As a seven-time Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoff champion, eight-time regular season champ and 2007 B.C. champion, the Victoria Cougars have a reputation for putting very competitive teams on the ice.
Last yearB次元官网网址檚 Island playoff championship runners-up to Campbell River B次元官网网址� the Storm won the super-close series with a 4-3 overtime win in game 7 in Esquimalt B次元官网网址� the Cougars had a veteran roster built to challenge for a provincial title.
This season is a different story, as the defending South Division champions are in a rebuilding mode with just five players back from the 2016-17 campaign.
Second-year Cougars head coach Suneil Karod, whose squad hits the ice at Archie Browning Sports Centre for their home and season opener Thursday (Sept. 7 at 7 p.m.) against the Comox Valley Glacier Kings, knows heB次元官网网址檒l have his work cut out for him. He likes the initial look of the team.
B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檒l be deep up front. We might not have as much top-end talent as weB次元官网网址檝e had in the past, but weB次元官网网址檒l have four solid lines,B次元官网网址� he said.
The returning forwards are Akila Sato-Gaudreau (17 goals, 17 assists last season), Kyle Wade (9-7) and Liam Kinshella (2-2), while defencemen Shane Kime (0-10) and Carl Ewert (0-6) are back on the blueline.
More players might have been back, but four former Cougars are expected to stick with Junior A clubs this season, Karod said, which is the rate of progression the Victoria club wants to see.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 kind of a change IB次元官网网址檝e made since taking over last year, we want to be a little bit younger and develop players for Junior A,B次元官网网址� he said, noting last yearB次元官网网址檚 team had a veteran forward group but all rookie defencemen. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nice to win a championship and that kind of stuff, but itB次元官网网址檚 also important to move guys off to the next level.B次元官网网址�
While the newcomers come from various organizations and are gradually learning B次元官网网址淐ougars hockey,B次元官网网址� Karod said, one key acquisition is goaltender Patrick Ostermann. HeB次元官网网址檚 a 20-year-old veteran of the Kootenay International Junior B League who played in Creston last season and was signed to give Victoria a number 1 starter. B次元官网网址淲e brought Connor [McKillop] in as a local backup, to kind of learn from [Ostermann] and gain experience.B次元官网网址�
The returnees are being counted upon to instill in the new players the work ethic and expectations involved with being part of this successful organization. Kinshella, who has been named team captain, will be among those leaders.
B次元官网网址淗e knows how to be a Cougar, heB次元官网网址檚 a good Cougar, even in his personal life,B次元官网网址� Karod said. B次元官网网址淎s captain you act as an extension of the coaches, especially when they arenB次元官网网址檛 in the room.B次元官网网址�
Sato-Gaudreau, Wade and Ewart will be among the assistant captains this season, a role the Cougars coaches try to move around to give more players a chance to lead.
That leadership and the ability to pick a team up has become even more important in recent years in the VIJHL, as the parity has grown.
B次元官网网址淚n our league thereB次元官网网址檚 no easy games, no nights off,B次元官网网址� Karod said. B次元官网网址淓very game is a battle and a struggle, which is better for our league B次元官网网址� Any team in this league, any time you write them off, thatB次元官网网址檚 when you get burned.B次元官网网址�
Looking around the South Division, Westshore should have most of last yearB次元官网网址檚 roster back this season, while Kerry Park, which edged the Wolves for third place last season, has more than half returning. On the other hand, Saanich (second last year), Peninsula (fifth) and the Cougars have each seen a lot of turnover.
Following the home opener, the Cougars head up to Courtenay on Sept. 9 to play the back end of their home-and-home series against the Kings.
