Whats Up Magazine Article
BIG CHANGES AFOOT FOR THE VICTORIA
GRIZZLIES. By Mike Mellings.
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| Mike Mellings |
Huge changes have been happening within our Victoria
Grizzlies Organization! In June there were very few details known about what a massive
restructuring was to take place! Our hockey club has been purchased by a newly
formed company, Vancouver Island Sports and Entertainment whose president is
Mr. Ron Walchuk. Ron comes to us with a wealth of business know-how and a
strong wish to have the Victoria Grizzlies return to their former excellence
and be contenders for a BCHL championship soon,. Ron spared no time in hiring
one of the best known coaches in the British Columbia Hockey Association, Biill
Bestwick, as head coach and General Manager. Bestwick is well known in hockey
circles as the former no-nonsense coach of the Nanaimo Clippers. Bestwick is
well liked by players whom he has coached previously and has managed to
persuade several of them to join the Grizzlies family. Bestwick then arranged
to hire an assistant coach and G.M., Craig Didmon, who most of the Westshore
hockey fans and players and parents know well already.
The new front office
has been busy making trades and finalizing the team’s roster. The Grizzlies
acquired a pair of defencemen from the reigning RBC cup champion Penticton Vees
in Zach Urban and DJ Jones. The 6’3” 185lb Urban was then named as the team’s
captain. Urban and Jones are by all accounts solid two-way defense men who
along with recently acquired starting goaltender Brady Rouleau should help the
team improve on last season's dismal end. Rouleau who was acquired from West
Kelowna posted a solid 2.81 GAA and a .905 SV%. That trio along with the
returning Stefan Gonzales and Nolan De Jong should give the Grizzlies a good
core in the defensive end. De Jong is looking forward to playing for new coach
Bestwick, “The biggest thing I’m looking forward to is the structure. He
definitely knows how he wants to run his team and that’s the way it’s going to
be and if you’re not going to follow that you’re not going to play. I’m very
excited for this season”, said De Jong.
The additions to the roster didn’t stop on the backend as
Bestwick added four forwards that he coached in Nanaimo in Brett Hartskamp and
the Fitzgerald triplets, Myles, Gerry and Leo. Hartskamp scored 11 goals and 21
points in 44 games last season and the triplets who put up a combined 52 goals
and 113 points last season bring a lot of speed and a lot of heart to the team
and should help the team get up to speed with Bestwick’s coaching style. Those
four along with returnees Chase Kaiser, Myles Powell, David Walchuk and Mark McLellan
and new recruit Dante Hahn will be expected to provide some offense for the
Grizzlies. Other acquisitions for the Grizzlies include new defence recruits
Eben Norman and Mitchell Meek and forward Garrett Skrbich who was acquired in
the Rouleau trade.
The Grizzlies begin training camp on August 20th and will
have their first exhibition game on August 24th. at Bear Mountain Arena in
Colwood at 7.00 pm. The Grizzlies will have their second exhibition game at the
Sooke arena on August 28 at 7.15 pm. And this will just be the kick-off of what
is expected to be a very exciting season of hockey. Come out to some of the
games and watch our 'new look' Grizzlies. Bets are that this is going to be
awesome hockey to watch! Ticket info is available at 250 385-1555.
For the best up to date Grizzlies action on twitter, catch Mike Mellings, Offical Victoria Grizzlies tweets at:
twitter.com/VicGrizzhockey
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