Three Dog Night, in another era, sang about one being the loneliest number. In the era of COVID, five is the worst number for B.C. sports leagues or divisions.
That’s because the provincial Phase 3 of the return to sports allows for team-versus-team play on a regional basis in cohorts of up to four teams. Quarantine breaks are required before the teams can rotate into new cohorts of up to four teams. There are five teams in the South Division of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. As a result, the Peninsula Panthers and Victoria Cougars are in one cohort and begin the VIJHL season with eight consecutive games against each other. The marathon begins tonight at the Archie Browning Sports Centre and continues Friday at Panorama Recreation Centre.
“We are treating it like a playoff series,” said Peninsula GM and co-owner Pete Zubersky, about his team’s extended set against the Cougars.
“It’s no different than the post-season. And we love playing the Cougars. I think it’s the best rivalry in the league.”
They will certainly get their fill of it.
The Saanich Predators, Westshore Wolves and Kerry Park Islanders are in the other South Division cohort and will play each other. There are four teams in the North Division, so the Nanaimo Buccaneers, Oceanside Generals, Campbell River Storm and Comox Valley Glacier Kings fit nicely into a single cohort.
“This is the craziest year any of us will have in our sporting careers,” said Zubersky.
“It was difficult at the start, in July, with a limited number of players allowed on the ice and no contact. But we wrapped our heads around the situation. We began practising with purpose once restrictions eased and more was allowed. Now we need to play in real games against guys we don’t like, and not just in scrimmages against our own teammates.”
Zubersky’s charges will get that chance beginning tonight — times eight. And they aim to challenge the recent VIJHL powers — Cougars and Storm — for the title of a league that has produced NHLers Jamie and Jordie Benn, Matt Irwin, Adam Cracknell, Ryan O’Byrne, several AHL and ECHL pros and numerous BCHL and WHL juniors.
“We believe were are in the elite and have a chance to prove that by going full out right from the start against the Cougars,” said Zubersky, whose Panthers hit a lean stretch after several years as a powerhouse.
“We feel we have the top line in the league.” Tanner Wort won the league scoring title last season and also the Jamie Benn Award as VIJHL MVP and returns for his 20-year-old season as Panthers captain. Linemates Josh Lingard and Riley Braun also finished in the top-four of league scoring last season.
“Our second line is really good, too,” added Zubersky.
He also cited Logan Speirs, Matt Seale, Hunter Jensen and Denver Maloney as part of the Panthers leadership group of players, which will be guided by fourth-year head coach Brad Tippett, brother of Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett.
“Twenty-four of our players are from Greater Victoria,” said Zubersky.
“That is unheard of for our league. It’s important for us to have kids from the area.”
No schedule has been set past the first cohort. That will be decided following the first quarantine break.
“We thought, as a league, let’s just get it going,” said Zubersky.
“So there are no exhibitions, just league play right from the start. Then in a couple of weeks, we will look at what’s the next [cohorts]. The bottom line is that it’s awesome for the players that they are able to play.”
The VIJHL is hoping to play between 36 to 40 regular-season games, down from the usual 48. The South Division and North Division teams will not meet until the league playoff final.
In the other VIJHL opener tonight, Oceanside is at Nanaimo. Kerry Park visits Pearkes Arena on Friday evening to take on the newly-renamed Predators, who recently dropped their former Braves name of 53 years, out of respect for First Nations.
General spectators will not be allowed into the rinks. Also because of COVID, and the danger to fellow combatants and linesmen, a player’s first fight will garner a five-game suspension, a second fight a 10-game suspension and a third fight a season suspension.
“Because you have to rip the full face-mask off, it doesn’t make any sense to fight in the age of COVID,” added Zubersky.
Also, because of quarantine concerns, no affiliated players will be allowed to be called up or sent down from the 25-player rosters. So some VIJHL teams are protecting themselves by carrying three goaltenders.