Grizzlies know fast start is important
GAME DAY: ALBERNI VALLEY AT VICTORIA 7 p.m. at Juan de Fuca Arena
A pair of defencemen are among a group of veteran Victoria Grizzlies in search of NCAA Division I scholarships this season.
Jake Stevens and Cody Van Lierop are back and expected to play key roles for head coach and general manager Craig Didmon, who wants all his older recruits to shine early in the B.C. Hockey League campaign — including the preseason.
“We have five colleges to come watch us in exhibition games alone, that I know of,” said Didmon. “I’m excited about how we take off at the start of the season.
“For training camp, as much as we’re trying to fill those last few spots, we want to get down to the brass tacks right away so that when we hit the regular season we have good systems in place and a strong foundation.”
The preseason begins tonight at 7 at Juan de Fuca Arena as the Grizzlies welcome the Alberni Valley Bulldogs before a game Thursday in Duncan against the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
“They come during preseason, just to see who they want to watch at the [BCHL] Showcase,” Stevens said of scouts. “It helps just to get schools out and get those quick commits, especially for 20-year-olds who want to get them quick and not have to play under pressure, and I think that was a big thing for us last year. And we all know we didn’t get off to a good start last season.”
Stevens, a six-foot-two, 205-pound rearguard from the Chicago area who turns 20 in December, is back for his second campaign with the Grizzlies after scoring six goals and recording 19 points last year from the blue line.
He has had discussions with a number of schools (which he wanted to keep private) during the off-season and prepared by training tenaciously in the Boston area, skating under the guidance of Paul Vincent, the current head skills instructor with the Florida Panthers, who previously worked with the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I’m not worried about it,” Stevens said of garnering a scholarship. “We have to play as a team and I think that was a bit of a problem last year. I think we were too individualistic last year and they [scouts] come when you win as a team.
“That’s why we’re all here and that’s why you should be here. Everyone wants a Division I scholarship. Obviously, winning is important, but we all have to depend on each other.”
Van Lierop, already 20 and in his third season with the Grizzlies, is in the same boat as Stevens, along with the likes of Cole Pickup, Brett Stirling (who will miss this first week of camp and exhibition as he nurses an injury) and goaltender Matthew Galajda.
“It’s pretty important,” Van Lierop said of moving on to NCAA. “That’s been my goal since I didn’t get drafted into the OHL. But I’m more looking forward to just playing hockey again. If that comes along, then great. It would be a plus, that’s for sure.
“Just talking to the guys here early, they’ve been talking to schools over the summer and there’s been a lot of interest. We have a lot of returning guys,” he said of the veteran-laden club. “We weren’t too lucky last year with scholarships on this team.
“I know this year we’re going to have a great team and we have a lot of guys with Division I potential,” added Van Lierop, a six-foot-one, 195-pound defenceman who had two goals and 23 assists in 2015-16.
And it all begins early, unlike last year’s struggles out of the gate.
“It’s important to start off better. We have some early home games this year, unlike last year [with the Mann Cup series in the building]. We want to set the tone early and hopefully everyone talks to schools during the Showcase and we garner some more interest,” said Van Lierop, who skated twice a week throughout the summer and, like Stevens, worked out with a trainer.