Tyson Sexsmith, Jonathon Blum and Mike Berube of the Vancouver Giants defend against the Calgary Hitmen
Vancouver is a hockey city. Most of us who live here are loyal fans of the Vancouver Canucks, but for those of us who can’t afford the high price of tickets, we head to the Pacific Coliseum to watch the Vancouver Giants (our junior team in the Western Hockey League).
This weekend I went to two Vancouver Giants games. On Friday night, the Calgary Hitmen came to town in what was touted as the “game of the season.” The Giants had lost to them in Calgary in January, near the end of a seven-day road trip.
But the Giants were well rested this weekend and had no excuse for a lacklustre performance. On a night of one of the highest attendance records, there were over 14,000 fans there ready to rock and roll. Unfortunately, the Giants weren’t up for the dance. They lost 4-0.
Sunday night, though, saw a bit more energy at a time when the team should have been running out of gas. They had played at home Friday night, jumped on a bus to Kelowna for Saturday’s game, and were back in Vancouver for a 5:00 pm start Sunday vs. the Kamloops Blazers.
Vancouver Giants take on the Calgary Hitmen at the Pacific Coliseum as over 14,000 fans watch
The Giants’ first goal half way through the first period didn’t light up either team and scoring didn’t open up until the third period. Both teams were playing tentatively and the Kamloops Blazers couldn’t muster up the energy to take advantage of the tired Giants.
After the second goal, which Gary Nunn tipped in on a near-perfect shot by Jonathon Blum, the Giants picked it up and looked like themselves again, scoring three more goals for a 5-2 win.
If the Calgary Hitmen win all of their remaining games before the season ends, the Giants must also do the same to earn the number one spot in the league. If the G-Men can win against Kamloops, Everett and Prince George in their last three games, they’ll be one point up on the Calgary Hitmen and finish the season as the number one team in the Western Hockey League.
A big congrats goes out to defenseman Craig Schira, who has just signed a three-year entry level contract with the Ottawa Senators. He’ll finish the season and playoffs with the Vancouver Giants and then see what his future holds in the NHL.
Copyright 2009 Lori Henry
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