Panthers downed by Storm 4-2 on 3rd Jersey PMHA Appreciation Sunday

It would be hard to argue with the fact that Sunday afternoon at the Panorama Recreation Centre was an eventful one.  There was as much happening away from the game as the game itself and it all made for a wonderful event for all in attendance. 

The Campbell River Storm bus ambled into the parking lot at the Panorama a little over two hours before the puck was set to drop, but there were already some fans mulling around outside.  The game was the Peninsula Panthers' annual Peninsula Minor Hockey/Fan Appreciation 3rd jersey giveaway.  The start time for the game was set for 2:30 pm in order that the youngsters in the PMHA could stay for the afternoon.  And that they did.

The Panthers and Storm took their customary 15-minute warm-ups, and skating with the home cats was the Peninsula McDonald's Player of the Week, 6-year-old Noah Turnbull.  The Panthers were wearing a "Team Canada" Red Jersey with the Canada 150 and Peninsula Eagles Logo.  Prominent on the jerseys were two sponsors of the game, the Mary Winspear Centre and the Peninsula CO-OP.  Noah's father Derek had played five seasons for the Panthers.  He played his Minor Hockey at the PMHA and then joined the Panthers as a rugged 16-year-old Defenceman in the 1999/00 season.  In the last several years, Derek had been fighting a rare form of Cancer and although the family looked wide and far for any possible cure, Derek passed on in June of this year.

At 2:30 pm, the two Clubs came out onto the ice and went to their respective benches.  Pete Zubersky walked onto the ice and was accompanied by Derek's wife Melissa and her 4-year-old daughter Heidi.  Noah skated from the Panthers' bench to join them at Centre Ice.  Former Panthers' players and friends of Derek, Palmer Hepburn and Kristian Hodge as well as Melissa's friend Marianne Arsenault joined the group.  Zubersky spoke about Derek and some of his time in the PMHA and the five years on the Panthers and then Arsenault discussed a Memorial Trophy in honor of Derek which will be awarded at the end of every PMHA Season.  And finally, Melissa spoke about Derek and his time on the Panthers and about their time together as a family.  She explained how Noah wanted to be like his father and how Derek was so proud of the family and so at peace in his last days. 

The Panthers' starting lineup went onto the blueline as did Noah and when he was announced as the Player of the Week, the large and boisterous crowd in attendance blew the roof off the Panorama Recreation Centre. 

The game had intensity right from the opening draw and it would be the Panthers who would draw first blood when Joe Stafford-Veale scored the period's only marker at the 10:48 mark on helpers from Jack McMillan and Ty Hermsen.

During the 1st intermission, the Panthers' players attended into the lobby and the PMHA players and fans filtered through a long line to obtain autographs from the Club.  The smiles and wide eyes were not only on the autograph seekers but also on the players.

The Storm wasted no time breaking up the love fest when with only 50 seconds into the 2nd stanza and with the Panthers on the power play, Darren Hards gathered in a puck and raced down the right side past both players' benches.  Coming in on a 2-on-1 opportunity, Hards made no mistake beating Panthers' starter Chris Akerman with a nifty snap shot.  It took the "Cats" only 21 seconds to respond on the power play.  A Storm defender tried to clear the puck up the wall from the corner in his own end, but the newly acquired Nolan Lee squeezed the boards at the half-wall and knocked the disk down.  Josh Lingard had just laid out the Storm defenceman who had moved the puck up the wall, picked up the loose biscuit, cut into the slot and roofed it over a startled Carson Schamerhorn.  The goal sent Schamerhorn for an early shower and he was replaced by Liam Murphy.  The Storm would score twice to take a 3-2 lead before the period would come to a close on goals by Hards with his second and Kyle Kaufmann on the power play.

During the 2nd intermission, the PMHA Initiation Program players hit the ice for a mini-game.  The 24 players dangled for most of the six minutes and recieved a lot of cheers from the appreciative crowd.

But it was back to hockey.  The two Clubs raced up and down the sheet in the final stanza and it seemed like the stripes were going to let the two teams decide the outcome with little being called.  With 1:59 left in the game, a Panthers' defenceman was whistled with a hooking infraction which put the Storm on the power play to end the game.  And they made no mistake when Pearce Messer hit paydirt with the insurance marker putting the final nail in the coffin for a 4-2 Storm win.

Head Coach Brad Tippett had some interesting thoughts about his troops and about Sunday's game.  "Logic is a puzzling concept when dealing with a Jr B hockey team.  You expect to lose when the team is not mentally ready and the required effort is missing. We expect to win when we are mentally sharp and committed to a 60-minute effort. That concept was confirmed last week. We were totally missing in action in Wednesday’s 5-1 debacle against Saanich. Friday’s enthusiastic and totally engaged effort result in a 7-1 win. The world is acting like it should.

Then Sunday we came out and went nose to nose, hit for hit, and stride for stride with arguably the league's best team. Sunday’s effort was our best of the three games so the 4-2 loss isn't easily understood or accepted. I think it is important we look at the big picture here. The prior three games vs. CR we had been outscored 25-4. On Sunday we battled for 60 minutes. It’s a one-goal game with 3 minutes left and we had a puck hop over a stick nullifying a breakaway. The puck goes the other way and a very debatable hooking call results in a late CR PP goal. It could have just as easily been 3-3 instead of 4-2.  We have to be happy with the effort but not satisfied."

The Panthers' players gathered at Centre Ice after the Storm had departed and one-by-one PMHA players and fans were called down to recieve one of the 3rd jerseys.  The day was special in every way except for the final score.

The fans filtered from the arena to the tune of Louis Armstrong "What a Wonderful World" and there was nothing but smiles.

The Peninsula Panthers will now go on a two-week Christmas Break but will be back in action on New Year's Day at 3:30 pm when they welcome in the visiting Saanich Braves.

The Club takes this opportunity to thank every single fan, sponsor, billet, volunteer and player for making the 1st half of the season a great one and we look forward to some real success in the next half.  We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and look forward to welcoming you all back on New Year's Day.