Grizzlies’ netminder Chapman brings winning pedigree
GAME DAY: NANAIMO AT VICTORIA 7 p.m. at The Q Centre
New Victoria Grizzlies goaltender Kurtis Chapman is part of a group of 19-year-old players from the metro Calgary area who have made themselves right at home in B.C.
The Airdrie-raised creaseman grew up facing shots sent his way by Grizzlies star forward Jamie Rome from Calgary and current WHL forwards Matthew Phillips of the Victoria Royals, a hometown Flames prospect, and Cochrane’s Dillon Dube of the Kelowna Rockets, another Flames prospect and a Canadia national junior team player.
With such a group of 1998-born snipers coming out of metro Calgary, somebody had to stop those flying pucks.
“Nobody wanted to be the goalie on my youth teams, so I just stuck with it,” said Chapman, of the how-did-you-end-up-in-thecrease questions asked of goalkeepers in every sport.
If those myriad B.C. connections weren’t enough — after Chapman was traded to the Grizzlies by the Calgary Mustangs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League this week — it just so happens the Kootenay Ice were in Victoria on Friday night for a WHL game against the Royals. Chapman began this season in the WHL with the Ice and played 10 games for Kootenay with a 3.91 goals-against average, .880 save percentage and 4-5 record before before being sent to the Mustangs.
“It’s weird that Kootenay is here. The [Ice] guys have been texting me to come to the game [at the Memorial Centre],” said the six-foot-two Chapman.
Chapman got the start Wednesday for the Grizzlies and made 24 saves in a 5-3 loss to the Cowichan Valley Capitals as Victoria (14-14-3-1) lost its fifth consecutive game. The last two losses were to the lowliest teams in the BCHL in the Capitals and Coquitlam Express. It was all a bit of a whirlwind as Chapman had only arrived on the Island that afternoon from Calgary and was thrown right into the fray that night at the Stick in Duncan.
It’s because regular Grizzlies starter Zach Rose is with Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in Truro, N.S., while backup Shawn Parkinson is hurt and on the injured reserve list. Both will miss the rest of December. Grizzlies head coach and GM Craig Didmon said he needed to bring in “some stability” in the crease during this stretch of six games. Bryce Schiebel from the Junior B Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League has also been used during this Grizzlies crease quandary.
Chapman was traded from the AJHL Mustangs because of a goaltender triangle there and knows any number more than two in the crease will sooner or later have to be reconciled on any hockey team. He said these situations have a way of sorting themselves out.
“I’ll play my game and show them [Grizzlies] that I can be the guy and do what I did last season,” said Chapman, of backstopping the Portage Terriers to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League title last spring.
He will get another chance to showcase himself tonight when the Grizzlies host the Nanaimo Clippers (16-11-3-2) on Teddy Bear Toss night at The Q Centre.
Chapman also won an Alberta championship with the UFA Bisons Midget triple-A team and backstopped them to the Telus Cup nationals in 2015. Didmon said Chapman’s championship pedigree, both in midget and junior, is one of the reasons he acquired him.
“You gain a lot of valuable experience by going on a playoff run like that,” said Chapman, who capped off Portage’s MJHL championship series with a 1-0 shutout victory in Game 6 over the OCN Blizzard.
The Grizzlies will be more than happy with this crease acquisition if Chapman can be part of a similar run through the BCHL this coming spring.
After tonight’s game, the Grizzlies are back at it Sunday when the Powell River Kings come to the The Q Centre for a 1 p.m. game.