By Ryan Pinder /
With the regular season ending on Feb. 21 and the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the sprint to the playoffs is underway in the Interior Conference.
Heavyweights Penticton and Vernon continue to slug it out for the lone bye; Westside and Salmon Arm will finish third and fourth; while Merritt, Quesnel, and Trail all jockey for position as playoff road teams. Prince George remains a long-shot and Williams Lake is firmly in last place.
Here’s a look at the Interior Conference clubs with the second season fast approaching. The dress rehearsal is nearly over.
Vernon Vipers
With four losses in a dozen games since Christmas, the Vernon Vipers are starting to look human. Despite adding F – Sahir Gill (‘92) and F – David Robinson (‘90), the Vipers have fallen off their record pace. Netminder Graeme Gordon (‘89) has cooled off considerably since Christmas, stuck with three of the four Vipers losses. Still, Gordon is second in the league with 29 wins as of Jan. 27 games. Meanwhile, backup Blake Voth (‘91) has 12 wins in his 14 starts and leads the BCHL in save percentage and goals against average.
Penticton Vees
Captain F - Denver Manderson (‘89) is on pace for over 130 points this season. January has been kind to the Furgus, Ont.-product. Manderson had a five-game stretch that saw him post 19 points, a seven-point game, and back-to-back hat tricks. Wow. F - Beau Bennett (‘91) is a lock for BCHL rookie of the year, as he should shatter the 100-point barrier with ease. And scouts have noticed—he’s ranked 48th among North American skaters for the 2010 Draft.
Westside Warriors
G - Kevin Jebson (‘89) has stood tall this season in the Warriors crease. ‘Jebber’ leads the BCHL in shots against, saves, minutes played, and wins. He’s also posted three shutouts and sports a save percentage of .919. Co-captain F -Trevor Bailey (‘89) has been sensational this season (second in goals scored), but Jebson might have a better case for team MVP. Rookie 16-year-old F - Colton Sissons has been great in January, and the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) noticed, trading for his rights on Jan. 10.
Salmon Arm Silverbacks
F - Mark Zengerle (‘89) hasn’t slowed off his torrid scoring pace of over two points per game, but he may find himself in second place in the BCHL points race, as he did last season (Darcy Oakes beat him). Though Zengerle is bound to smash the 99-point total that won the points race last season, he still finds himself ten points off the lead. G - Kurt Williams (‘91) has struggled this season against
softer opponents.
Merritt Centennials
Playoff fever is spreading through the Nicola Valley this winter. After back-to-back campaigns with just 13 wins, the Cents have emerged from the cellar of the Interior this season with designs on making noise in the post-season. Luke Pierce’s club has been great on home ice, but could brush up their special teams. The Cents are ranked 14th on the powerplay and 15th on the penalty kill. The club’s young rookie goaltending tandem must provide consistency for any success in the post season.
Quesnel Millionaires
Head Coach and GM Glen Watson should run for mayor in Quesnel with the success he’s enjoyed in his first year. For the first time since 2003, the Mills appear poised to make the playoffs. Quebec import F - Joshua Desmarais (‘89) has been a great mid-season addition (one of a few) netting 14 goals in his first 16 games. G - Luke Siemens (‘92) looks to be the man in Quesnel, as Kirby Halcrow continues to struggle since the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge.
Trail Smoke Eaters
With nine natural defenceman on the roster heading into the stretch run, it’s a clear in Trail in terms of keeping the goals against down. The Smokies score more than any other team in the Interior’s bottom tier, but have had fits keeping the puck out of their own net. The expected return of D – Graeme Strukoff (‘91) and the steady play of new addition D - Taylor Swaffield (‘89) should help a goaltending tandem that hasn’t stopped enough pucks.
Prince George Spruce Kings
After moving five veteran players at the trade deadline, the Prince George Spruce Kings are a looser and smaller group than they were last month, but they continue to hang around in the race for the final playoff spot. Eddy Dempsey’s crew might not make it to the dance this season, but they’ll have more experienced youngsters, and a boatload of future considerations come Fall 2010. Goaltending and their play at the Coliseum have killed the Spruce Kings.
Williams Lake Timberwolves
With F - Ryan Stanimir (‘90) out with a injury, the Williams Lake Timberwolves are in a tough spot. Stanimir was the only T-wolves player that had actually played enough games in the BCHL prior to this season to not qualify as a rookie, and was leading the team in goals and points. By any measure, year one of the T-Wolves return has
been disappointing. |