For now, the focus of Riley Braun, his brother Payton and their teammate Logan Speirs fall squarely on the Peninsula PanthersB次元官网网址� playoff series against the Westshore Wolves in the first round of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey (VIJHL) playoffs.
But to borrow a line from Casablanca, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of their lives, the trio will remember the past season as a period of historic accomplishment on the ice, forever shadowed by the tragic death of their teammate Grant Gilbertson.
Riley finished the regular season as VIJHLB次元官网网址檚 all-time leader in scoring in the modern era and broke the single-season scoring record in claiming the Doug Morton Trophy as best scorer and the Jamie Benn Trophy as the most valuable player. Payton won the Larry Lamoureaux Trophy for rookie of the year while Speirs won the Mac MacWilliams Memorial Trophy for unsung hero. And the leagueB次元官网网址檚 recognition of the Panthers did not stop with their best forward line. Defender Matthew Seale won the Clayton Stoner Award for top defenceman while Brad Tippett won the Eddie B次元官网网址淭he StormB次元官网网址� Kingston Award for coach of the year.
In short, 2021-22 will be a special vintage in the trophy box of the Panthers, as a franchise and for players like the Braun brothers and Speirs.
Owner and general manager Pete Zubersky said the combined success of the Braun brothers and Speirs defies categorization. B次元官网网址淲hen you watch them, the chemistry between them is unbelievable,B次元官网网址� said Zubersky. B次元官网网址淭hey just know what they are doing.B次元官网网址�
This chemistry has two ingredients. The first is the familiarity between Riley and Speirs, who have played with each other since they were children.
B次元官网网址淩iley and I will always know where we are on the ice, where to put the puck, and where we are going to be,B次元官网网址� Speirs said. B次元官网网址淎nd Payton just caught on. He is a super-smart kid. He knows the game very well. He picks up on what we do and adds his own stuff. It makes for a great trio.B次元官网网址�
RELATED:
The second is the fraternal tie between Riley and younger brother Payton. While the brothers had played with each other in the past, their hockey careers took divergent paths when Payton decided to play recreational house rather than follow the development of his older brother.
B次元官网网址淲hen it got to contact hockey, I wasnB次元官网网址檛 really into that, so I went to play house hockey and my dad coached me there,B次元官网网址� said Payton, who also enjoys mountain biking and tennis among a wide variety of sports.
Payton became a more familiar figure around the Panthers during their first COVID-19 season, serving as a volunteer. B次元官网网址淲hen I was 18 on the Panthers, he (Payton) would come out to practices and stuff like that,B次元官网网址� said Riley of his brother. B次元官网网址淪o he would also be around the rink with the team.B次元官网网址�
This meant he fit in easily when he formally joined the team after an appeal from Zubersky, who had pointed out to him that brother Riley would be going into his last season of eligibility, an opportunity not to be missed.
B次元官网网址淚 want to have one last year playing with him, so I tried out and made it,B次元官网网址� said Payton, who didnB次元官网网址檛 have any high expectations heading into the season. B次元官网网址淚 was a bit skeptical of the decision at the start of the year, in September, but this has been a super special year and it is something I will never forget B次元官网网址� I am sure we will both tell our kids stories about it, playing together and scoring a lot of goals.B次元官网网址�
And they have scored goals, with Riley recording 43 goals, just two more than his brother. Their centre B次元官网网址� Speirs B次元官网网址� had an equally phenomenal regular season with 103 points, 67 of them being assists, to finish second in league scoring with Payton finishing fifth.
B次元官网网址淚t feels quite surreal, honestly,B次元官网网址� said Speirs. B次元官网网址淥n every team, there is a top line or a top player. But for some reason this year, with Riley, Payton and I, from the very beginning we just clicked and we never really went through any dry spells or nights off.B次元官网网址�
RELATED:
RELATED: Greater Victoria community pulls together for Peninsula Panther No. 26
At one stage, Speirs recorded points in 43 straight games, an unprecedented streak.
B次元官网网址淚 have been around junior hockey forever and I have never seen that,B次元官网网址� said Zubersky in pointing to SpeirsB次元官网网址� passing skills and speed, complementing the more robust wing play of the Braun brothers.
B次元官网网址淧ayton and I arenB次元官网网址檛 necessarily slow, but we are definitely not speedsters,B次元官网网址� said Riley. B次元官网网址淗e brings that extra dynamic. He is really good defensively in his own end.B次元官网网址�
This personal success happens in an environment that sees players compete hard while celebrating each otherB次元官网网址檚 successes. B次元官网网址淗ands-down, the best part is the perfect balance between always wanting to win and always giving it your all, but making sure that you are having fun along the way,B次元官网网址� said Speirs. B次元官网网址淲e are always keeping it light, but in a professional kind of manner.B次元官网网址�
This balance points to a broader shift. Whereas players in the past saw VIJHL as a stepping stone, the current focus lies on developing the whole person. The PanthersB次元官网网址� roster is full of players who are pursuing high-end, professional degrees in fields such as business, engineering or in the case of Riley and Payton, dentistry, all while combing their studies with the discipline and dedication of sports.
B次元官网网址淭hey all have a passion for hockey,B次元官网网址� said Zubersky. B次元官网网址淏ut they are really well adjusted and I think that is coming through.B次元官网网址�
RileyB次元官网网址檚 success raises the obvious question: does he have a future in professional hockey? While reaching that level is a tall task by any measure, Riley and the rest of the team tasted this very possibility the other day when they heard from current Toronto Maple Leafs assist coach and former Panther Spencer Carbery, who had called to congratulate Payton on his rookie season.
B次元官网网址淚 really do enjoy hockey, but I donB次元官网网址檛 know if I could do it for a living,B次元官网网址� said Riley. B次元官网网址淧art of the reason why I chose to play for the Panthers so long is that so many friends are on my team and guys I grew up with. So I really enjoy that part of hockey. But I think I am more of a person who likes to play recreational hockey once I have aged out. Obviously, when you are little, every kid in Canada wants to be an NHL player. Obviously, I did want to be an NHL player when I was 10 or 11 years old, but you eventually figure out what you want to do.B次元官网网址�
Zubersky hopes Riley finds his way back into the PanthersB次元官网网址� fold as a coach once he has followed his parents into dentistry.
B次元官网网址淟ooking back on it in the months and years ahead, I think no matter what happens, I think I will be proud of what happened in the regular season. But also at the end of the day, the regular season is just preparation for the playoffs,B次元官网网址� Riley said.
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on and and like us on
