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The University of Victoria is well known for its hockey and has produced numerous national champions and Olympians.
But that鈥檚 the field version.
Most people are surprised to learn UVic even has an ice hockey team. But the best hockey that Island fans don鈥檛 know about is being played through the winter at the Ian Stewart Complex rink, where the UVic Vikes (6-11-1) recorded a 6-4 victory over the league-leading Simon Fraser University Clan (12-5) on Friday.
It is all because of the tenacity and vision of one man, Harry Schamhart, who founded the UVic Vikes men鈥檚 hockey team 10 years ago and has coached it ever since, including to sa国际传媒 Intercollegiate Hockey League titles in 2007, 2009 and 2012 in a league he co-founded.
UVic ice hockey is not in the sa国际传媒 West conference or the CIS, but instead operates on a club basis. But don鈥檛 let that fool you. These Vikes are mostly former WHL major-junior, BCHL/AJHL/MJHL Junior A and Island Junior B players 鈥� including former Victoria Royals WHL forward Jack Palmer. They are just as committed to balancing books and games as the varsity Vikes in other sports.
鈥淚t is the best hockey in the city besides the [WHL] Royals,鈥� said Schamhart, a retired former Saanich Police sergeant, who has extensive connections in hockey around the province. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pay-to-play and fundraising all the way, but the hockey is unreal.鈥�
Next fall, the Vikes will travel to play big-time U.S. university NCAA Div. 1 teams, meeting the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison on Oct. 1 and Northern Michigan Wildcats on Oct. 2. There are long-term dreams of bringing in NCAA Div. 1 teams such as the Badgers, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes or Boston College to play the Vikes at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Vikes鈥� rival Trinity Western played the Badgers this season in a game won 1-0 by Wisconsin. This level is certainly competitive.
The ice-hockey Vikes operate under the same rules as varsity Vikes teams. The players must be full-time students and follow all the UVic athletic standards in every other respect. Schamhart, who has had as Vikes co-coaches over the decade that have included Geoff Courtnall and Robin Gomez, recruits as hard across the country as any Vikes coach in other sports.
鈥淚 recruit as far as Manitoba and have commitments from three BCHL players for next season. We鈥檝e had a player go on to play pro in the ECHL and another in Germany,鈥� Schamhart said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e mostly had lots of future doctors, lawyers, chiropractors, physios, engineers and business majors going on to do well. We鈥檝e graduated pretty much every player. We find that balance between hockey and school.鈥�
The sa国际传媒 Intercollegiate Hockey League is proving popular in other venues. There were about 500 fans at the Langley Events Centre when UVic played Trinity Western last weekend, Schamhart said. He added SFU has attracted crowds of 1,500 to Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby, Selkirk College regularly sells out the 700-seat rink in Castlegar and Eastern Washington University hockey in Cheney draws about 900 fans.
The teams play 24 regular-season games, followed by playoffs.
UVic has had two Vikes Nation promotion game nights this season, for which students jammed the upper deck of the Ian Stewart Complex rink. The Vikes team, of course, would like to see more of that kind of support.
Schamhart said the Vikes team operates on a season budget of about $70,000. To help with that, and other hockey matters, he has brought aboard Reza Binab, well known in the hockey business on the Island, as the director of hockey and business operations.
UVic actually has a long history in hockey. It was once a varsity sport, taking some famously lopsided beatings by the likes of Clare Drake鈥檚 Alberta Golden Bears, but also had a strong previous run at the club level in the old Esquimalt Friday Night League.
鈥淭om Renney and Bob Nicholson played at UVic. We want to reconnect to that history and to the community,鈥� Binab said.
鈥淔ans will fall in love with the hockey.鈥�
The Vikes next play on Friday in Castlegar against Selkirk (11-4-2) and next Saturday in Cheney against Eastern Washington (3-12-1). Trinity Western is 10-5-1.
UVic, which has clinched one of the four playoff berths, closes out the regular season Feb. 26-27 at Ian Stewart against Eastern Washington. Admission to UVic hockey games is by donation.
