Tuesday, September 29, 2015 – Submitted by Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist
With many U.S. collegiate NCAA scouts in attendance, Brayden Gelsinger, Cole Pickup, Kevin Massy and Mitchel Benson of the Victoria Grizzlies picked a good time to come through with clutch performances.
Blue-liner Massy scored on an assist from Pickup at 4:02 of three-on-three overtime — the second extra session after the first four-on-four solved nothing — for a 2-1 win against the Prince George Spruce Kings on Sunday in the Bauer BCHL Showcase at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack.
It was Victoria’s first victory after four losses to start the season.
Gelsinger scored the opening goal, on a first-period power play, on assists from Massy and Pickup. Goaltender Benson made 26 saves and was named the game’s third star with Gelsinger getting the nod as first star and Liam McCloskey, who made 34 saves in goal for Prince George, the second star.
“These players were getting a ton of attention in the Showcase [with games counting in the standings]. There were about a dozen NCAA scouts talking to our players after the games,” said Grizzlies head coach and GM Craig Didmon.
A total of 76 BCHL players from 15 teams have so far this season committed to NCAA teams, but none from the Grizzlies.
Junior hockey is a fine balancing act, where players must look out for both their careers and their clubs.
With regards to team fortunes, that sigh of relief Sunday from across the strait was the Grizzlies, following a 4-0 loss the night before against the Showcase host Chilliwack Chiefs (2-2-2).
“We felt we were snake-bitten and this opens up the gates a bit,” said Didmon, following the overtime win against the Spruce Kings (1-4-1).
“We’ve played some good games but haven’t been able to win, so it was tough. The guys were pushing hard against Prince George. Our group said enough was enough; and nothing was going to stop them Sunday.”
Didmon said he doesn’t anticipate any major roster shakeups, despite his team scoring just seven regulation-time goals in their first five games.
“We’re going to move forward with what we’ve got, although it’s always day-to-day in junior hockey,” he said.
“We believe we have a group that is maturing and will be very good by year’s end.”
Pickup and Gelsinger lead the Grizzlies in scoring with six points each, followed by Massy and P.J. Conlon with four points each. They are the only four Grizzlies players with more than one point.
The Grizzlies played five road games to open the season because The Q Centre has been kept humming, and packed, by the champion Victoria Shamrocks in the 2015 Mann Cup national Senior A lacrosse final series and the Kraft Hockeyville NHL pre-season game between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks.
The Grizzlies home opener is Thursday night against the Coquitlam Express (3-3).
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
