One of the great crease comebacks in Island hockey history continues. Victoria Royals WHL castoff Campbell Arnold — stepping in for injured highly-touted NCAA North Dakota-recruited starter Hobie Hedquist — has backstopped the Alberni Valley Bulldogs into the B.C. Hockey League final for the first time in team history.
The Burnaby Bulldogs came into the BCHL as an expansion franchise in 1998-99, moved to Port Alberni in 2002-03, and late Wednesday night defeated the Chiefs at the Chilliwack Coliseum 3-2 to sweep the best-of-seven Coastal Conference final 4-0 to hoist the Cliff McNabb Trophy for the first time.
Displaying no hint of hoary hockey superstition ahead of meeting either of the Interior Conference-finalists Penticton Vees or Salmon Arm Silverbacks for the ultimate-prize Fred Page Cup in the league championship, Bulldogs captain and Colwood-product Chase Klassen touched the McNabb Trophy, named in honour of the first owner of the Nanaimo Clippers.
“Port Alberni and our fans have waited so long for this and we deserved to lift the trophy for them,” said Bulldogs president and majority-owner David Michaud.
The Coastal Conference third-seed Bulldogs swept the sixth-seed Victoria Grizzlies in four games in the opening round and the second-seed Surrey Eagles in seven games in the conference semifinals.
The Bulldogs have 13 players committed to NCAA Div. 1 schools, including Hedquist, Owen Desilits to Dartmouth, Will Elger to Providence, Jax Wismer to UConn, Ethan Bono and David Sacco to Merrimack and Braden Blace to NCAA-champion Quinnipiac. But it’s the over-ager Arnold who has been the story of this heady run. The Nanaimo native, who has turned 21, was forced into the crease when Hedquist went down in Game 2 of the Surrey series. Arnold has gone 7-1 since with a 2.04 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.
“I was disappointed to be cut this season by the Royals. But now I’m just riding the wave and enjoying it and not thinking about it too much,” said Arnold, a former WHLer for Victoria and the Spokane Chiefs.
“Port Alberni is the best junior-hockey city I’ve played in. The puck and the goal are the same size in the BCHL as they are in the WHL. It’s me against the puck. Nothing has changed in that regard.”
Arnold, nicknamed ‘Soupy’ because of his first name, was brought in by the Bulldogs as back-up insurance.
“Campbell knew what he was getting into. He knew of Hobie’s stature and that minutes were going to be hard to find,” said Michaud.
But this turned out to be an insurance policy that needed to be cashed in when Hedquist went down with injury.
“You never know when somebody will be needed,” said Alberni Valley GM and head coach Joe Martin.
“Even [as back-up], Campbell was such a great teammate and so supportive of everyone on the team.”
Campbell Arnold was once that highly-regarded guy, coming out of the Harbour City in the second round of the 2017 WHL prospects draft as the 28th overall selection. His WHL career with the Chiefs and Victoria lasted until this season when he was released by the Royals.
“It does have an effect being drafted at age 15. [Major-junior hockey] makes it seem like it’s all going to be sunshine and rainbows 24/7, but that’s not the case,” said Arnold.
Instead of the Memorial Cup, Arnold is content to be chasing the Fred Page Cup. An entire Island valley is happy that he is.
“Our fans have hungered for a league-winning team for a long time,” said Michaud.
They have sold out the Alberni Valley Multiplex for home playoff games and have even come to the rink to watch away games on big screens. More than 100 fans followed the Bulldogs on the road in Chilliwack this week.
“Our texts and social media are blowing up and we are grateful and thankful for the support. It is really special,” said Michaud.
The Vees lead the Silverbacks 3-1 in the Interior Conference final. The best-of-seven 2023 BCHL championship series will begin next Friday in Penticton, or if Salmon Arm wins the Interior, in Port Alberni.
“We have such strong belief in ourselves,” said Bulldogs bench-boss Martin, looking ahead to the final.
Or, as the crease hero of the moment said, they’re just riding the wave.
