After a typically slow start that saw the Aldergrove Kodiaks lose their first three games of the season, two on home ice, the team got the rust out with a 5-1 win over Abbotsford Pilots on Friday, Sept. 15 at the MSA arena.
Two Aldergrove natives had great games, with goalie Allen Gillis stopping 39 0f 40 shots, and forward Jameson Flint scoring twice and assisting on two other Kodiaks goals.
Abbotsford scored first with Hudson Koch getting one in the net at 1:53 of the first.
After that, it was all Aldergrove, starting with a Dylan Garland goal at 18:32 of the first, with an assist from Wendell Adriano and Devyn Hayre.
Aldergrove pulled away in the second, with markers from Flint, assisted by Beckham Angus at 2:10, followed by Taylor Chiu at 11:05, with Flint and Mattias Seganfreddo assisting, then Owen Blyth at 19:54 with Flint and Caleb Bozzard assisting.
At 1:15 of the third, Flint had his second goal of the game, with help from Adriano.
Flint was declared first star of the game, and Gillis was second.
Rick Harkins, Kodiaks GM, described the slow start as 鈥渢ypical Aldergrove,鈥� noting the team tends to be late getting back on the ice, because the ice isn鈥檛 available until just before the season starts.
鈥淲e always get the ice [at the Aldergrove Credit Union Community Arena] late in August,鈥� Harkins explained. 鈥淪o unlike some other teams that have ice all year, or early in the summer, we don鈥檛 have that luxury. We rent ice elsewhere but it鈥檚 usually like once a week, just to keep the rust off the blades until we get into our arena.鈥�
This year, Harkins would like to see a return to what he describes as 鈥淜odiaks hockey,鈥� where the team is a contender that makes the playoffs.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 made the playoffs in the last couple years and it鈥檚 uncharacteristic for us,鈥� he told the 91原创 Advance Times.
He is optimistic about this year鈥檚 roster, saying 鈥渨e鈥檙e pleased with the talent we have, it鈥檚 just a matter of developing them now.鈥�
READ ALSO: Ten losses in a row and out of the playoffs: Aldergrove Kodiaks season ends
Moving up to Junior A, the indirect result of the BCHL split with Hockey Canada, has already had a positive impact on the calibre of players, Harkins believes.
He predicted it will take about two to three years for the full impact to be felt, but can see that the product is already better.
鈥淎ll the kids are staying local, rather than going out of province to to play Junior A,鈥� Harkins commented. 鈥淚f we would have maintained Junior B status, they probably would have gone out of province. Well now, they stay here, and it keeps our product on the ice that much better.鈥�
He鈥檚 also encouraged by the fan response. 鈥淔an support has been really good our first two home games,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are really pleased with the attendance and we鈥檙e hoping, with the calibre play that鈥檚 on the ice, that continues to grow, not just for us, but for the whole league.鈥�
Next, Kodiaks were scheduled to play Surrey on Wednesday, Sept 20 at the Aldergrove Credit Union Community Arena. Puck drops at 7:15 p.m.
Aldergrove will meet their crosstown rivals, the 91原创 Trappers, on Sunday, Oct. 1 at George Preston.
READ ALSO: Move to junior A explained by Aldergrove Kodiaks GM
In late July, the BC Hockey League (BCHL)board of directors announced a unanimous vote approving the reclassification of 45 current junior B teams to tier 2 Junior A, including the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), where the Kodiaks play, along with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL).
It came after 18 junior A teams in the BCHL left Hockey Canada to become an independent league, a move that, among other things, means those teams can now recruit from other provinces, the U.S., and outside North America.
Kodiaks and the other teams will have three years to meet the standards to become tier 1 junior A teams, something that will require a number of upgrades, including higher training requirements for coaches, a full-time trainer, a minimum of three to four practices a week, along with other measures.
According to BC Hockey, junior A tier 1 status will allow teams like the Kodiaks to seek membership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), opening the door to competition for the national Centennial Cup, and eligibility for Hockey Canada鈥檚 and the CJHL鈥檚 World Junior A Challenge.
