The Kimberley Dynamiters are back on the ice for the 2024/25 season and after their worst playoff performance in 11 years, suffering a first-round elimination, they are looking for redemption.
The Nitros hit the ice for the first of three exhibition games for the year on Saturday, Sept. 7 and came away with a 3-2 win over the Fernie Ghostriders.
Next, they welcomed the Nelson Leafs on Wednesday, Sept. 11, resulting in a very exciting contest. The Leafs took the lead in the first period, with the Dynamiters bouncing back early in the second with goals in quick succession from Spencer Wilkinson and Danik Reeves, both players looking to claim a spot on the roster.
The Leafs fired right back and tied the game up less than 30 seconds later, and would tack on two more before the end of the period.
Kimberley local and fan favourite Justin Sommer, who famously won the Dynamiters their last Teck Cup in 2023 with a Game 7 overtime goal, got the Dynamiters back in the game with a goal two and a half minutes into the third period. He would then tie the game in dramatic fashion, scoring a short-handed goal with less than five minutes left on the clock.
Nelson's Carsyn Crawford scored at 17.44, securing a 5-4 win after an exciting exhibition match up.
The Dynamiters final game of the exhibition season against the Fernie Ghostriders had less positive takeaways, ending in a 4-0 loss, but head coach, general manager Derek Stuart isn't particularly concerned with exhibition results.
"I think we’re not concerned with the scores of exhibition games at all and we use the exhibition season as an evaluation tool, where the next line up is the line that goes out on the power play and then penalty kill and everyone gets to do everything and everyone gets equal minutes," he said. "Other teams choose to play their first power play unit and dress their fall line-up which we ran into all three exhibition games actually, so the scores are pretty irrelevant when we’re using it as an evaluation tool.
"We had nine regulars not playing and our opponent had their entire roster and they were putting their power play units out and that kind of thing. Each coach and each team has their own way of doing exhibition and our thing is that there’s kids trying out and we want to give them an opportunity to make the team."
The Dynamiters coaching staff made their final cuts on Saturday morning and have a 24-man roster, including around 18 or 19 veterans. Stuart said he is "extremely happy" with the roster.
"I think going forward we have a strong team to start,” Stuart said. “Anyone that comes in is going to be someone who’s proven and somebody that we know will definitely help the team and I don’t think we’re in a spot to take looks at players anymore."
The Dynamiters will head to Creston for the first game of the regular season on Friday, Sept. 20 and then be back at home on Saturday, Sept. 21 to take on the Columbia Valley Rockies. They will be hard at work in the meantime.
"We need to implement some systems, that’s another thing we don’t do until regular season starts, so we’re going to implement some systems this week, get our power play units set and just lay the foundation of how we want our guys to play," Stuart said.
Stuart added the City has told the Dynamiters' organization that the lead paint issue, which has caused force the Civic Centre to limit ticket sales to 1010 from around 1500, is a "top priority" and assured the club that it will be rectified before the home opener.
