VICTORIA 6
NANAIMO 1
Hadi Abassi's Nanaimo-based football team may dominate Victoria opposition, but his new hockey team is 0-1 with the businessman as the new part-owner of the Nanaimo Clippers.
The Victoria Grizzlies thumped the Clippers 6-1 at Bear Mountain Arena on Friday night.
As owner of the Vancouver Island Raiders of the sa国际传媒 Football Conference, Abassi is used to being on the winning side, unbeaten against the Westshore Rebels - the junior team he moved out of Victoria. His sa国际传媒
Hockey League club couldn't come up with the win on the same day Abassi was introduced as a part-owner of the club, joining Ken Wagner's group.
Not even close.
Grizzlies fans - 1,736 strong - enjoyed every minute of it as the Grizzlies handed their archrivals their third head-to-head loss of the season. Victoria improves to 3-1 over the Clippers with Friday night's victory, the first time the two have met in the sa国际传媒 capital.
"It was great to see the number of people in the building," said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Bill Bestwick, who is now on the other end of the Island rivalry, formerly with the Clippers.
"Our off-ice staff have worked real hard. For us to put on a show tonight was important for a lot of reasons.
"Our best players were our best players tonight and I thought our defence held the fort and didn't give them a lot. It was a great team effort. They did everything we asked them to do and more."
The Grizzlies had little trouble getting to goaltender Jayson Argue as they out-shot their visitors 42-22.
Gerry Fitzgerald, with his second of three power-play goals of the game, and D.J.
Jones scored 4: 24 apart early in the second period to give the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead. The Clippers, who couldn't match Victoria's speed, were blown out from there.
Myles Powell and Mark McLellan also scored for the Grizzlies, who tallied four times with the man advantage.
Another of the goals came right after a power play had ended.
Kyle Kramer replied with a power-play marker for Nanaimo as Abassi, Wagner and fellow Clippers' part-owner Kelly Hrudey - of NHL and Hockey Night in sa国际传媒 fame - were part of the crowd.
The win keeps the Grizzlies in first place in the Island Division.
IN THE DEN: Victoria was without Brett Hartskamp, Turner Lawson, Mitch Meek and Justin Coachman. The latter could be lost until late in the season with mononucleosis. ...
The Grizzlies face the Cowichan Valley Capitals at The Stick in Duncan tonight at 7 before returning home Sunday for a 1: 30 p.m. game versus Langley in the annual teddy bear toss game. There is also an open skate with the team afterward.
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