Giancarlo Nadeau
The North Vancouver Wolf Pack gets set for their first game against the Delta Ice Hawks tonight. The two teams are set to take part in a best-of-seven series to determine who will meet the Richmond Sockeyes or White Rock Whalers in the second round of the playoffs.
North Vancouver and Delta met six times during the regular season. Both teams took three wins from each other.
DELTA ICE HAWKS
OVERVIEW:
General Manager / Head Coach: Steve Robinson
Assistant Coaches: Carson Hemenway, Tyler McMinn, Dominic Passalacqua-Main, Quinten Wideski.
Regular Season Record: 34-11-1-2 (Tom Shaw – 2nd, PJHL – 3rd)
Goals For/Goals Against: 249 GF/138 GA +111
Power Play: 47/189 (24.9%) 3RD
Penalty Kill: 151/185 (81.6%) 7TH
7 Overagers: Austin Kofler (F), Dominic Passalacqua-Main (F), Conner Merriman (F), Carson Merriman (F), Ryan Bal (D), Yuji Akimoto (D), Mason Upton (G)
Leading Scorers: Payton Hu (40GP- 26G – 42A – 68P), Danylo Bereza (42GP- 23G – 45A – 68P), Colin Jang (35GP- 23G – 33A – 56P)
YOU ‘PAY’ TO WIN
Payton Hu had 26 goals and 42 assists for 68 points in 40 games. Those 68 points allowed him to finish first in team scoring. The future is bright for Payton Hu, who is only a 2005-born player. The right-shot forward, who checks in at 175 pounds and is 5’10”, will provide a strong presence on the ice.
THE RIGHT ‘WAY’
No defenceman on the Ice Hawks had more points than Tye Hemenway. The 2004-born player finished the regular season with eight goals and 34 assists for 42 points in 48 contests. The left-shot defenceman from Delta, BC, plays big minutes and deserves every second. Hemenway is looking to build upon his regular-season success against the Wolf Pack.
‘ZACH’ ATTACK
Zach Shaughnessy is in his second season with the Delta Ice Hawks and has built on an impressive rookie season. The product of Surrey, BC, made 24 appearances in the Ice Hawks crease and secured a record of 18-3. The 2005-born goaltender posted three shutouts, and his numbers were solid around the board, with a 2.34 GAA and 0.916 SV%. Shaughnessy faced the Wolf Pack twice this season and won once. He will likely play in the majority of games against the Wolf Pack.
NORTH VANCOUVER WOLF PACK
OVERVIEW:
General Manager: Matt Samson
Head Coach: Mike Borrelli
Assistant Coaches: Matt Samson, Elias Godoy, Nathan Haaksma
Regular Season Record: 29-16-2-1 (Tom Shaw – 3rd, PJHL – 4th)
Goals For/Goals Against: 200 GF/164 GA +36
Power Play: 47/231 (20.3%) 5TH
Penalty Kill: 183/234 (78.2%) 10TH
8 Overagers: Ryan Hunter (F), Carson Penman (F), Kaj Burgess (F), Matthew Carniel (F), JJ Maros (F), JJ Pickell (F), Anthony Reimer (F), Evan Paul (G)
Leading Scorers: JJ Pickell (44GP – 40G – 36A – 76P), Rylan Oatman (47GP – 19G – 56A – 75P), Matthew Carniel (47GP – 39G – 30A – 69P)
TICKLE MY ‘PICKELL’
JJ Pickell. That name should bring a lot of fear to the Delta Ice Hawks. Pickell finished his third regular season in the PJHL as his team’s highest goal scorer. The left-shot forward had 40 goals and 36 assists for 76 points in 44 games, two more than last year. North Vancouver has two players with 70 or more points this season, including rookie sensation Rylan Oatman. It’s important to mention Matthew Carniel finished the season with 69 points. Despite the potency of the Wolf Pack, all eyes will be on JJ Pickell.
LA LA LA
Arguably, the most significant trade this season was when the Port Coquitlam Trailblazers dealt captain Milin Aujla and goaltender Evan Paul to North Vancouver. Aujla averaged 0.74 points per game in 40 contests with the Wolf Pack and Trailblazers this year. Aujla has made the most of his time with the Pack, putting up two goals and eight assists in 11 games. His first goal in a Wolf Pack uniform was scored in Delta on January 16. In the 40 games that Aujla did play, he had six goals and 23 assists for 29 points. The left-shot defenceman of Burnaby, BC, plays critical minutes for his club at both ends of the ice and will expect the same workload against Delta.
DEFENDING THE ‘DEN’
North Vancouver has had many faces appear between the pipes this season, but one thing that has stayed consistent is the play of rookie goaltender Brayden Burrows. Burrows appeared in 26 games, with the Wolf Pack earning a record of 15-3 with two shutouts. The Coquitlam, BC boy had a 2.97 GAA, 0.917 SV%, and 738 saves on the campaign. Burrows has seen the Ice Hawks three times and has beaten them once. He has been with the team all season and has given his team an opportunity to win each game.
ROUND 1 Schedule
G1: Tuesday 20 @ 730 (ROAD)
G2: Thursday 22 @ 700 (HOME)
G3: Saturday 24 @ 700 (HOME)
G4: Sunday 25 @ 730 (ROAD)
*G5: Tuesday 27 @ 730 (ROAD)
*G6: Saturday March 2 @ 700 (HOME)
*G7: Sunday March 3 @ 730 (ROAD)
BLUE: WOLF PACK
YELLOW: DELTA
* IF NECESSARY
