Law, Chiefs get Coyotes in first round
Steam, Posse clash in division semifinal
Ken Law will get an intriguing first-round matchup against his former team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoffs.
The Penticton resident guided the Kelowna Chiefs to the overall regular season title with a remarkable 43-3-1-2 record and the Chiefs will face the Osoyoos Coyotes in one of eight first-round, best-of-seven series that start this week.
Law had a great run of success coaching the Coyotes from 2010-11 to 2017-18 before parting ways with Osoyoos in the off-season. The Coyotes struggled mightily this season without Law, barely making the playoffs with a 17-29-2-1 record.
Osoyoos finished 52 points behind Kelowna in the standings. The Coyotes’ 37 points was the fewest of the 16 teams to make the playoffs.
The series schedule has not yet been finalized though Game 1 is expected to be played Tuesday at the Rutland Arena.
The other Okanagan Division first-round series sees the secondplace Summerland Steam take on the third-place Princeton Posse with Games 1 and 2 Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Summerland Arena.
Other first-round series (team opening at home listed first) are Revelstoke-Kamloops, 100 Mile House-Sicamous, KimberleyGolden, Fernie-Columbia Valley, Nelson-Spokane, and Beaver ValleyGrand Forks.
Regular season play wrapped up on the weekend with Summerland routing North Okanagan and Osoyoos.
The Coyotes still had a chance to move up to third in the division but fell 5-0 in Princeton on Friday.
Kelowna clinched first overall by beating Revelstoke 3-2 in overtime Friday at the Rutland Arena. The Chiefs rested several top players in a 5-4 loss at home to Princeton on Saturday – just Kelowna’s third regulation loss of the season.
Kimberley Dynamiters won their last 15 games to finish just a point behind Kelowna for first overall.
SATURDAY – Steam 10 Coyotes 2: Morey Babakaiff scored twice and Cody Swan had a goal and three assists as Summerland pasted Osoyoos in a largely meaningless game at the Sun Bowl Arena.
Cory Loring, Cairo Rogers, Mitchell Gove, Brody Conroy, Liam McLaren, Lane French and Ty Banser also scored for the Steam (25-20-2-2), who led 4-0 and 6-0 at the period breaks.
Bryson Rody and Austin O’Neil scored for the Coyotes, who were outshot 57-28.
Summerland won five of six meetings in this season’s Battle of the South Okanagan.
FRIDAY – Steam 6 North Okanagan 1: Swan produced a hat-trick to lead Summerland to victory in their home finale.
French, Banser and Dawson Jenner also scored as the Steam led 1-0 and 3-1 at the intermissions.
Owen Spanner scored for the Knights, who missed the playoffs with a 16-33-0 record. The Steam outshot the Knights 36-25.
Princeton 5 Coyotes 0: Quin Garrison scored twice as the Posse beat visiting Osoyoos to nail down third place.
Justin Fodchuk, Brendan Adams and Achille Casali also scored and Jaysen MacLean made 23 saves for the shutout. The Posse, who led 3-0 after one period, had 38 shots on net.
Kelowna clinched first overall as Devin Sutton scored his second of the game 41 seconds into overtime for the win over Doug Birks Division champions Revelstoke.
NOTES: Kelowna’s Brody Dale won the scoring race with 123 points in just 45 games. He was the only player to reach 50 goals and his 73 assists were also a league-best. Teammate Zach Erhardt was the only other player to reach the century mark in points with 101.