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Peninsula Panthers primed to defend VIJHL title

Westshore Wolves get things started on Wednesday at The Q Centre
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The Peninsula Panthers are looking to dominate at Panorama Recreation Centre again. TIMES COLONIST

The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League is looking forward to its first clear season, free of pandemic interruptions and protocols, since 2018-19.

The Comox Valley Glacier Kings, undefeated in four ­exhibition games, invade The Q Centre tonight at 7 p.m. for the 2022-23 regular-season opener against the Westshore Wolves. That will be followed by the Saanich ­Predators visiting the Archie Browning Sports Centre on Thursday evening to face the Victoria Cougars.

The VIJHL, in which the likes of current or past NHLers Jamie and Jordie Benn, Matt Irwin, Adam Cracknell and Ryan O’Byrne have played along with numerous eventual WHL/BCHL juniors, NCAA collegians and AHL/ECHL pros, has a big first Friday night with four games. They include the Nanaimo Buccaneers at Pearkes Arena to play the Saanich Predators, the Port Alberni Bombers in Parksville to meet the Oceanside Generals and Comox Valley at Rod Brind’Amour Arena to face the annual-contender Campbell River Storm.

Friday evening, however, will be highlighted by the Peninsula Panthers meeting the Wolves to begin defence of their 2021-22 league crown, an achievement made all the more poignant because it was dedicated to the memory of their late teammate Grant Gilbertson, who died in an automobile accident on his way to practice in January.

Meanwhile, the exhibition season began Aug. 20. There is always a great deal of ­optimism in all camps this time of year.

“Everybody is undefeated at this point and everybody loves their team,” said Panthers GM Pete Zubersky.

A lot of that love might be ­justified this time around.

“I see a ton of parity,” said Zubersky, whose club won its first VIJHL title in 11 years last spring.

“We lost a lot of key players to graduation and will be a different team. But we will still be big, fast and skilled. Nobody could compete with our top line last season. It will be more by committee this season.”

A key for Peninsula, which went 4-1-1 in the preseason, is six-foot-four blue-liner Reid Fryer, who will be joining the team from the training camp of the Victoria Grizzlies of the B.C. Hockey League and expected to be a force. Fryer, who turns 19 later this month, had three goals and 16 assists for the Panthers last season.

“He’s a natural fit for us,” said Zubersky.

There is also a chance Reid’s touted brother and six-foot-six blue-liner Seth Fryer, 16, could be joining the Panthers for seasoning. Seth Fryer, who played last season for Pacific Coast Hockey Academy, is currently skating in the Western Hockey League training camp of the Victoria Royals and will play in tonight’s intra-squad game at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

“Seth Fryer is still growing and could get to six-eight or six-nine and is a pro prospect,” said Zubersky.

The Lake Cowichan Kraken, 3-3 in the preseason, start the regular season when they meet the Glacier Kings in Comox on Saturday night. The Kerry Park Islanders, 2-2 in exhibition, also open on Saturday when they host Port Alberni.

The 2022-23 VIJHL regular season will be reduced to 48 games, from the previous 52, to allow players more rest and for teams to build-up marketing for home games that mean more.

Teams from the South and North Divisions will play each other four times each this season, up from the previous two times.

“Divisional games are always exciting, but this move allows a little more diversity in the schedule,” VIJHL president Simon Morgan said in a statement.

“Fans always love seeing the out-division teams pay a visit to their local rink and this will limit the need for a team to see the same divisional ­opponent for nine or 10 games in a ­season.”

The teams are chasing the Andy Hebenton Trophy, named after the former NHL Ironman record holder and Victoria pro-hockey great, which will be awarded to the regular-season champion.

The VIJHL playoff champion will lift the Brent Patterson Trophy, named in honour of the former league MVP and ­Saanich Braves star, who died after suffering chest pains during a game in the 1977 Cyclone Taylor Cup B.C. championship tournament in Quesnel. The VIJHL playoff champion will represent the league in the 2023 Cyclone ­Taylor Cup B.C. Junior B championship tournament April 13-16 in Revelstoke.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com