It's springtime in Victoria and that must mean, gasp, hockey?
And we don't mean the field kind. You can put that Victoria stereotype back in the closet for at least a couple more weeks.
When the Victoria Salmon Kings made it to the second round of the ECHL Kelly Cup playoffs last year, they became the first hockey team from the B.C. capital to play a game in May since the 1981 Western Hockey League-champion Victoria Cougars.
It shows just how benighted Victoria hockey history has been the past three decades.
This year, however, there will be two Victoria teams playing in May. The Salmon Kings are through to the second round of the Kelly Cup playoffs for a second consecutive year after dispatching the Idaho Steelheads in the first round, guaranteeing at minimum a Game 4 in the West Division final against the Alaska Aces on May 1 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Then, on May 2, the Victoria Grizzlies open play in the RBC Cup national Junior A tournament at Bear Mountain Arena. OK, the Grizzlies wouldn't have made it to May without hosting the national tournament -- having lost in the BCHL Coastal Conference final to the Powell River Kings -- but who's quibbling? Heck, it's hockey in May in Victoria times two. Enjoy it. It apparently doesn't happen too often. The last time it did, Salmon Kings coach Mark Morrison and Grizzlies coach Geoff Courtnall were juniors playing on -- you guessed it -- the 1981 WHL champion Cougars.
Six British Columbia teams remain playing on ice this spring -- the Salmon Kings, Grizzlies, Vernon Vipers of the BCHL, Vancouver Giants and Kelowna Rockets of the WHL (the latter two featuring a ferry-lead of Island talent) and the Vancouver Canucks in that little dance called the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The other five pray their home dates don't conflict with Canucks' playoff games. The NHL schedule makers didn't do the Salmon Kings any favours in that regard. Both their home playoff fixtures to date were against Idaho on the ice and the Canucks on TV. The S-Kings drew over 4,000 fans to Game 3 and seven people shy of 5,000 fans to Game 4. You have to figure those crowds would have been in the 5,000 and 6,000 vicinity, respectively, on Canucks' off-nights.
Still, the Salmon Kings playoff crowds could be counted as impressive in going head-to-head with the parent Canucks. These are the true believers -- the hardcore group of 5,000 who really want to be there. The Memorial Centre was practically vibrating Friday night in Victoria's 2-1 overtime victory that clinched the sweep of the Dallas Stars-affiliate Steelheads.
"It was electric in the building," said Salmon Kings defenceman Aaron Brocklehurst.
Brocklehurst, a Nanaimo product, wasn't a twinkle in his parents' eyes in the spring of 1981. Only one Salmon Kings player was even alive that May the Cougars went to the Memorial Cup -- Wes Goldie.
In that spring of 1981, Victoria's hockey future seemed boundless. Little did we know about the long, dark stretch which awaited.
This could all still end very suddenly for the Salmon Kings and Grizzlies. But before you break out those oars, sails, running shoes, spikes and golf clubs, enjoy the icy moments of spring while you can.
It hasn't happened often around here the past 28 years.
