It may be the end of June, but it’s never too early to be talking hockey in these parts.
The Victoria Grizzlies are doing their share and looking forward to the season ahead, especially after missing out on the B.C. Hockey League post-season in 2015-16.
Head coach and general manager Craig Didmon is excited about the prospects he is adding to a team that already features returning veterans such as defencemen Cody Van Lierop, Brett Stirling, Jake Stevens and Drayson Pears. Up front he has the likes of Cole Pickup, Tyler Welsh and Keyvan Mokhtari returning and both goaltenders, Matthew Galajda and Mitchel Benson, will be back.
“The guy I’m excited about on the back end is Dayne Finnson,” Didmon said of the Arborg, Man., defenceman who played at Salisbury High School in Connecticut where Stirling was recruited.
“He’s one of our bigger recruits, as far as walking in and being a very good player.
“He had a number of teams after him, but he chose Victoria because he’s going to walk in and be a valuable asset to us.
“He’s a left-hander to go with four returning right-handers. He’ll compliment Nico Somerville, our other lefty.”
“Right now, we’re also looking at a young defenceman, Carter Berger, out of the North Shore Winter Club, who is the frontrunner to win that seventh defenceman’s spot.”
Mark Krabben is off to UBC next season and will not be back on defence.
Didmon is also excited about forwards Jett Jaraczewski (of Wisconsin), Adam Peck (Vermont), Sage Englund (Boston Jr. Rangers) and Jamie Rome (Calgary).
Rome is coming in off injuries, but is capable of producing. Jaraczewski is a former teammate of Brett Gruber, a strong player for the Grizzlies two seasons ago and Peck is the younger brother of Victoria forward Alex Peck.
Didmon has an overabundance of 20-year-olds returning so that will need to be sorted out with some movement to come.
Mitchell Barker, Nick Guiney and Alex Peck are all likely battling for two of the six over-age spots, with the other four set.
“Our 20-year-olds are all strong hockey players, so it will be an interesting camp,” Didmon said of training camp which is set for Aug. 22.
Spencer Hunter is undergoing shoulder surgery and will start the season on the injured reserve and the Grizzlies had already announced the additions of locals Nathan Looysen, Cam Thompson and Somerville. Looysen, also 20, is now not expected to join the team.
BCHL NEWS: The Chilliwack Chiefs will play host to the 2018 RBC Cup, the national Jr. A championship, although the final official contract is yet to be signed.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
Twitter/tc_vicsports
