Get your cowbells out - the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoffs are upon us.
The Comox Valley Glacier Kings begin their quest for the Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy on Tuesday evening against the Oceanside Generals.
While their opponent had been decided prior to the weekend, Glacier Kings coach Mike Nesbitt was not afforded the chance to rest any players in Saturday鈥檚 regular-season finale.
鈥淥ur affiliate team was playing in their playoffs over the weekend, so I didn鈥檛 have an option to play any affiliate players,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 rested a few players on Friday night (3-2 victory in Port Alberni) but I pretty much went with my full lineup on Saturday (6-2 victory against Lake Cowichan). But that鈥檚 OK. We are healthy and good to go.鈥�
Nesbitt said his players know what they are up against in the Generals.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 an experienced hockey club鈥� They won the North Division two years in a row and won the VIJHL championship last year, so they are a good, well-coached team. I do think we are the better club but let鈥檚 see if we can (show) that on the ice.鈥�
The best-of-seven North Division semifinal series opens at the Comox Valley Sports Centre on Tuesday, with the teams alternating home games throughout.
鈥淲e have been battling for home ice against them all year,鈥� Nesbitt said. 鈥淭hose guys have been right on our tails - we even trailed them at times. We鈥檝e had a great last month and a half here, I think we won 12 of the last 14 games, 10 of the last 11 and we鈥檝e won six straight, so we are rolling pretty good right now.鈥�
The Glacier Kings won five of the six games between the two clubs this season, outscoring the Generals 33-20 in those games.
鈥淭hat means nothing, really, you can throw that out the door,鈥� said Nesbitt. 鈥淲e will just take it game by game. We are ready for the challenge. We鈥檝e been playing for this all year.鈥�
The Oceanside Generals have an experienced blue line, which Nesbitt said his team will have to pay attention to throughout the series.
鈥�(Brady) Van Herk and (Tyson) Pauze are the two guys that run their back end,鈥� he said. 鈥淏oth have played at the junior A level and have been there (Oceanside) the best part of the season the last three years.
鈥淭hey are down their captain and leading goal scorer (Jacob Thomas). He鈥檚 out for the first two games due to suspension so that鈥檚 a break we got. He鈥檚 a good player.鈥�
Thomas had 36 goals and 66 points in 34 games this season.
Nesbitt said Ryan Knight will start Game 1 and 鈥渨e will see where it goes from there.鈥�
There are rest days between games for the first three games of the series, but should the series go any further, the schedule will be condensed, as all first-round series must conclude by March 10, as the second-round commences March 12.
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7:15 in Courtenay (Comox Valley Sports Centre)
Thursday, Feb. 29, 7:15 p.m. in Parksville (Oceanside Place)
Saturday, March 2, 7:30 p.m. in Courtenay (Comox Valley Sports Centre)
Remainder of games TBA
