Rivalries make for compelling Giants home dates
The Vancouver Giants begin their new Western Hockey League regular season on Friday. Here are five key home games to make a note of during this 2018-19 campaign:
FRIDAY VS. EVERETT SILVERTIPS
(Langley Events Centre)
This is the first glimpse at the new-look Giants, who brought in Barclay Parneta as general manager and Michael Dyck as coach during the summer.
Everett should be one of the better teams in what should be a competitive U.S. Division, so there’s no easing into things. Vancouver plays in Everett on Saturday.
It’s safe to assume there will be reminders internally about how Vancouver lost 7-1 and then 6-1 in
FIRST GAME
Friday
Everett Silvertips at Vancouver Giants 7:30 p.m., Langley Events Centre
a home-and-home opening weekend last season with the Victoria Royals and also dropped an 11-0 decision to Everett in their first game after the Christmas break.
SATURDAY, DEC. 1 VS. TRI-CITY AMERICANS
(Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver)
It’s the first of two games this season at Vancouver’s former home and it’s being billed as a tribute to the venerable arena’s 50th birthday.
There’s bound to be salutes to the Vancouver Canucks’ time there, as well as a look back at the Giants’ 2007 Memorial Cup national championship win. In a scheduling oddity, Vancouver is slated to play Tri-City the following afternoon at the LEC. Those games are the first between the clubs since Parneta moved from the Americans to the Giants.
SATURDAY, DEC. 8 VS. VICTORIA ROYALS
(Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver)
It’s Part 2 of the Giants’ return to the Rink on Renfrew this season, this time for the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss.
Fans are encouraged to bring stuffed animals to the game to donate to charity. They get to do so by tossing them on the ice after the first Vancouver goal.
MONDAY, FEB. 18 VS. PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS
(Langley Events Centre)
It’s Vancouver’s annual Family Day game, with a 2 p.m. start that gives more moms and dads a chance to bring their children to a game.
Portland should be one of the better teams in the league, too, and there’s a new connection there this season with former Giants coach Don Hay joining Mike Johnston’s Winterhawks staff as an assistant.
FRIDAY, MARCH 15 VS. KELOWNA ROCKETS
(Langley Events Centre)
It’s the annual regular-season home-ice finale against the Rockets. That’s the night that Giants brass hand out year-end awards.
This should be the most compelling of these yearly windups against the Rockets in some time.