The wait is over.
The Victoria Grizzlies open training camp today at the Q Centre, officially beginning preparations for the 2026–27 BCHL season with a significantly revamped roster, a strengthened coaching staff and increased expectations in Bear Country.
Head Coach and General Manager Geoff Grimwood enters his second season behind the Grizzlies bench after an offseason focused on adding proven offensive production, experience, size and competitiveness while retaining several important pieces from last year’s team.
For Grizzlies President David Michaud, the opening of camp represents the culmination of months of work by the club’s hockey operations staff.
“There’s a real sense of excitement around our organization right now,” said Michaud. “Geoff had a clear vision for what he wanted this team to become, and I think you can see that in the roster he’s assembled. We’ve added proven players, we’ve become bigger and more experienced, and we’ve been able to bring back some really important pieces from last season. Now they have to come together as a team and earn it on the ice.”
New Faces Bring Offence, Size and Experience
The Grizzlies have significantly reshaped their forward group, adding a mix of proven scoring, size and international experience to complement an important returning core.
Gabriel Courchesne and William Léonard arrive together from the Yorkton Terriers following outstanding seasons in the SJHL. Courchesne led the league in scoring with 80 points, while Léonard finished fourth with 69 points, including 33 goals. The pair also helped Yorkton advance to the SJHL championship series.
Joey Brehmer brings size and proven production after recording 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points in 50 games with the Trenton Golden Hawks. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound forward also saw action with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves and is committed to NCAA Division I Lake Superior State University.
Anthony Roy gives Victoria another experienced offensive weapon after an 84-point season in the NCDC, while Peter Ziak adds size, skill and international experience to the forward group.
Incoming forward Matthew Dowdall will join his brother Michael in Victoria, creating one of the unique storylines heading into training camp. Michael returns after scoring 11 goals for the Grizzlies last season.
The Grizzlies have also added young local forward Tyson Schamehorn. The 2008-born West Shore product scored 16 goals in just 24 games with the Westshore Wolves last season and brings a tenacious style of play to the lineup.
“We wanted to become a deeper hockey team,” said Grimwood. “We believe we’ve added players who can produce, but we’ve also been very conscious of how they play. We wanted competitiveness, players who can play in different situations and guys who understand what it takes to win. We’re excited about the group we’ve assembled.”
An Important Returning Core
The offseason wasn’t only about bringing new players to Victoria.
One of the club’s most significant developments was the return of 2006-born forward Owen Warnick for his final season of junior hockey.
The Northern Michigan University commit finished second in Grizzlies scoring last season with 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points in 53 games. After establishing himself as one of Victoria’s most consistent players, Warnick will be counted on heavily for his production, poise and leadership this season.
Victoria native Parker MacDougall is also back after a promising rookie campaign was cut short by injury. MacDougall scored nine goals while establishing himself as a physical, two-way forward capable of impacting games with his skating ability and shot.
Bentley University commit Levi Eiter returns to the lineup, as does Michael Dowdall, giving Victoria a group of forwards who already understand Grimwood’s expectations and the culture being established within the organization.
Returning defenceman Jackson Gillespie provides continuity and BCHL experience to a blue line that will look considerably different when the puck drops this season.
A New-Look Blue Line
Few areas of the roster have undergone more change than the Grizzlies defence.
Norwegian defenceman Sander Molde arrives in Victoria after playing professionally with Frisk Asker in Norway’s EHL last season. The smooth-skating 20-year-old appeared in 24 professional games and is expected to contribute at both ends of the ice.
Frisk Asker also provides an interesting connection to the Grizzlies coaching staff, as Associate Head Coach Garry Nunn played for the club during the 2017–18 season.
The Grizzlies have also added 6-foot-5 defenceman Alex Hendry. The 19-year-old spent last season with the Summerside Western Capitals, competed at the Centennial Cup and has represented Canada East at the World Junior A Challenge. A big, defensive defenceman who plays with an edge, Hendry adds another experienced presence to the Victoria blue line.
At 6-foot-6, Landon Poe brings even more size to the back end, while Swedish defenceman John Anthony adds another international element to the roster.
The Grizzlies also acquired the BCHL rights to 2007-born defenceman Matthew Lesyk from the Surrey Eagles in exchange for future considerations. The Wetaskiwin, Alberta native arrives with 112 games of junior hockey experience, including 51 games with the Grande Prairie Storm last season.
Strength Between the Pipes
Perhaps the greatest source of stability comes in goal.
Montreal Canadiens draft pick Mikus Vecvanags returns to Victoria after joining the Grizzlies midway through last season and emerging as a major part of the club’s second-half success.
Vecvanags went 10–6 in 19 regular-season appearances before elevating his game in the postseason, posting a .935 save percentage. The 2006-born Latvian enters his final season of junior hockey as one of the most important returning pieces on the roster.
Joining him is 2007-born Hunter Dryden.
The 6-foot-4 goaltender adds another talented option between the pipes as he begins his first season in Bear Country.
Dryden also comes from a family with a remarkable hockey background. He is the grandson of NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden and the son of Olympic gold medalist Tammy Lee Shewchuk. The Grizzlies are excited to welcome Hunter to Victoria as he begins the next chapter of his hockey career.
A Strengthened Hockey Staff
The changes aren’t limited to the roster. The Grizzlies have also made a significant investment in the people surrounding their players.
Between Greg Scott, Matt Irwin and Garry Nunn, the Grizzlies’ staff now boasts more than 2,400 games of professional playing experience across North America and Europe.
Scott joins the organization as Director of Hockey Operations, while Nunn moves into a full-time role as Associate Head Coach. Irwin, who played more than 450 games in the NHL, and over 700 games during his professional career, returns to the Grizzlies as Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development.
Together with Head Coach and General Manager Geoff Grimwood, the expanded staff gives Grizzlies players access to an extraordinary amount of firsthand experience and creates an environment built around development, preparation and helping players advance to the next level.
Training camp will add another accomplished hockey voice to that group with former University of North Dakota Head Coach Brad Berry joining the Grizzlies as a special guest coach. Berry led North Dakota to the 2016 NCAA National Championship and will work directly with Grizzlies players and staff throughout camp.
“We talk a lot about providing our players with an environment where they can get better, but that can’t just be something you put in a recruiting presentation,” said Grizzlies President David Michaud. “You have to invest in it. Between Greg, Matt and Garry, we’ve added more than 2,400 games of professional playing experience around Geoff and our players. Then to have someone with Brad Berry’s experience join us for training camp is another tremendous resource for our group. We’re very serious about making Victoria a place where players can develop and prepare themselves for the next level.”
Now the Work Begins
There is plenty to like about the roster Victoria brings into camp.
There is also plenty still to prove.
After an offseason spent assembling a deeper, more experienced and more physical group, Grimwood knows that names, statistics and résumés won’t determine what happens when the regular season begins.
“I like our roster, but now we have to build a hockey team,” said Grimwood. “There will be competition for jobs and competition for ice time. We want our players pushing each other every day. The identity of this team isn’t going to come from names or statistics from last season. It’s going to come from how we work, how we compete and how committed we are to playing for each other.”
For the Grizzlies, that’s what training camp is about.
A long offseason of recruiting, scouting and roster construction is over.
The pieces are in place.
