The records will show the Peninsula Panthers lost their home game on Jan. 7 against the Victoria Cougars 5-2 in Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) action. But this score will remain a side note as players from both teams and an emotionally charged audience honoured the life of 18-year-old Panther Grant Gilbertson, who died on Jan. 3 in a car crash.
GilbertsonB次元官网网址檚 grandfather Don Colegrave read a four-page speech during a pre-game ceremony that also included videotaped testimonials from Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett (the brother of PanthersB次元官网网址� head coach Brad Tippett), Oiler star Connor McDavid, as well NHLers Tyson Barrie and Matt Irwin, who played minor hockey in Greater Victoria.
Pete Zubersky, PanthersB次元官网网址� general manager and owner, said in an open letter to the community that ColegraveB次元官网网址檚 speech did not leave a dry eye in the house.
The two teams later shook hands after the game, then distributed a small gift for each and every fan in memory of Gilbertson. The audience included, among others, GilbertsonB次元官网网址檚 mother Darcie Colegrave and girlfriend Sadie Fitzpatrick, who visited the PanthersB次元官网网址� locker room to give each player a rose with a note that included the playersB次元官网网址� respective numbers and an inscription that read B次元官网网址�#26 Grant Gilbertson A Panther Forever.B次元官网网址�
Garrett Gilbertson, GrantB次元官网网址檚 older brother, also joined his mother and his late brotherB次元官网网址檚 girlfriend during the occasion.
B次元官网网址淢y favourite moment of the evening occurred when Darcie told me she was so happy that the family came and she expressed how important the evening was to them,B次元官网网址� Zubersky said. B次元官网网址淪he gave me some real peace when I was trying to be the one to provide the same to her.B次元官网网址�
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Looking at the result, Zubersky said he thought the Panthers played well enough to win, but could not pull it off as the PanthersB次元官网网址� win streak ends at eight games.
Leading 3-2 after two periods, the Cougars capped the game with two goals in the third period, including an empty-netter, to push their lead in the South Division to three points, having played three fewer games.
Overall, the Panthers had won 16 out of the 18 games prior to GilbertsonB次元官网网址檚 death and FridayB次元官网网址檚 loss.
The Panthers now face a compressed schedule following the postponement of one game before and one game after FridayB次元官网网址檚 matchup. Their lineup will also look different in other ways after the team traded defender Griffin Gilmour for Saanich Predator forward Kyle Brown mid-week last week in anticipation of a deep playoff run.
B次元官网网址淭he closing chapter has yet to be written on our season but no matter what that chapter reads, unquestionably GrantB次元官网网址檚 death will be the most significant moment for our club this year and in fact, for the past 20 years since PanthersB次元官网网址� player Steve Simpson was tragically taken from all of us in a motor vehicle accident back on Nov. 2, 2001,B次元官网网址� said Zubersky, who used the occasion of his open letter to praise his team.
B次元官网网址淭o our group of young men in our dressing room and that includes Griffin, I could not be more proud of the way each and every one of you have responded since Monday night,B次元官网网址� Zubersky said. B次元官网网址淵ou have reacted to this tragedy in such a mature, responsible, compassionate manner, when I know all of your hearts are breaking. Your support for GrantB次元官网网址檚 family and for each other has been absolutely remarkable and amazing and even the thought of it brings tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart.B次元官网网址�
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