One of six graduating 20-year-olds, and at least seven players to move on to greener pastures in NCAA or U Sports hockey, Pickup spoke openly about his four years with the organization.
鈥淚鈥檝e grown up playing here so it鈥檚 tough. I remember the first time I learned how to skate just up the hill here [at Juan de Fuca Arena]. Me and [teammate Nick] Guiney have played with each other for 13 of the 16 years we鈥檝e played hockey, so it鈥檚 real tough, especially playing for the last time before friends and family,鈥� Pickup said, while parents Dean and Kristin waited in the foyer with the other parents on hand.
It was the last junior game for Pickup, Guiney, Nathan Looysen, Jake Stevens, Brett Stirling and captain Cody Van Lierop. Injured goaltender Matthew Galajda will also leave for his NCAA scholarship to Cornell University next season. Tyler Welsh might also depart to Yale, but it鈥檚 sounding more like the Ivy League team may want him to finish up one more BCHL season.
The 20-year-olds 鈥� still dressed in their hockey gear 鈥� came out and took a last twirl on The Q Centre ice well after the crowd had left. Selfies were taken as they knelt on the surface near centre ice 鈥� a realization that this was indeed it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough one, finishing the career here, and there is nothing but good things to say about this place,鈥� said captain Van Lierop. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been my home for the past three years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough to say goodbye. All good things come to an end. It鈥檚 just sad the way it went out. I thought we had the team to go all the way, just a couple of unlucky bounces here and there.鈥�
The team did go from missing the playoffs in 2015-16 to the third round of the 2016-17 post-season. Galajda was a finalist for the league鈥檚 MVP award and Stevens was named the top defenceman.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a fantastic year. All the guys here are character guys that I have had the pleasure of knowing and will know for the rest of our lives,鈥� added Van Lierop.
鈥淲hen you have a room like we have, as far as leadership goes and with guys that will do anything for the hockey club, yeah, it鈥檚 disappointing,鈥� said GM and head coach Craig Didmon. 鈥淚t was a great hockey team.
鈥淕uys like Pickup and Looysen and Van Lierop and Stevens and Guiney and Brett Stirling 鈥� those 20-year-olds are such positive individuals and great role models, who played their last games here.
鈥淲e have to be happy with our season,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to win an Island championship regular season and playoff, so that was a great feat for the boys. It鈥檚 a great feat for the organization to get this far and be this close to seeing the finals, but at the same time this is where we expect to be.
鈥淓ven next year, we have lots of guys coming back and we want to continue to push and get to that league final and championship.鈥�
The Grizzlies lose key pieces on defence with Stevens, Van Lierop and Stirling now gone. A number of forwards will be returning, led by Jamie Rome (unless he鈥檚 drafted by an NHL team and they suggest he moves elsewhere), Lucas Clark, Keyvan Mokhtari, Justin Michaelian, T.J. Friedmann and likely Welsh.
Didmon has already added local product Jacson Alexander on defence, a high WHL pick who has instead opted to join the University of Denver in two years.
The Grizzlies are also expected to announce that they will add Newfoundland native Alex Newhook, a just turned 16-year-old who is described as one of the most talented hockey players to come out of Atlantic sa国际传媒 in some time.
The five-foot-11 centre recorded 43 goals and 74 points in 33 games played with the York Simcoe Minor Midget triple-A team in Ontario and also played a few games at St. Andrew鈥檚 College in Aurora, Ont., where Didmon attracts a number of recruits including Galajda and, most recently, Matthew Kennedy, Jay Mackie and Jacob Kearley.
Newhook 鈥� who is rated the No. 1 prospect by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 鈥� has already made a verbal commitment to Boston College for 2019. He was also courted by Michigan and Maine.
Dayne Finnson, Carter Berger, Drayson Pears and Nico Somerville are all due back on the blue-line.
