After an incredible run of four straight Coastal Conference championships, the Kings began their exhibition schedule last week in preparation for a fifth.
They closed main camp and played exhibition catch-up to most of the other teams who already had a couple of games under their belts.
Kings are a smaller but faster team this year and everyone was itching to see how they would stack up against their island rivals.
Duncan was the first stop on Friday night and Kings’ youth was front and centre.
J.P. Villeneuve was the only returnee in the starting line-up that featured 10-1994’s and three-1995’s while eight veterans watched from the stands.
Turned out the kids worked extremely hard against the bigger Caps and on a goal by J.J. Coleshaw in the second period Kings held a 1-0 lead midway through the third.
Rookie goalie Jeff Smith was solid in the Kings’ net stopping 37 shots on the night but was eventually beaten on the powerplay at 11:53 of the third period.
The game was the Capital’s fourth and defenceman Jordan Benton, who watched from above, thought the Kings’ first contest was a good one.
“We were quite scrambly and the young guys don’t know the systems yet,” he said, “but they picked it up in the second period and they were very competitive.”
Most of the young players are new to the BCHL noted Benton who stressed, “it’s a big change whether they’ve played Junior B in BC or Ontario and this is the best Junior A league in the nation.
“So it’s a big step up and it’s going to take the guys a little time to get up to that speed.”
Kings were looking to establish a little more discipline the next day in Nanaimo as most of the veterans took to the ice.
The opposite was true however when Nanaimo held the Kings off the board for a 4-0 shutout and recorded their third win in five exhibition games.
Kings’ netminder Jonah Imoo was peppered for more than 40 shots in the loss while the offence mounted next to nothing against the hard hitting Clippers.
Coach Kent Lewis, who watched his second exhibition game from the bleachers, was extremely unhappy with the effort from his recruits.
“It was not a good game to evaluate,” he bristled, “but we played a team who has played more games and it showed.
“It was a bad effort on our part and I wasn’t happy with what I saw.”
If that one was hard on the eyes then Sunday’s third game against the Grizzlies really blindsided the Kings.
Grizzlies jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one period before the Kings could get untracked. Goals by Villeneuve and Luke Nogard made it close in the third period but the Grizzlies countered with two more to win 5-2.
Kings were outshot for the third game in a row and their third starting goalie in a three games, Braeden Ostepchuk, took the loss.
Final cuts will be made prior to the Kings departure for the BCHL Showcase to be held in Chilliwack from September 7 to 9.
Scouts and recruiters from all over North America will be on hand to watch all 16 BCHL teams play their first two games of the regular season at Prospera Arena.
Kings have drawn Surrey Eagles on Friday, September 7 at 7 pm and then after a day off face Vernon Vipers at 10:30 am on Sunday, September 9.
Kings Scroll:
Former Kings Brandon Tidy was traded to Humboldt Broncos while Tanner Cochrane was acquired by Chilliwack Chiefs, both for future considerations. Teal Burns is on the roster after returning from the Victoria Royals camp.
