The Victoria Grizzlies (26-8-7) are top-three in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League and look to need about as much help as a snowflake on the Prairies.
But there isn鈥檛 anything in hockey that couldn鈥檛 use some tweaking somewhere.
Grizzlies head coach and general manager Craig Didmon said one forward will be added by the BCHL trade and roster deadline, which is today at 8 p.m.
Forward Cory Hatcher, 19, has been reassigned, likely going to the Westshore Wolves of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League for the rest of the season, to make space for today鈥檚 addition.
鈥淲e鈥檝e made room and are looking to add a forward,鈥� Didmon said.
He said he has a particular player he is pursuing but that he has 鈥渁 few irons in the fire鈥� just in case.
Didmon has firepower aplenty, so he knows what kind of forward will best complement his roster.
鈥淲e have a lot of scorers. What we鈥檙e looking for is a guy who can play a 200-foot game and log some good defensive minutes for us and who can grind and play with physicality,鈥� he said.
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, recovered from a two-game road skid after losses in Langley on Friday and Wenatchee on Saturday by defeating the Surrey Eagles 7-1 on Sunday.
Grizzlies top scorer Cole Pickup recorded the hat-trick at South Surrey Arena. Jamie Rome, selected to the Canadian Junior A Hockey League Top Prospects Game later this month, scored just 30 seconds into the game for Victoria. Nathan Looysen and Lucas Clark also scored in the first period for the Grizzlies. After Darius Davidson got the Eagles on the board, Marty Westhaver and Pickup gave the Grizzlies a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes. Pickup added his team-leading 20th and 21st goals of the season in the final period.
Tony Rehm made 36 saves in goal for Victoria to improve his record to 7-1 on the season.
鈥淭his is the time of year when travel, injuries and sickness take a toll,鈥� said Didmon.
The Grizzlies played the weekend without Keyvan Mohktari and Nico Sommerville (both injured) and captain Cody Van Lierop (illness).
鈥淚t was a tough little stretch for us. But we came out of the weekend at least with something,鈥� said Didmon.
The game in Wenatchee was considered a BCHL marquee matchup pitting the Grizzlies against the league-leading Wild (30-6-4).
鈥淭hey were very good that night and we were not at our best,鈥� said Didmon.
鈥淚f we get the opportunity to play them again in that barn, I think it will be a different result.鈥�
Sunday鈥檚 victory pushed Victoria 10 points ahead of the Powell River Kings in the Island Division. The result also moved the Grizzlies into a tie for second place overall in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees. Both teams have 59 points, but the Vees have three games in hand on Victoria.
The Grizzlies meet the Nanaimo Clippers on Thursday night at The Q Centre before concluding the home stand with back-to-back dates Saturday and Sunday against the Kings.
ICE CHIPS: The Grizzlies will wear third jerseys Thursday, honouring Wounded Warrior sa国际传媒, and to be worn throughout January. Grizzlies players and Allan Kobayashi, co-founder of Wounded Warrior Run sa国际传媒, will be on hand today at the Colwood McDonald鈥檚 at 5:30 p.m. to unveil the jerseys. The third jerseys will be auctioned Jan. 27 during the game against the West Kelowna Warriors.
