The Peninsula Panthers were looking to turn around the teamB次元官网网址檚 playoff series against the Victoria Cougars last Friday. Now, they are left contemplating an historic season cancelled by events beyond their control.
Like every organization, the Junior B hockey team is grappling with the effects of COVID-19 as its ongoing spread caused Hockey Canada to cancel all sanctioned events, including the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoffs, last week.
The Panthers were scheduled to play Game 3 of their South Division final at Panorama Recreation Centre after having lost their opening two games.
Pete Zubersky, the teamB次元官网网址檚 general manager, said he told players that the seasonB次元官网网址檚 cancellation needs to be put into perspective.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 disappointing, but with everything that is going on, our little pain is nothing compared to what the next three to four months will show,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think everybody kind of bought into that.B次元官网网址�
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Before the abrupt end of the season, the Panthers considered themselves down but not out against the Cougars. After losing their opening game of the series 5-2, the Panthers bounced back with a strong performance Wednesday, only to narrowly lose 3-2.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 consider last night a low,B次元官网网址� said Zubersky Thursday morning, hours before the cancellation. B次元官网网址淲hen we left the game Sunday, I was really disappointed. But when I left last night, I felt good about the series, as strange as that is,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his far from over.B次元官网网址� Hours later, it was.
With a home crowd behind them, the Panthers were counting on FridayB次元官网网址檚 game to get into the series, and Zubersky said the players genuinely thought that they would come back. Yet Friday night, the waiting lobby outside the rink was empty, except for a single, elderly man.
B次元官网网址淚 talked to this fellow, and he said, B次元官网网址業 come down every Friday night for hockey, and I knew there was no game, but I didnB次元官网网址檛 know what to do, so I came down,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Zubersky. B次元官网网址淎nd on that Friday, against the Victoria Cougars in Round 2, there would have been a line-up right past the concessions [into the parking lot].B次元官网网址�
The cancellation of the season will have an economic effect with the long-term consequences yet to emerge.
B次元官网网址淲e are going to get beat up by it, but I think a lot of people are going to be beat up by it,B次元官网网址� he said, confident teams will economically survive the pandemic. B次元官网网址淚n our league, most teams can at least break even. We tried to put some dollars away in case something bad happens. I obviously never thought that this would happen.B次元官网网址�
Zubersky, naturally, had other ideas heading into the season. For a while, the Panthers were unbeatable, and while the Victoria Cougars eventually finished ahead of them, the Panthers still played the best season in their history with 70 points after winning 35 out of 48 games, with league-leading scorer Tanner Wort (86 points, including 42 goals) claiming the leagueB次元官网网址檚 most-valuable-player title.
It is this success that Zuberksy wants to remember above all.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want COVID-19 to define our season,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hose kids had an unbelievable season. The fans were into it, and it was really a lot of fun to come to the rink, and I donB次元官网网址檛 want to the virus define our season.B次元官网网址�
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