The Victoria Grizzlies are set to open their British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) playoff run against the Coquitlam Express on Friday night at The Q Centre.
The two teams met four times this season, splitting the series with two wins apiece. Three of those matchups required overtime or a shootout, including their most recent clash in the season finale, where the Express edged out a 4-3 shootout victory.
Beyond head-to-head results, the teams have been neck-and-neck all season long. The Grizzlies finished just two points ahead of Coquitlam in the standings, with both squads winning 28 games and allowing nearly identical goals against totals – Victoria at 192 and Coquitlam at 191. The two extra points for Victoria earned them home-ice advantage.
The Express bring plenty of firepower, led by two-time 20-goal scorer Mason Kesseling, Merrimack commit Thomas Zocco, captain James Shannon, and offensive defenceman Sam Frandina.
Between the pipes, Coquitlam relies on goaltender Andrew Ness, who joined the team from the powerhouse Penticton Vees earlier this season.
“They’re going to throw some challenges at us,” Grizzlies president David Michaud said. “But I love our depth. That’s what’s going to determine our success.”
The Grizzlies' depth has been a defining trait of their season. Ten players hit double digits in goals, with seven reaching the 15-goal mark. That kind of balanced attack makes game-planning against Victoria a difficult task for any opponent.
Some of the notable names saw Chase Pirtle notching 27 goals, while Reegan Hiscock tallied 25, and homegrown talent Landon Mackie scored 17.
“If you’re trying to shut us down, it’s tough because we don’t just have one line to focus on,” Michaud said. “We can roll four lines at any point in the game and feel confident.”
Down the stretch, the Grizzlies showed resilience, securing points in four straight games, including late-game comebacks against Chilliwack and Coquitlam.
“I like the way we battled back consistently. Our mentality is in the right place heading into Friday," Michaud said.
This marks Michaud’s first year at the helm of the Grizzlies after spending the previous five seasons with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. He believes Victoria has the pieces to become a perennial contender in the BCHL.
“This should be a model franchise in our conference,” he said. “We’ve built key building blocks over the years, and now it’s time to take that next step.”
Part of that process involves players with postseason experience stepping up. One of those is Pirtle, who enters the playoffs on a tear, registering 19 points in his last 17 games. His season totals jumped from 52 to 64 points from his rookie to sophomore seasons.
“He cares a lot,” Michaud said. “This is his last year of junior hockey, and he was one of the guys leading team meetings, saying, ‘I don’t want this to end.’”
Veteran goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, a Colgate commit, is set to start game one after sharing the crease with Kyle Kelsey throughout the season.
“Given his experience, it’s going to be Oliver’s crease to start,” Michaud confirmed. “But we have a very capable tandem if we need to make a switch.”
As the Grizzlies prepare to drop the puck on another postseason, there’s no shortage of belief in this group.
“Nothing is promised or easy,” Michaud said. “But this group has the experience, and they’re ready to take that next step.”
Game one of the series is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at The Q Centre.
Victoria wasn't the only Island team to earn a spot in the post-season. Other Western Conference matchups include an Island showdown between Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley, Surrey taking on Alberni Valley, and Chilliwack facing Prince George.
