Sept. 6th vs. Kerry Park Islanders - Hockey Ops.

Good Evening Hockey Fans,

Welcome back to the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre as we prepare to open our 2013/14 VIJHL Regular Season campaign against the visiting Kerry Park Islanders.  There is so much news that I doubt I will have room to let you know about everything that has transpired since the last time the puck was dropped a way back when, but I will do my best.

Several weeks ago we lost a great Panthers supporter and even a better friend when Al Slater was taken from his family and all of us at an age that was just far too young.  Al had been in a battle with cancer for the past five years and after riding the ups and downs of the disease and fighting the fight for as long as he possibly could, he could not go on any longer.  For those of you who knew Al, you would have also known his awesome and lovely lady, Tia and their three fine young sons.  Al and Tia owned Slater's Electric and were sponsors of the Panthers for as long as I can remember.  Many years ago the Slater's let Coreen and me know that they would be interested in billeting a Peninsula Panthers hockey player and Jason Wycherley was soon part of the Slater family.  He finished school here in Victoria and then went on to an Electrical Apprenticeship with Slater's Electric and eventually was a Journeyman with the company.  When we were not part of ownership, Al and Tia kept their sponsorship going and Scott Ismond was billeted with the Slater's.  We will all miss Al so very much but he and his family will be in our thoughts forever.

Nathan Looysen had a great year last season after joining the Club following the November long weekend and the young fellow and former member of the Peninsula Minor Hockey Association still has his rocket on the rise.  I really believe in Nathan and I have said to whomever would listen that he has as much offensive touch as Jamie Benn did at the same age, both kids played here as 16-year-olds.  Nathan attended the Kamloops Blazers Camp of the Western Hockey League this past August/early September and after ripping puck after puck past WHL talented goaltenders, he was signed to a WHL players contract.  Nathan played the following night after being signed in an exhibition game for the Blazers in Kelowna against the Rockets and the following night was back in the lineup in Kamloops against the Vancouver Giants.  The Blazers were up 3-2 in the last several seconds of the game however as luck would have it, the Giants knotted the game at 3-3 and sent the tilt into overtime.  During the first minute of OT, Looysen came off the bench and picked up a rink-wide pass and danced in along on the Giants goaltender.  He snapped a shot high into the cage to nail down his first WHL goal and made it a overtime and game winner in the process.  Congrats to Nathan from the Peninsula Panthers.  We will miss the young fellow however he is now part of our long history of moving players up to the next level and beyond.

OK, what about this year and what does it look like.  We have seventeen (17) players returning and many of them are on the verge of doing special things in the VIJHL and are knocking loudly on the doors of Junior "A" Clubs.  We have a good sized Club - perhaps the biggest since we have been involved with the Club - but they are also a group that has mobility and skill.  Last year we had nineteen rookies and for the most part we were going through a huge learning curve, trying to figure out on a nightly basis what playing Junior Hockey really meant.  This time around we have six rookies and with the returning veterans I must say that I absolutely love the mix that we currently have.  Last season there were really no times when players were scratched, it was a situation where all hands were needed on deck.  This time around we have much more depth and it will be a battle to stay in the lineup.  Head Coach & General Manager Brian Passmore has made it clear that if there is a lack of effort during the week in practice or during the games, the players will see themselves on the outside looking in.  We believe we will be able to compete this time around and we have a high expectation that players will come and give their best each and every time out.

And speaking of Passmore, he has added some interesting additions to the Coaching staff for the 2013/14 season.  "Passy" also added an addition to his family during the off-season marrying Alicia a month ago.  He left on his honeymoon this morning and will miss the first four regular season games - I think this situation is really beating him up - but the sunny shores of Aruba might let him forget hockey for at least some of the time.
Ben King is back behind the bench and joining him tonight and this time around will be Trent Brandvold and Rob Mortin.  Trent was the Head Coach for the Islanders for part of last season and has extensive time in the game as a defenceman.  Rob will be the Panthers video coach and although he may be on the bench on occasion, his focus will be breaking down the game and helping out the coaching staff between periods in making adjustments on the fly.

We will have many weeks to look at each player and as you all know from the past, we will be doing just that.  You will see six rookies on our roster, #18 Tate Coughlin was signed late in the evening yesterday.  At the time I am writing this I am not even sure he will be in the lineup however, he is a young fellow that you will all grow to like very much.  The coaching staff believe that Coughlin will be able to score, he just returned from the Kelowna Rockets camp and has some nice size and skill.  The winger will take a bit of time to adjust however you will enjoy this 16-year-old this season.  Sean Buchanan is a big 17-year-old D-man who is coming out of Major Midget last season.  He just returned from the Regina Pats Camp of the WHL and has nice feet, size and good offensive upside.  18-year-old Nick Kean was a teammate of Buchanan last season and he too has great size, some nice skill and can bang and crash with the best of them.  In goal you will see 18-year-old Joey Karrer who hails from Smithers. Karrer was plucked from the Cowichan Capitals camp by Passmore and he will start the season as a backup to returning 18-year-old starter Stephen Heslop.  17-year-old Braeden Pearce is a player that you will all grow fond of very quickly.  Pearce was AP’d with our squad late last season and really showed he belonged.  He made the Club in our Spring Camp in April and was probably the best Forward in that Camp. This young fellow is an awesome team player, can score but is as gritty as they come.  He carries 200 lbs. around quite nicely and I believe he will be a scholarship kid with his skill set and size.  18-year-old Adam Page will be playing the back end and he, like Pearce, comes from the Saanich Midget AA program.  Page is as gritty as they come, can skate and move the puck and has really nice size as a D-man.  Page looked great in our Spring Camp and this summer Passmore decided to sign him before somebody else did.  Page has real big upside - I think you will see him play often in our top-4 this season.

Earlier this week the Coaching staff got together and decided who would be wearing letters for the Club this time around. They were looking for a lot of characteristics in these players and obviously the word leadership came up often. Brett Sjerven will be the leader of the “pack” for the 2013/14 season and Peninsula fans will probably be happy with this selection as he is a graduate of the Peninsula Minor Hockey Assn and Captained the Peninsula Midget ‘AA’ team two years ago. Alternate Captains will be Cody Breitenstein, Jackson Skerratt and 17-year-old Connor Logan. You may not recognize Connor as he has put on 15 lbs. and 3” since the start
start of last season and so the leadership on the team will come from older veterans and a very young 2nd-year player. The Coaches were the ones that made these selections and judging by the reaction when the announcement was made within the Club, they clearly made the right choices.

There’s so much to say and simply not enough space tonight.  But as the weeks unfold, I will be able to get more and more into the personality of each player and keep you, the fan, informed. Thank you all so much for coming out tonight and for supporting the Peninsula Panthers and our Program.  Junior hockey on the Peninsula is important to the community and it’s important to John Wilson, Coreen and me.  We hope to see you all out again next Friday night when we host the Westshore Wolves, but for tonight - Enjoy the game!             Pete Zubersky