St-Denis loses some wisdom, but wiser for the experience

August 19, 2022
North Saanich, British Columbia

An eclectic group of skaters buzzed around the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre over the past two weeks and now this group readies for their first taste of Junior game action at home when the young guns host the visiting Kerry Park Islanders Saturday night at 7:00 pm.  And then the two squads will be right back on the ice once again at the Panorama Recreation Centre on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm for the return affair.  The two contests will give fans a preview of what is coming down the pipeline over the next couple years.

As Bench Boss Chris Driebergen put the hopefuls through their paces, it was hard not to see that included in the Development Ice Camp were a sprinkling of Panthers veterans.  The faces of the veterans changed each night as each became acquainted with the big white sheet after the summer doldrums.

Theodore St-Denis was prominent on a couple of evenings last week however this week, Driebergen moved him to the pine....but there was a reason.  On Monday, St-Denis took a trip to the Dentist to have his wisdom teeth removed and subsequent to the dental work he was slated for four days of inactivity.  The veteran of three years will most likely be at the weekend pair of games but he undoubtedly will be back on the ice blasting shots and making passes when the Panthers open up their Main Camp next Tuesday evening.

"Theo is a man against men," exclaimed Panthers General Manager Pete Zubersky.  "He is a gym rat and is a big, big boy.  I would hate to come down the wing on his side because if he lays his 6'1" and 215 pounds into you, it is going to look eerily like a traffic accident.  He has a lot of skill to boot and I am excited about this upcoming year and I expect that he will take a big step forward and become one of the leaders for our squad."

St-Denis gained a lot of experience last season in a number of different ways both positive and negative.  He started the year off with a bang and was starting to find the net with regularity when he was forced to the sidelines with a knee injury.  The injury was certainly significant and for most it would have been season-ending, but the youngster had other ideas.  He underwent exhaustive rehab on the knee and at one point in late January he told Zubersky that he felt he was ready to play.  Zubersky could not believe his ears and the General Manager accompanied his defenceman to the Specialist for his appointment.  "The Doctor was amazed at how much work Theo had done and it was a couple weeks later he green-lighted him to get back in the lineup," said Zubersky.  The timing could not have been any better as the Club was heading down the home stretch and then into a playoff run that would ultimately garner a VIJHL Championship on an overtime winner in front of a rabid crowd at the Panorama on April 1st.  St-Denis had a huge part in the Panthers' success.

St-Denis was born and hails from Victoria.  He will be starting his 1st year at UVic in the Biochemisty program in September after having worked most of the summer for Esquimalt Parks and Recreation in the Skate Shop and teaching skating lessons.  He was named as the recipient of the Panthers High School Scholastic Player Award at a Team Dinner the night following the Championship win and only a couple days later, jumped on the ferry to attend the BC Junior B Championship Tournament with the Panthers in Delta, B.C.  He cited winning the VIJHL Championship as his most memorable point in his hockey career.  And he was quick to point out that it was all that more special considering the death of his beloved teammate Grant Gilbertson this past January 3rd.  The hulking rearguard started playing the game when he was only five years old with the Victoria Minor Hockey Association.  He names his father Patrick as being the most influential person in his hockey career who coached him and provided and continues to provide unwavering support in every way.  St-Denis was sought after by a number of Junior Clubs but he ultimately chose the Panthers as his preferred landing spot when he was affiliated with the Club at the tender age of 15 and ultimately signed a contract with the Team the following season.  He enjoyed the culture and welcoming nature of the Organization and this helped to make his decision an easy one.  

The youngster and the entire Panthers Organization would like to have a runback Championship season this time around and St-Denis will undoubtedly be linked to any success the Club enjoys.  Zubersky summed up his thoughts on one of the key pieces of the Club.  "Our Organization strives to have maintenance-free players, it is as important to us as what they can do on the ice.  Theo is that guy.  I love when I see him come into the rink and I can see that he loves to be here.  We recruit guys who want to kick the door wide open when they get to the rink, and not the ones who want to kick it open when they leave.  He epitomizes everything the Peninsula Panthers are about and I am proud to be in a position to say he plays for and with our Organization."