Parksville-Qualicum may be known as the most laid back region of the Island but the Oceanside Generals have turned the excitement level up a notch in the retirement haven.
The Generals go into the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoffs as the top seed and runaway winners of the Andy Hebenton Trophy, named after the former NHL Ironman record holder and Victoria pro-hockey great, as regular-season champions.
As evident by their status this season, the Generals have four of the 11 players nominated for the 2022-23 Jamie Benn MVP Award, named after the Dallas Stars captain, Olympic gold medallist and VIJHL alumnus. They are Brady Van Herk, Brendan Carlson, Carter Johnson and Matthew Hutchison.
Van Herk and Carlson are also nominated for the Clayton Stoner Award for top VIJHL defenceman, named after the former NHL blue-liner from Port McNeill.
The race for the Brent Patterson Trophy as VIJHL playoff champions began Tuesday night with the North third-seed Comox Valley Glacier Kings visiting the North second-seed Campbell River Storm at Rod Brind’Amour Arena. The late Patterson was a former VIJHL-champion Saanich Braves player and league MVP who died after suffering chest pains during a game in the 1977 Fred Cyclone Taylor Cup sa国际传媒 Junior B championship tournament in Quesnel.
Oceanside will open the Brent Patterson Trophy post-season chase tonight against the visiting North fourth-seed Port Alberni Bombers at Howie Meeker Arena.
The South playoffs also begin tonight with the second-seed Saanich Predators hosting the third-seed Peninsula Panthers at Pearkes Arena. The South top-seed Victoria Cougars host the South fourth-seed Kerry Park Islanders in Game 1 of that series on Thursday night at the Archie Browning Sports Centre.
All VIJHL series are best-of-sevens.
The defending VIJHL playoff champions and Brent Patterson Trophy holders are the Panthers and they are leaning on that experience in their series against the Predators, who are led by Jamie Benn MVP award nominee Michael =Hoekstra.
“We know what it takes and that is one of the advantages we have,” said Peninsula head coach and GM Pete Zubersky, whose team is led by VIJHL Jamie Benn MVP-nominee Ryan Grambart.
“That, and the closeness we have as a group.”
Zubersky labelled the Peninsula-Saanich series a “toss-up.”
“Saanich has the smallest rink in the league, in terms of ice surface, and they know it well after 24 games and that’s a big plus for them as they have home-ice advantage in the series with the first two games there,” said Zubersky.
“We do it by committee. We don’t have scoring on every line but we have heart on every line.”
It led to a Patterson Trophy title last season and the Panthers are hoping it can again.
The VIJHL champion will represent the league in the 2023 Fred Cyclone Taylor Cup sa国际传媒 Junior B championship tournament April 13-16 in Revelstoke against the champions from the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, Pacific Junior Hockey League and the host Revelstoke Grizzlies.
