Victoria Grizzlies star Cody Monds bolts to USHL as part of trend

Cody Monds at the start of Victoria Grizzlies training at The Q Centre in September. The BCHL regular season is indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Monds is among several BCHL players who are leaving to join the U.S. Hockey League, which is continuing play. ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist […]

Junior hockey teams hail decision to let older players return to practice

Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist DECEMBER 28, 2020 09:57 PM What many in sports saw as a gap in logic has been rectified. Nineteen and 20-year-old junior hockey players are again allowed to practice with their younger teammates. The previous provincial ruling had set the cut-off at athletes 18-and-younger being allowed to train with a […]

Colby Joseph finds defense niche with Victoria Grizzlies

Robin Wark / Virden Empire-Advance DECEMBER 23, 2020 04:36 PM Elkhorn’s Colby Joseph has seized an opportunity and taken his hockey skills west. The son of Dawn and Gord Joseph has earned a contributing role in his first season with the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League. Joseph, who turns 18 on Dec. […]

BCHL delays start of regular season to Dec. 8 amid COVID precautions

Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist NOVEMBER 23, 2020 10:00 PM The B.C. Hockey is giving the pandemic process a safe six extra days by pushing back the start date of its regular season from Dec. 2 to Dec. 8. All remaining exhibition games have been cancelled. The provincial health orders announced last week, extending to […]

Rookie Ellis Rickwood at home in Victoria Grizzlies’ den

Grizzlies rookie forward Ellis Rickwood has 21 points so far in preseason play. Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist NOVEMBER 17, 2020 10:02 PM It’s as good as omens get. Ellis Rickwood attended the same elementary school, Greenbrier, as fellow Brantford, Ont., native Wayne Gretzky. But it’s a more contemporary NHL player, Mitch Marner, who is […]

It’s playoffs in November for BCHL’s Island Division

Eddie Yan and the Grizzlies face the Nanaimo Clippers on Tuesday in the Island Cup final. Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist NOVEMBER 16, 2020 10:19 PM Darren Naylor nailed it when discussing the most unusual year in sports history. “Nobody ever thought they would see playoff hockey in November,” said the GM and head coach […]

Grizzlies forward Alex DiPaolo having breakout BCHL pre-season

Victoria Grizzlies forward Alex DiPaolo in a team practice at The Q Centre on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s pre-season game at home against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist NOVEMBER 8, 2020 04:44 AM It hasn’t been easy stick-­handling through this ­pandemic hockey season. But Alex DiPaolo is […]

BCHL announces 32-game regular season

Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist NOVEMBER 5, 2020 09:22 PM Victoria Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon says his team is rounding into form for a December start. The pandemic has hip-checked the B.C. Hockey League schedule and sent almost half of it flying over the boards. The league announced Thursday that teams […]

Wood looks to stake his claim to the Grizzlies’ crease

VICTORIA, B.C.: DECEMBER 18, 2019- Victoria Grizzlies goaltender Blake Wood practices at The Q Centre in Victoria, B.C. December 18, 2019. (DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST). For Sports story by Brian Drewry. Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist OCTOBER 16, 2020 06:37 AM Blake Wood earned the nickname Little Luongo when he started playing goal as a […]

Grizzlies, other Island teams stay safe so far in sports re-start

Victoria Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon says play among BCHL teams “has been as physical as in previous seasons.” TIMES COLONIST Photograph By BRUCE STOTESBURY, TIMES COLONIST Cleve Dheensaw / Times Colonist OCTOBER 9, 2020 06:30 AM It is so far so good for Island sports teams that have returned to play. […]