The Saanich Predators took home the bronze medal in the 2024 BC Hockey Junior A Championships after shutting out the Kimberley Dynamiters 3-0.
The scenes following the game recalled the team’s loss in the first round of the playoffs, with a lot of the players visibly emotional.
Dynamiters head coach, general manager Derek Stuart said that he and the rest of the coaching staff told the team they’re proud of them in the locker room after the game.
“We wanted to create a team here six or seven weeks ago that could compete and I think they did more than that. We were just snake-bitten,” Stuart said. “We couldn’t score goals, we were very good. I thought we controlled most of all four games we played, and they should be very proud of the work they put in and how well they played this weekend.”
The Dynamiters outshot the Predators all game, but no breaks seemed to go their way. The Dynamiters also struggled on the power play, failing to capitalize on any of them and allowing a shorthanded goal late in the second from Saanich’s Mathei Ouellette.
Stuart said he tried to keep his players as positive as possible on the bench.
“Just tried to stay positive,” he said. “They’re running on fumes today after that quick turnaround last night. I thought a game that we controlled most of, couple mistakes ended up in our net. But the lack of success wasn’t because of a lack of compete or care and I thought they carried themselves and controlled their emotions very well.
“They finished this with class, it could have gotten ugly today in the third with the frustration especially with the quick turnaround, the guys are pretty grumpy and disappointed about the outcome last night.”
The team was understandably disappointed at missing out on this last chance to get together and win a championship together, particularly the team’s 20-year-olds who won’t be returning to the team next year, including Matt Fleet.
“He was outstanding,” Stuart said. “Matt Fleet has been an unbelievable teammate the three years he’s been here and he won us a championship last year and he’s been a very good leader in the community. We’re going to miss him a lot.”
Stuart said a lot of solid players from this year’s team will be returning next year, with many of their impact players being 18 and 19-years-old.
Stuart also commended the organizers and volunteers who made this tournament possible.
“From what I saw it was outstanding,” he said. “The organizing committee, the board of directors, all the volunteers, I’ve heard nothing but great things, it was a very well-run tournament and they deserve all the credit for that.”
The final game is at 4 p.m. with the Revelstoke Grizzlies and Ridge Meadows Flames competing for the Mowat Cup.