The 麻豆社国产Wolf Pack's Jacob Bergeron couldn't help but smile at the end of the 2011 Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL) Prospects Game, which took place at Brennan Park Arena on Monday (Jan. 31).
Bergeron wasn't originally one of the 44 players named to take part in the game but due to a number of injuries to players on the Harold Brittain Conference team, he was given an opportunity to fill in an empty slot on the team.
However, suiting up for the Brittain conference meant he would be playing against his Wolf Pack teammates and when Bergeron and the Brittain conference won 6-3, he was beaming.
"Me and Valik definitely have bragging rights now," he said, referring to Wolf Pack defenceman Valik Chichkin, who also filled in a spot on the Brittain conference team. "Anytime you win it feels good and now we get a chance to rub it in the other guys' faces."
Wolf Pack fans were forced to split their allegiances with Bergeron and Chichkin wearing the blue away jerseys and Jaret Babych, Vitalik Morozov, Matt Bonin and Jamie Creamore wearing the home whites on the Tom Shaw Conference team.
Creamore, another late addition to the game, opened the scoring for the Shaw team at 4:34 in the first period after being set up by Richmond's Brayden Low. But the Brittain team answered at 7:01 when Aldergrove's Mitchell Guiel ripped one home. His Abbotsford linemates Colton Cowden and Jarrett Martin drew the assists. Richmond's Sebastian Pare set up his teammate Connor Wilson for the Shaw team's go-ahead goal to close out the period. The Brittain conference outshot the Shaw conference 13-12 after one and Sockeyes goalie Devin Nijjer was strong between the pipes for the Shaw team.
The Shaw Conference came out flying in the second period, beginning to dominate the play. Grandview's Grange Gordon put them up 3-1 early into the period. However, the Brittain Conference scored a huge shorthanded goal when Port Moody's Richard Moul outworked a Shaw defender for the puck and fooled Nijjer. The momentum seemed to shift after that goal and Moul added another on the power play later in the second to tie the game. Midway through the second, both teams switched goalies as North Delta's Alex Ahnert and Mission's Michael James Barr took over between the pipes.
In the third, the Brittain Conference took over, as Mission's Keenan Grant grabbed the first lead of the game for his team and it didn't look back. Port Moody's Jackson Hewitt and Guiel added goals to make it a 6-3 final for the Brittain team.
The Brittain Conference's head coach Bayne Koen, who coaches the Port Moody Black Panthers, said he enjoyed having the opportunity to coach the great young talent on his team.
"It's so impressive when you have this much young talent to work with," Koen said. "This game is all about having fun and letting the kids show what they've got for the fans and scouts out there. I think the boys had a lot of fun out there and it's a great experience for them."
Wolf Pack head coach Matt Samson was one of the several hundred interested observers at the game and he said he was pleased to help bring the game to Squamish.
"I thought it was a great event and a well-played game with lots of young and talented guys," he said. "I thought the 麻豆社国产guys did well and we were happy to host the game."
After the game, most valuable players were named for each team with Nijjer winning the award for the Shaw Conference team and Moul picking up the honour for the Brittain team.
For more information on the Prospects Game, visit www.pijhl.com.
