Shutout for Grizzlies as scouts take stock
VICTORIA 5 PRINCE GEORGE 0
The Victoria Grizzlies, with touted 16-year-olds Alex Newhook and Jacson Alexander projected potentially for the first two rounds of the 2019 NHL draft, look to give the gathered scouts plenty to mull over this weekend at Chilliwack in the B.C. Hockey League Bauer Showcase.
The Grizzlies got off to a good start Saturday with a 5-0 victory over the Prince George Spruce Kings, with Newhook tabulating three assists and Zachary Rose recording the shutout, to move to 3-2 on the season.
The Grizzlies face the winless Coquitlam Express (0-3-1) this afternoon in the annual tournament, which offers onestop BCHL shopping for pro and U.S. collegiate NCAA scouts, with all the teams skating under one roof at Prospera Place.
While Canada U-17 players Newhook and Alexander have already committed to Boston College and the University of Denver, respectively, plenty of BCHL players are still waiting to hitch NCAA athletic scholarship rides.
Among them are Justin Michaelian, Carter Berger and Timothy Friedmann, who each aided their causes with Michaelian scoring twice against Prince George and Friedmann and Berger once each. Captain Lucas Clark, looking more to make an impact on pro scouts, scored the other Victoria goal.
Michaelian has three goals in five games.
“The scouts were picking our guys out, and came down after the game and were all over us, and were interested in about 12 of our players,” noted Grizzlies head coach and GM Craig Didmon.
The trick for coaches in these kinds of situations is not to let the players get sidetracked by individual ambitions over team goals.
“We have enough leadership in our room, that was in this tournament last year, to pass on to the younger players that if team success comes, individual success will follow,” said Didmon.
“The reason the guys got this attention is because we played well as a team today.”
It may have been a statement game for the Grizzlies, who handed the Spruce Kings (4-1-1) their first loss in regulation time, and decisive one at that.
“It was a game that proved we are a good club and showed our depth and balance,” said Didmon.
“Our first three goals [all in the first period] were scored by three different lines. I really liked that balance we displayed.”