goalie Matthew Galajda remains away at Team sa国际传媒 West selection camp for the World Junior A Challenge. . . . The Grizzlies return home to face the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday at The Q Centre. The Clippers are coming off a 5-4 win and 4-3 overtime loss in a weekend set with the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
