Victoria, BC ~ The Victoria Grizzlies host the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at the Q Centre in Colwood tonight at 7:00 p.m., with a chance at redemption.
Exactly seven days ago, the Bulldogs rolled into Victoria and whipped the floor with the homeside Grizzlies 11-2 in what can only be described as a one-sided and harrowing evening for the hosts. Tonight should be one of the more intriguing and storyline-filled evenings at the Q Centre this year, as the Grizzlies seek revenge to prove they have more to offer than they showed last Friday. Tonight will also include more storylines, namely three Grizzlies debuts, a first BCHL start for Patrik Kliment, and the opportunity to build on a victory over the league-leading Cowichan Valley Capitals on the road last time out (Saturday night).
The Grizzlies come into this evening at fourth in the Coastal West Division with a 15-15-1 record. They are ‘hoping’ that they are at the end of a 1-6-1 span before their Saturday night triumph over the Caps that will be left in the rear view mirror to never be spoken of again. Adversity is a key to success, and the hosts tonight will want to believe that their unbelievable 8-7 overtime win on Saturday may be the key to overcoming their month of December woes.
Alberni Valley had what can only be described as a weekend to remember this past Friday and Saturday. Fueled by the heartbreaking news of the passing of longtime broadcaster Evan Hammond, the Bulldogs played for him and him alone. They destroyed the Grizzlies 11-2 on Friday before stomping Surrey 10-4 the following night at the Alberni Valley Multiplex. The end of the game on Saturday saw them bring a hammer out to skate around the ice with to honour “Hammer,” as Evan was known by, to the delight of an emotional crowd. Alberni is second in the Coastal West Division with a 16-12-3 record while winning their last four times out.
Puck drop goes at 7:00 p.m. from the Q Centre in Colwood, with tickets available for purchase by CLICKING HERE. You can also listen live on the Grizzlies Audio Streaming App on Mixlr with Tom Wilke or watch live on FloHockey with a paid subscription. Grizzlies Hockey Live is proudly presented by Canada Action, and the Van Isle Windows Pre-Game Show starts at 6:45. Make sure to stay around watching or listening to the Tim Hortons Post Game Show as another Edition of “Karod’s Korner” with Associate Coach Suneil Karod will be live just moments after the final buzzer.
Debut Day
Victoria – The Grizzlies will see the debut of three new players tonight. Here’s a little about each of them.
- Zach Chehade – ’06 – D – 6’0/180 lbs – Beaconsfield, Quebec
– Zach joins the Grizzlies after starting the season in Surrey with the Eagles (12 GP, 1 G, 2 PTS, 0 PIM). Victoria snagged his rights in exchange for future considerations, and he comes to Victoria having most recently played in Rochester of the NAHL (10 GP, 0 G, 1 PT, 0 PIM). Zach is a very strong skater who will improve the Grizzlies’ depth on the back end. He was teammates with Grizzlies alumni Tom Molson for several years at Deerfield Academy in Connecticut.
- Gabe Bugeaud – ’05 – F – 6’1/187 lbs – Terrebonne, Quebec
– Bugeaud is another depth piece that the Grizzlies are excited to add to the squad as the weekend begins. Gabe spent the last two seasons in Manitoba with the Dauphin Kings of the MJHL (109 GP, 32 G, 66 PTS, 77 PIM), but kicked off this season in the NAHL in St. Cloud with the Norsemen (30 GP, 13 G, 21 PTS, 12 PIM). Bugeaud adds good size, strength, and scoring ability to the forward group for the Grizzlies to go along with 20-year-old veteran qualities.
- Jack McDonough – ’07 – F – 6’1/190 lbs – Duxbury, Connecticut, USA – St. Lawrence University
– The Grizzlies announced yesterday that they have also added McDonough for this weekend, who spent the last two seasons in the NAHL with the Aberdeen Wings. Through 16 games this year, Jack has six goals and 10 points. He plays a physical and in-your-face, relentless game that will fit right into the Grizzlies’ identity. The St. Lawrence commit is a welcome addition that will hopefully be a contributor for years to come.
Alberni Valley – The Bulldogs have added a newbie of their own for the remainder of the season
- Jackson Lackas – ’06 – F – 5’8/161 lbs – Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
– Lackas spent the beginning of the season in Tri-City of the USHL, where he appeared in nine games and recorded two assists. The undersized forward played the two years before that in the NAHL with the Chippewa Steel (104 GP, 26 G, 57 PTS, 35 PIM) and is a graduate of the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes program. The Bulldogs lost league-leading scoring Jacob Terpstra to the NCAA right before the break, and it appears as though Jackson will be the body to help with reinforcements.
Grizzlies vs Bulldogs By The Numbers
2025-26 Team Ranks
| Victoria Grizzlies | Alberni Valley Bulldogs | |
| Record | 15-15-1 (T-15th) | 16-12-3 (9th) |
| Goals Per Game | 4.00 (6th) | 3.87 (9th) |
| Goal Against Per Game | 4.19 (17th) | 3.19 (7th) |
| Power Play Percentage | 24.2% (8th) | 18.6% (17th) |
| Penalty Kill Percentage | 73.4% (15th) | 77.5% (11th) |
| Penalty Minutes Per Game | 17.90 (3rd) | 15.61 (5th) |
| Home Record | 5-9-0 (17th) | 6-8-2 (13th) |
| Away Record | 10-6-1 (10th) | 10-4-1 (3rd) |
| Head To Head | 2-3-0 | 3-2-0 |
