It was a tricky task to decide in a two-man sweepstake, said Victoria Grizzlies head coach and GM Craig Didmon.
Didmon has selected Cody Van Lierop, a 20-year-old defenceman from Sutton West, Ont., to captain the Grizzlies this season in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League.
鈥淲e have two captains in our dressing room and it was a difficult decision between [Van Lierop] and [forward] Cole Pickup,鈥� said Didmon.
鈥淏oth players have a lot of [NCAA] schools interested in them.鈥�
In the end, Didmon said he liked that Van Lierop was captain of his Lake Forest Academy prep team in Chicago and 鈥渒nows what is expected of the role.鈥�
鈥淗e comes to play every day and is a hard working player with character,鈥� said Didmon.
The Grizzlies鈥� bench boss also cited Van Lierop鈥檚 temperament.
鈥淗e has a tough mentality. He doesn鈥檛 get too high or too low,鈥� said Didmon.
The six-foot-one Van Lierop is entering his third season with the Grizzlies and scored four goals with eight points in 54 games in 2014-15 and two goals with 25 points in 55 games last season.
Van Lierop will be aided by assistant captains Pickup, Tyler Welsh, Jake Stevens and Brett Stirling.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a real honour, especially being a third-year player in this organization,鈥� said Van Lierop.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an awesome feeling. I am really excited by our group of players. We have lots of talent on the back end, including the best goaltender in the league [NCAA Cornell-bound Matthew Galajda], and we have people up front who can score.鈥�
The Grizzlies, looking to rebound from missing the playoffs last season, open the 2016-17 campaign with back-to-back home games Friday and Saturday at The Q Centre against the Powell River Kings and Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Grizzlies finalized their roster Monday by signing a pair of forwards who had strong pre-seasons. Nolan Welsh, 17, and Cory Hatcher, 19, were inked . . . Welsh is from Burnaby Winter Club, while Hatcher spent last season with the Westshore Wolves of the VIJHL where he had 16 goals and 26 assists in 36 regular season games, while adding another goal and five assists in six playoff games.
