The sa国际传媒 Hockey League is a long way across the Pacific from Pyeongchang, but it too will be holding its version of a closing ceremony today.
The curtain falls on the 2017-18 regular season. Unlike most years, when that entails mostly meaningless games, there is a consequential season-ending match today for the Victoria Grizzlies.
The math is simple and to the point.
If the Grizzlies beat the Surrey Eagles this afternoon at 2 at the Q聽Centre, they will clinch first place in the Island Division and have a much easier path in the playoffs with a first-round match-up against the fourth-place Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the most important game of the season,鈥� said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon.
That means that at a time when many coaches rest their top players in anticipation of the playoffs, it will be all hands on deck for the Grizzlies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an important game for us, so if you are healthy, you will dress,鈥� said Didmon.
If the Grizzlies win today, it will relegate Powell River and Nanaimo to the second and third seeds, and set up a rugged first-round series between the Kings and Clippers.
鈥淲e鈥檙e prepared to play anybody in the playoffs,鈥� Didmon said.
鈥淏ut it would be nice to see one of two very tough teams [Powell River or Nanaimo] get rid of the other.鈥�
As important, said Didmon, a win this afternoon will assure the Grizzlies of home-ice advantage throughout the Island Division playoffs.
Didmon, however, is not taking anything for granted when it comes to the divisional top seed: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to take care of it [today] on the ice.鈥�
It鈥檚 anything but a given. The Eagles are competitive and were 25-22-9 heading into Saturday night鈥檚 game in Duncan against the Cowichan Valley Capitals, the latter the lone team in the league to miss the playoffs.
The Grizzlies (31-18-8) will have to do it the rest of the way without their captain after Lucas Clark was sent home earlier this weekend for disciplinary reasons with management saying he violated team rules.
