There are those fans and media types alike who believe the Victoria Grizzlies should not have played the Dante Hahn card when the 20-year-old became available back on Oct. 22.
It turns out the local product, who is in his second stint with the local sa国际传媒 Hockey League club, has been their ace in the hole.
The quiet but extremely likable veteran now has 12 points in 12 games since joining the Grizzlies from the Coquitlam Express in a trade for future considerations.
He鈥檚 fit in extremely well with fellow 20-year-old Brayden Gelsinger, who has now recorded seven points on his current five-game point streak and 13 points in his last 10 outings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun,鈥� said Hahn. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to see things have worked out. There鈥檚 been good chemistry with the linemates and that鈥檚 just made it easy, I guess.鈥�
Since acquiring Hahn, the Grizzlies have also posted a very competitive 7-4-0-1 record as he has provided general manager and head coach Craig Didmon with the ability to juggle his forward lines.
Colby Livingstone 鈥� who rounds out the current line with Hahn and Gelsinger 鈥� was also added to the roster the game previous to Hahn鈥檚 arrival. In 13 games with Victoria, Livingstone has provided four goals and three assists and some more size.
Hahn and Gelsinger, in particular, have clicked offensively from Day 1.
鈥淲e played together my first weekend here and we didn鈥檛 even have any practices. We just started putting points up right away and it鈥檚 been an easy transition, for sure, coming to a new team and having a guy like that to play with,鈥� said Hahn.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a skilled centreman and he鈥檚 definitely added to the line so it鈥檚 been good with him so far,鈥� added Gelsinger, who leads the team with 26 points, including 21 assists. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a veteran who knows his way around the BCHL. We鈥檝e got a lot of chemistry going and it seems to be working out.鈥�
Now the line needs to get the team鈥檚 woeful power play going.
That not-so-special-teams unit sits at just 11.21 per cent, scoring a league-low 12 times in 107 chances. It has also surrendered a league-high nine short-handed goals against. The next worst teams in that department are the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, Surrey Eagles, Prince George Spruce Kings and newcomers, the Wenatchee Wild, with five apiece.
Victoria鈥檚 penalty-killing units remain third best in the BCHL, working at an 85.87 per cent success ratio.
The power play has especially been bad on the road where it has tallied on just 6.56 per cent of its opportunities, going 4-for-61. It will attempt to correct that blip tonight in Nanaimo at 7 p.m. against the Clippers.
On the road, the Grizzlies鈥� win-loss record is just 3-10-0-1.
Six of the short-handed goals against, however, have come on home ice.
The good news is, following tonight鈥檚 road game, the 9-13-0-3 Grizzlies play five straight and nine of the next 12 at home 鈥� starting Thursday night against visiting Trail 鈥� before breaking for Christmas after the Dec. 19 outing at The Q Centre.
Hahn, for one, has benefited in his return to his native Victoria.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 too sure, to be honest,鈥� he said of how it would work out when the deal came together in late October. 鈥淚 looked at the team鈥檚 record, sitting at the bottom of the standings. But it was early in the year and I knew some of the guys.
鈥淚 knew they were great players and when I got here I thought, this is such a great group that it was only a matter of time before it came together.
鈥淭o be honest, I鈥檓 really thankful for the opportunity,鈥� Hahn said of the doubters. 鈥淚 know my statistics weren鈥檛 great when I was here before, but things have turned around now. It鈥檚 good to be back and I鈥檓 having fun.鈥�
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