The 30th season of Columbia Valley Rockies Junior hockey is already underway. Last Friday night marked the first preseason win for the club and it was also the first game in which Coach Darren Naylor dressed returning players for the Rockies. Veterans Reid Mitchell and Brent McQueen saw their first action with the former notching a pair of goals. The Rockies topped the hometown Kimberley Dynamiters by a score of five to three. Newcomer Brett Bjorkman was the player of the game, tallying an impressive four assists including a cross-crease pass to set up the game winning goal scored by Garrett Griffith.
Other standouts include goalie Ty Gullickson who held the Dynamiters scoreless in his half of the game. Jivani Shahnz continues to play well above his five foot-six frame and showed no mercy snapping a shot into the top corner after an horrendous Kimberley giveaway. Tyler Spaan, or “Alaska” as he’s been dubbed by his teammates, dominated at the faceoff dot: winning the great majority of his draws. And defenseman Terry Helgason left the ice in the first period with an upper body injury. The game was a gentlemanly affair despite twenty four minors penalties dolled out by referee Matt Barker.
It was a welcome change from the Rockies previous match in Golden on Saturday August 30th. The third frame began with a full-scale brawl including a shocking cheap shot on Rockies big winger David Sabey, leaving him prone on the ice. Golden won the game eight to three, but the Rockies young line-up showed poise and maturity in returning the circus-like start to something resembling a hockey game.
Sabey looks impressive so far scoring in all 3 preseason games. Mattias Schmitt has been all over the score sheet especially in the first two games against Golden. Veteran Chase Steele received some good news regarding his broken Tibia: he’s recovering faster than expected and may return a month earlier than originally predicted. Also the Rockies have traded Bryar Zinn and Kyle Kraatz to Grand Forks for future considerations.
Don’t miss the action tonight as the Columbia Valley Rockies open the regular season playing host to the Sicamous Eagles. We’ll see you at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. Can’t make it to the game? Catch the live web cast as Steve Griffiths and John Helm call the action on KIJHL.com. The puck drops at 7:30 pm.