VICTORIA 8 WESTSHORE 1
The Westshore Wolves are unlike most expansion teams.
Sure, it started from the ground up, but its drawing power - bringing players back to the Juan de Fuca district - is what should turn one of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League's newest teams into one of its cornerstone.
At least that's the plan. The Wolves took their 3-2 record out onto the Bear Mountain Arena ice on Wednesday night and were pummeled 8-1 by the defending VIJHL-champion Victoria Cougars, who remain the powerhouse and team to beat at a perfect 5-0 so far this season.
It's also a team the Wolves' organization aspires to be in a few years, although the fan base certainly wasn't there on Wednesday with only about 125 in attendance.
On the ice, they've had some success, minus the Wednesday beatdown.
"We definitely drew on kids who used to play in this area," said Wolves head coach and assistant general manager Victor Gervais. "They heard that we have four really good owners, four good business guys who have done a good job of bringing the community back together and, I think, by adding eight or nine guys from this area is going to help that out."
Those players include Josh Bloomenthal, Clay Carson, Kyle Richter, Kayle Ramsay, Chris McDonald, Dylan Grant and Matt Chester.
"Guys who have played in this league for two or three years and know what it takes to be a good team," said Gervais, who had most of the club in place in August with just four or five spots open.
"Overall, I think Ken Carson did a good job of recruiting players and getting players in here," Gervais said of the general manager, director of hockey operations and one of the four team owners.
They also benefited from players from both the Peninsula Panthers and Kerry Park Islanders.
"That really helped us out, gave us a chance to get started," said Gervais.
McDonald, Ramsay, Bloomenthal and Eric McLennan came over from the Panthers. Carson, Joel Gordon, Travis Oickle, Chester and Brandon Nicholson shuffled over from Kerry Park. Richter is a former Cougar.
The group failed to get started on Wednesday despite Cougars' Nathan Chen-Mack being ejected for hitting from behind just eight seconds in.
Brody Coulter opened the scoring for Victoria five minutes in, the first of three on the night for him.
Dane Feeney, with two, Mark Walton, David Marshall and Rhys Williams also scored for the Cougars.
Carson was the lone Wolf to beat Evan Roch.
"They're the best team in the league," offered Gervais. "Right from the start. They've been practicing for a month and we've gone for two weeks, but each game we've played, we've got better.
"We still have a lot of teaching to do, but I think the guys are starting to come together and play for each other," said Gervais, who has teamed up with assistant Rob Doyle (the two were together with the BCHL's Victoria Grizzlies last season).
"We've got a lot of young kids. I looked at our list at the beginning of the year and we could have 20 guys back, that's how young we are," said Gervais.
"We're a team that wants to grow, get better each game and each month and by the end of the year, and next year, be more established."
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