Giancarlo Nadeau
The season has ended, and now we are taking a look at the top 10 moments of the season! The North Vancouver Wolf Pack finished with a record of 29-16-2-1, good for fourth in the league and third in the Tom Shaw Conference. The Wolf Pack were 18-5-0-1 at home and 11-11-2 on the road.
1: JUNIOR A
The biggest takeaway from the 2023-24 PJHL season was reclassifying all PJHL teams to become Junior A Tier 2 hockey clubs.
BC Hockey announced the new Junior A pathway on July 25, which brought much excitement. “Today marks a milestone for the Pacific Junior Hockey League as we begin our journey within Junior A hockey,” said PJHL Commissioner Trevor Alto.
Wolf Pack CEO Dean Samson added, “Our organization is already in a great position to make the transition this season and beyond. We are looking forward to the potential of becoming a part of the CJHL and competing at a national level,” exclaimed Dean Samson.
2: WOLF PACK CLINCH PLAYOFFS
A 6-1 win against the Grandview Steelers on January 14 clinched a spot in the postseason for the Wolf Pack. North Van locked in a playoff spot for the 12th season in a row thanks to a hat trick from Corson Penman. The Wolf Pack gave up the game’s first goal that night but responded with six consecutive markers. Evan Paul stopped 20/21 shots that night.
3: PICKELL SCORES 100 GOALS
JJ Pickell got an early Christmas present this season! On December 23, news broke that the Captain became the first player in franchise history to score all 100 goals with the Wolf Pack.
At the time, Pickell had managed to score 100 goals and collect 84 assists in 119 regular season games. Alex Suprynowicz (19-20) finished his PJHL career with 101 goals between the Wolf Pack and Ice Hawks.
Other notable players include Lucas Barker – 74 (18-20), Dom Davis – 68 (18-20), and Marcus Houck – 65 (09-14).
4: CARNIEL’S 20 GAME POINT STREAK
On January 3rd, the North Vancouver Wolf Pack thumped the Mission City Outlaws 8-1, but for Matthew Carniel, the night was more than just the two points his team earned!
With an assist on Rylan Oatman’s goal, Matthew Carniel now has THE LONGEST POINT STREAK IN FRANCHISE HISTORY!!
THE REAL DEAL extended his point streak to 20 games and surpassed Spencer Quon, who had a 19-game point streak during the 2014-15 season. Carniel’s point streak ended at 24 games.
5: PICKELL, HUNTER, REIMER, MAROS, CARNIEL, BURGESS, PENMAN play 100
Five players hit 100 PJHL games with the Wolf Pack this year. Here’s how they did it:
JJ Pickell: 91 regular season + 9 playoff games.
Ryan Hunter: 91 regular season + 9 playoff games.
Anthony Reimer: 92 regular season + 8 playoff games.
JJ Maros: 94 regular season + six playoff games, including 46 games (42 + 4) with the Richmond Sockeyes.
Matthew Carniel: 91 regular season + 9 playoff games.
Kaj Burgess: 94 regular season + 6 playoff games.
Corson Penman: 91 regular season + 9 playoff games.
6: DELBIANCO NIGHT
The season’s first game was a special one for the Wolf Pack despite a 5-2 loss against the Sockeyes. It marked the 16th season of Wolf Pack hockey, an opportunity for fans to meet the team’s new players and help raise funds for former defenceman and coach Daniel DelBianco.
All sales from the night (tickets, concession, 50/50) benefitted Daniel DelBianco, who was in attendance to drop the puck!
7: OATMAN NAMED BCHC PROSPECT
The North Vancouver Wolf Pack sent a player to the BCHC Prospects game for a second consecutive year!
Rylan Oatman led his team in scoring with 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points in 22 games. The right-shot forward produced 1.73 points per game through the year’s first half. The Squamish, BC, native was first in assists with 25 and third in goals with 13 on the Wolf Pack.
“Making the BCHC game means a lot to me because it is awesome to be recognized by the league,” said Oatman. I have enjoyed the first half of the season so far. Getting to know many new teammates and friends has been great,” added Oatman.
Rylan became the first Wolf Pack player to score at a BCHC Prospects game and helped the PJHL earn their first-ever win against the KIJHL. Oatman finished the game with a goal and an assist and was the game’s first star.
8: GODOY COMES BACK
On August 31, the Wolf Pack officially welcomed Elias Godoy back as an assistant coach. Elias helped the Wolf Pack win the PJHL Championship during the 2014-2015 season before taking some time away for his family in 2018.
“We are excited for Coach Elias to be back with the Wolf Pack family and to help try and bring another championship home,” explained Associate Coach and General Manager Matt Samson.
9: NEW JERSEYS
Dive into our forest where every stitch tells our story and where design represents OUR city. This electrifying jersey means our legacy and tradition are woven into its fabric.
When we put these jerseys on, we represent our den and its people. The blue represents our Pacific Ocean, the white looks like the snow on our mountains, and the Grey is the colour of our fur.
That was the story the Wolf Pack shared when they revealed their blue road jerseys. These jerseys were a hit with staff and coaches and were worn at a home game this year.
10: PICKELL CROWNED TEDDY BEAR HERO AND CAPTAIN
JJ Pickell earned a few different titles this season!
The first was given to him before the season started when the 2003-born forward was selected to wear the historic ‘C’ in North Vancouver.
“I am honoured to be named team captain of the Wolf Pack. It means a lot to me that the coaching staff trusts me to lead this team. I am looking forward to starting the season with such a good group of guys,” Pickell said.
Being the captain of a team speaks to one’s character and respect for others.
There have been 14 different players who have served as the team captain since the club’s inception in 2008. Pickell is the club’s fifteenth captain.
Pickell was also crowned the team’s Teddy Bear Hero on December 9. Thanks to you, the team was able to make the holidays bright for many families on the North Shore.
BONUS
INSTAGRAM HITS 1000 POSTS
On November 9, the Wolf Pack posted their 1,000th post on Instagram.
Hundreds of players and games have come and gone since our Instagram account was created on September 10, 2014.
We want to thank everyone who has played a part in our account for the past 478 weeks!!
NANAIMO
A pre-season trip to Nanaimo was an excellent way for the players to connect and put their skills on display.
North Van shut out Nanaimo in both games, outscoring the Buccaneers 13-0.
What a season it was! Let’s create even more memories as we are a PACK ON THE HUNT.
