Panthers Prep During Final Week of Pre-season - PART 2

Lots has happened in the past couple of days since PART 1 of this two-part series was written....well, lots meaning the return of arguably one of the best players in the VIJHL.  18-year-old forward and Peninsula product Dane Gibson was released by the Powell River Kings of the BCHL in the past two days and skated with the club on Tuesday evening.  Gibson can be a game-changer and should be in the Panthers lineup for the home and season opener on Friday, September 7th.  Gibson is big and strong and although quiet in nature, his game and presence certainly speak volumes about him.  Gibson was involved in the Game-7 winner in Saanich last March and was probably the best Panthers player in the VIJHL final series.  He is looking to move up to the BCHL sometime this season however for now will be a huge impact for the team starting Friday evening.

In Goal the Panthers have signed Justin Samra who toiled last season for the Saanich Midget AA squad.  Samra will be playing second fiddle to Heslop to start the season but has made no bones about working hard and earning more ice time than is expected.  He has a great attitude and will fit nicely in the Panthers dressing room.  He can stop the puck and there will not be a drop in performance when he is between the pipes.

On Defence last year's captain of the Peninsula Midget AA program will slot in as the #6 rearguard.  Brett Sjerven will certainly be making a conserted effort to move up the pecking order but for now is probably just happy to be on the team.  (See article on Sjerven)  He has had some medical problems over the summer and is behind the others in conditioning and this may limit his minutes for the first part of the season.  Head Coach Rob Armstrong did not expect to see him in game action for 6-8 weeks however Sjerven has surprised everyone, including himself, and will most likely draw an opening game start for the Panthers.  Austin Singhera comes via the South Island Major Midget team and although he was a late signing, he was on the Panthers radar pretty well the entire Spring.  Singhera is a smooth-skating, intelligent player and possesses above average puck-moving skills.  He should be able to get the puck up to a talented group of forwards early and often.

The remaining forwards bring various skills and several of them have a chance to be in the top-6 on the club.  Josh Adkins, Daniel Welch and Ben Meek played last season with the South Island Major Midget squad.  17-year-old Adkins probably slots in best in the middle and has impressed every single time on the ice.  He does not waste an opportunity to work hard, in fact this aspect of his game is going to take him a long way up the depth chart on the Panthers and probably in the game of hockey.  Adkins plays a gritty two-way style and yet finds plenty of time to put points on the board.  Welch might be one of the most interesting additions on the team.  The 18-year-old is an easy-going, big power forward with soft hands.  He showed extremely well in a Spring Camp on the Peninsula and was signed on the last day.  The Panthers are looking for Welch to bring a physical presence to the lineup but he will also bring scoring ability.  If this youngster decides that he wants to be an impact player this season, he will be an impact player as he has all the tools needed.  18-year-old Meek spent most of the summer off the ice fishing and attended the Cowichan Capitals camp prior to coming to the Panthers.  He might be one of the surprises on the team and really has a big up-side.  Meek is a big-bodied forward and one of the nicest kids off the ice.  The Panthers brass want him to "flip a switch" when he goes through the gate and bring some nasty to his game.  Meek is great in the room and always a pleasure to be around and as fans on the Peninsula get to know him, they will enjoy any time spent with him.

16-year-old Connor Logan and 20-year-old Brett Clarke are the final two forwards which have yet to be discussed, and these two could not be any different.  Logan played last season with the Juan de Fuca Midget AA club, one that had Heslop as the stopper.  Logan has average speed but once he develops more physically this will come along.  He sees the ice well beyond his years and can make plays the same as others that have been in the league for several years.  Logan was out at the Spring Camp and looked strong but one thing stuck out, a huge smile that never seemed to leave his face.  The club watched him for a couple of months after the camp before signing him for this season.  He will get better and better as he gets comfortable in the VIJHL and he will be one of the fan favorites.  The other fan favorite and perhaps the favorite of team management is the hulking Clarke.  He played his Minor Hockey on the Peninsula and surprised everyone when he showed up at the summer camp wanting to make the club in his last year in Junior Hockey.  "Clarkie" was out of shape but battled every time out and got better and better with each passing session.  He actually has very soft hands for a player his size and given the opportunity, he should be able to pot the odd goal here and there.  Clarke is a physical presence on the team - in the VIJHL for that matter - and players on the team feel good when he is around.  He is a fantastic kid and the Panthers Organization are thrilled to have him along for the ride.

OK, it's almost time to drop the puck.  This team is skilled and fast and there is clearly much more depth than last time around.  The team has not yet decided who will wear the "C" and will be waiting for the leader to surface.  Three "A's" will be going on #9, #14, and #21.....check out the players roster to see who those folks might be.  We will continue to add to the website over the next ten days and want it to continue to be fresh with new information.  It should be easy, there are a lot of storylines on the 2012/13 version of the Peninsula Panthers.  We hope you will join us on Friday's, we promise to work hard and you will get your entertainment value each time out.