The Ridge Meadows Flames are on top of their conference six games into the Pacific Junior Hockey League season, and head coach Brent Hughes likes what he sees so far.
The Flames blew out The Port Moody Panthers 6-1 on Sept. 22, but then lost 5-2 to the Grandview Steelers on Sept. 24.
So their record is four wins, a loss, and a shootout loss, giving them nine points after six games and top spot in the Harold Brittain Conference.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking okay, and we鈥檙e young again,鈥� said Brent Hughes. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a decent start to the season, but we鈥檝e got a lot to work on.鈥�
Hughes said Sunday鈥檚 loss demonstrated that his talented team needs to play with more grit. Despite outshooting the Steelers 50-28 they let a hot goaltender beat them.
鈥淲e looked like the better team,鈥� said the former NHL player. 鈥淏ut we need to get more deflections, rebounds and screens.鈥�
鈥淥n the flip side of how talented and skilled we are, we need to go hard to the tough spots of the ice,鈥� added Hughes. 鈥淟ast year it took us a while to do it, but we got it.鈥�
He said this year鈥檚 team is ahead of where last season鈥檚 Flames were. That squad made it to the Stonehouse Cup league championship series, eventually losing in the seventh game, in overtime, to the Delta Ice Hawks.
Theo Kochan had a goal and an assist in the loss, and Zack Lagrange scored once.
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In Friday鈥檚 blowout win, Lagrange had two goals and two assists, and the coach has been impressed with the veteran forward.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a heck of an offensive player. It鈥檚 his third year, and he鈥檚 watched, he鈥檚 learned, and he鈥檚 got the confidence.鈥�
Kochan, Evan Fedele, Jack Foster and Josh Bettesworth also scored.
Hughes said the Flames goaltending has been decent from a pair of rookies in Matthew Candusso and Vaughn Kaliel, with each starting three games so far.
He had a lot of praise for his young fourth-line players 鈥� centre Julian Mills between wingers Jacob Roche and Jacob Douglas. Hughes said they have been one of the best fourth lines he鈥檚 seen, and he鈥檚 giving them lots of ice time.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving the way they play.鈥�
TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT:
鈥� Ridge Meadows Flames (@flamesjunior)
We have acquired 2004 F Nolan Bowsher from the
Nolan AP鈥檇 with us in the 2021/22 season. Last season he scored 18 goals & had 10 assists with the Comox Valley Glacier Kings. He recently was in the NCDC.
Welcome to the Flames, Nolan!
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鈥� The Flames traded for a hard-nosed, top-six winger in Nolan Bowsher. He had 18 goals and 28 points in 35 games with the Comox Valley Glacier Kings last season. His rights were traded to the Chilliwack Jets, who sent him to the Flames on Saturday. Bowsher was a Flames affiliate player during the 2021-2022 season. Hughes said the gritty winger comes with high expectations, and will be in the lineup right away.
Bowsher, 18, is a 91原创 resident, who played in the Okanagan Hockey Academy.
鈥� The Flames will be back on home ice for a pair of games this week, as Sept. 27 they will host the Abbotsford Pilots at 7 p.m., and then they have their regular Friday night home game against the 91原创 Trappers at 7:30 p.m. Both games are at Cam Neely Arena.
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