January 10, 2016 06:00 AM
The Victoria Grizzlies have broken down the remainder of their 2015-16 B.C. Hockey League season into segments of five games each, and have their eyes on winning each segment to better improve their lot in the Island Division standings and prepare for playoffs.
After Friday’s win over Powell River, the locals now cast their glare at the Langley Rivermen who visit The Q Centre at 2 p.m. today.
It is also trade deadline day, with inter-provincial moves having to be completed by 6 p.m. and an 8 p.m. deadline for all other in-league deals.
Which bring about nervous times, Grizzlies captain P.J. Conlon admitted.
“I think it’s definitely a stressful time. I think if you go into any junior hockey dressing room, the guys have that date in the back of their minds, but that can also act as motivation over the last few games before the deadline,” Conlon said.
“Guys have a final chance to prove themselves, I think, so it’s also an exciting time.”
Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon has one open roster spot available to him and, if anything, would like to add some punch to his forward units.
“We’re happy with our seven defencemen. If we look to add a forward it would have to be the right situation, the right guy to come in. We have feelers out,” he said.
“I don’t know if they’re nervous, just because there is a roster spot available,” Didmon said of his crew, that fired out well Friday after a long Christmas break to defeat the Kings, who had won all four of their outings upon their return.
“I don’t want them to be nervous. I want them to have confidence and play hard,” Didmon said.
“I like this hockey club. All these guys are either moving on to university next year or back, so there is a good core coming back and we want to make sure they’re a good part of this year so they are that much more experienced for next year.”
As for the five-game segments, those will also give Didmon and his staff a way to measure the club.
“We need to track the goals we set, and breaking it down in five-game segments allows us to keep a good look on where we’re progressing,” he said.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
Twitter/tc_vicsports
