After only collecting 2 of a possible 6 points in the West Kootenays last weekend, the Kamloops Storm still has a sizable lead of 7 points (over Princeton) in the Okanagan-Shuswap division of the KIJHL however with the rash of injuries and defections in recent weeks their stronghold could be weakening.
The Storm has lost 3 skilled speedsters to defection or trade.
As reported last week, Brandon Long and Darren Mann left to find greener pastures on the coast. I believe Mann has not been released from the Storm as yet so can't be playing anywhere yet.
This past week saw the departure of Travis Cech, a crafty stickhandler and speedster. At first he was traded to the Beaver Valley Nite Hawks and then the word that I got was that he was off to Qualicum Beach (Van Isl) to play for Oceanside. Despite his gritty play, Travis struggled with staying out of the coach's and general manager's doghouse by persistently being involved in disruptive behavior. The team management decided enough was enough and off he went. I hope things work out for him.Injuries You Say
The goaltending position has been hardest hit in this latest injury parade. As if losing Christian Pedersen for the bulk of the season wasn't enough, star starter, Anthony Manfredi went down himself last weekend with a strained knee. He ended up backing up Kyle Graham for both the Castlegar and Nelson games. The team expects that Manfredi will be available to play this coming weekend if required.
Ty Jackson is out with a bruised knee... he's day-to-day.
Daniel Medland-Marchen has strep throat.
And Mike Hanes, who has been on a tear the last couple of weeks will finally undergo surgery for the lump on his ankle. Don't expect him to return until sometime in January.
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And if that's not enough...This is a good news story with implications...
They Swim
I attended a recent BCHL game in Salmon Arm with the Merritt Centennials as the visiting team. As I was watching the warm up I recognized Scott Kirkham on the ice, then Mike McCance and then Sean Menton. All were up as AP's for last place Centennials playing against the league powerhouse, Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Merritt coach, Al Glendinning, being the sink or swim type of bench boss that he is, threw all 3 of them out together for a number of shifts. And to my pleasant surprise, these boys swam. So well that they all saw power-play and penalty kill time, especially in the 3rd period.
Mike McCance played very well. I bet he saw well over 20 minutes of ice-time including power-play, penalty kill and regular shift. His 5'7" frame played 6'6" in size as he played the body and the puck with precision and effectiveness. He easily out-played 2 or 3 of the regulars and was rewarded with the extra time.
Kirkham played well but just couldn't seem to connect on offensive opportunities (neither could any other regulars who had numerous chances). His defensive game was sound enough to keep him and the team out of trouble most of the night.
Sean Menton took a little longer to acclimatize himself to the faster game and played a stronger 3rd period. He looked a little confused positionally at first but being the smart kid that he is, he adapted well. (...Sure hope he gets a new pair of skates for Xmas Dad).
After talking with Barry Dewar today, I guess all of these boys are back in Kamloops. That's the good news. The possible bad news is "how long before Merritt starts plucking and keeping players?"
McCance's performance sure deserves a second look.
Losing kids to the BCHL is kind of a goal for Junior B's but as the season wears on it would be nice to keep some consistency in the line up.
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Your comments are welcome. Just click below and give us your thoughts.
See you at the game on Saturday... a rematch with Castlegar.
later... kamloopsstormwriter
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