Stevens wishes for birthday win

There’s something about 19th birthdays in B.C. that tends to quench a young adult’s thirst.

It’s almost twice as much fun when you’re an import junior hockey player from the United States — where the legal drinking age is 21 — and you can send the odd text or two back to your buddies, maybe rubbing it in a little. Not that it matters for Jake Stevens. The Victoria Grizzlies’ defenceman hopes to celebrate in a much different way this afternoon at 2 when the club plays Game 2 of its road trip in Powell River — following up on Saturday’s 5-1 loss — with what the native of Naperville, Illinois, hopes will be a victory.

“Being from the States, where the age is 21, my parents wouldn’t like it much and I’m not much of a partier, anyway,” Stevens, 19 today, said in his usual calm demeanour prior to the departure, dispelling any parental concerns of chugging his first legal beverage.

“I don’t think we’ve had any birthdays on the road this year. Actually, this might be the first. That’ll be cool. It would be nice to get a birthday win on the road. I’ve only been to Powell River the once (on a previous trip), but a win would make it real good,” added Stevens, who led Grizzlies’ defencemen in goals with four and has six assists in his 27 games played prior to Saturday.

Weather tossed a wrench into Victoria’s travel plans on Saturday as the trip to Powell River turned into nearly a 12-hour excursion, with bad weather causing ferry cancellations and the bus to be re-routed.

The two-game series is an important one for both clubs.

Powell River is riding a five-game win streak and sits 17-10-0-4 in the Island Division standings. Victoria is 11-17-0-4 as the teams sneak up on the Christmas break, hoping to better position themselves.

Tristan Mullin, with a pair, Liam Lawson, Jonny Evans and Nick Halagian scored for the Kings on Saturday while Kevin Massy scored late for Victoria.