After a dismal start to the 2022/23 season, the Cowichan Valley Capitals are making some big changes to shake things up.
The Junior A hockey team announced Wednesday afternoon that they are now under new management and are bringing back the head coach who last led them to a successful season, Mike Vandekamp, who held the position for two seasons, 2018/20 and 2019/20 during which he rebuilt the team. He will also serve as the team’s general manager.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Mike back to the team and community and look forward to the future success of the Cowichan Capitals,” said a press release from the Capitals.
Fans will know that the season has not started out as the Caps wanted. They sit 5-11-1 through 17 games, eighth in the BCHL’s Coastal Conference, having scored the fewest goals of any team in the league to this point. The team finished eighth in the conference last season as well, just one point out of last place.
Previously under Vandekamp in 2020, the Capitals were set for the second round of the BCHL Playoffs for the second year in a row until everything shut down due to COVID-19. The team had scored 35 wins that season to date, the most since 2011/12.
Departing is head coach Brian Passmore.
“The Capitals would like to thank Brian for his time spent leading the Capitals over the past three years and wish him the best of luck in the future,” the news release said.
The Capitals have a pair of games coming up this weekend. Their next home game is Nov. 25.
