Make room for some hockey this Thanksgiving weekend.
Summerland celebrates its hockey roots, Coastal and Ridge Meadows meet twice in two nights, and Williams Lake gets another crack at the team that ended its unbeaten start. Here are a few stories to follow around the BCHC.
A reunion at Summerland Arena
The Summerland Jets welcome the Merritt Centennials on Friday for Alumni Night, celebrating generations of hockey in the community. Fans are encouraged to bring out their old Summerland colours for an evening connecting the town’s hockey history with its newest chapter.
Two nights, two rinks
The Coastal Tsunami and Ridge Meadows Flames will get plenty familiar this weekend. Coastal visits Maple Ridge on Friday before the teams head to Gibsons for Saturday’s return matchup, beginning at 5 p.m. Pacific at the Gibsons & Area Community Centre.
Ridge Meadows captain Josh Bettesworth is coming off a 10-point week that earned him BCHC Forward of the Week honours. His teammate Jonah Ussher added four goals in Sunday’s win over Port Coquitlam, giving Coastal plenty to account for over the two-game set.
Can anyone break through in Fernie?
Three home games. Three shutouts. Not a goal allowed.
The Ghostriders have outscored visiting teams 14-0 through their first three BCHC home games, with Leo den Besten and Kael Svenson sharing the work in net.
But there is plenty to handle before Fernie returns home. The Ghostriders visit Nelson on Friday and Grand Forks on Saturday, then host Beaver Valley on Sunday at 4 p.m. Mountain. Three divisional opponents in three days will test the club’s depth, with the Nitehawks getting the next opportunity to end that home shutout streak.
The Mustangs get their rematch
Osoyoos handed Williams Lake its first loss last Saturday, with Sam Koester making 46 saves in a 4-3 Coyotes victory. This Saturday, the matchup moves north to the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.
For the Mustangs, it is an opportunity to answer back in front of their own fans. For the Coyotes, it is a chance to take a second result from Williams Lake in the space of a week.
D’Amore keeps producing
Luca D’Amore has put up a point in all six games to open the season, collecting 10 goals and three assists along the way.
The Kamloops captain will look to extend that point streak when the Storm visit Williams Lake on Friday before returning home to face Quesnel on Saturday.
The Rockies look to build
Columbia Valley found its offence in a big way last Sunday, scoring nine times against Quesnel to earn its first BCHC victory. Defenceman Harrison Todd helped get that offence rolling, scoring once and assisting on two more goals in the opening six minutes of the second period. The performance helped earn him BCHC Defenceman of the Week honours.
The Rockies stay on home ice this weekend, welcoming Revelstoke on Friday and Beaver Valley on Saturday at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. It is a chance to turn that breakthrough into something more.
Bring the family to your local rink and make BCHC hockey part of your long weekend. Can’t make it in person? Watch live on FloHockey.
