BCHL Coastal Conference Team Reports:

This is in the BC Hockey Now Newspaper:

BCHL Coastal Conference Team Reports

Friday, November 19, 2010 /

By Mark Janzen /

When it comes to the BCHL’s Coastal Conference, defence is something of a faux pas. It’s not very fun to say and it’s not very fun to watch. So, it seems, the league’s westerly conference is doing its amiable best to make sure the d-word is used as infrequently as possible—unless one is speaking in lacking terms.

But alas, and small jokes aside, defence is still pretty important. And, to be frank, the coaches darn well know that. So this week, BC Hockey Now takes a look at the oft-muted bluelines of the Coastal Conference.

POWELL RIVER KINGS

Now the Kings, as has become well documented, are actually all about defence and proving that it works just fine in the BCHL. Powell River has only allowed 45 goals all season (1.80 goals against average) and is led by a core of seven solid defencemen. Justin Dasilva leads the defence with 23 points in 22 games, while Craig Dairymple is second with 15 points in 25 games. After that, the offence drops but the defence doesn’t as imports Jon Jutzi and Chris Williams lead a hard-hitting group of depth blueliners.

LANGLEY CHIEFS

So far, the Chiefs have allowed the third most goals in the BCHL with 102 in 27 games. They just also happen to be the highest scoring team in the league as they’ve scored 116 goals to counteract what has been something of a suspect blueline. Tim Daly and Tyler Miller lead the offensive charges from the back-end as they have 17 and 15 points respectively. After that, the defence has relied on Trace Strahle, Kevin Tuohy and Ryan Bakken.

SURREY EAGLES

The Eagles have long been known for fun, fire wagon hockey and this year is no different. And, as one might expect from a team that operates the top powerplay in the league (30.1 per cent), the back-end is responsible for a fair share of the offence. Mitch Jones is fourth on the team in scoring, right after the Eagles top line, with 25 points, while Riley Sweeney has 19 points, both having played 25 games.

VICTORIA GRIZZLIES

While the Grizzlies 3.50 goals against per game doesn’t jump out as exceptional, in the BCHL it’s not too bad. It’s pretty much middle of the pack. Like Surrey, Victoria has two strong offensive blueliners – Graeme Strukoff and Sean Robertson – and then a cast of defensive types and youngsters. Strukoff came in a deal from Trail earlier this year and since arriving has 10 points in 12 games. Rookie 16-year-old Braxton Bilous has been a nice addition as he’s a quality stay-at-home blueliner who has been playing well beyond his years.

ALBERNI VALLEY BULLDOGS

After Powell River, the Bulldogs are the top defensive team in the conference as they’ve only allowed 77 goals in 23 games. It’s not really close to the Kings numbers but it’s better than all the rest. After the Bulldogs had a 2.40 GAA last year, which was the best in the conference, they have seen that number jumped to 3.20 this year. They only had three returning defenseman, in Ryan Renz, Frankie Riddle and Brody Lynott but new imports Kenney Morrison (15 points) and Connor Varley (10 points) have helped to bridge the gap.

COQUITLAM EXPRESS

Compared to last year, having a 3.70 goals against average is a marked improvement. In fact, it’s half a goal better per game than last year. Rookie import Riley McIntosh has been a strong addition as the 6-5 defencemen has 16 points and has played in all 24 games this year for the Express. Jared Eng has also been a solid acquisition from Victoria as well as Matthew Hutchinson from Quesnel.

NANAIMO CLIPPERS

In 2007/08, the Clippers were the best defensive team in the conference as they only allowed 2.60 goals per game. But since then, it has steadily declined. In 2008-09, they had a 3.10 GAA and last year that number bumped up to 3.40. Now, it’s 3.50. Graeme McCormack has 23 points in 23 games but after that, it’s a little thin as they’ve been forced to use nine defenceman this year.

COWICHAN VALLEY CAPITALS

It’s not real pretty in Cowichan Valley. The team is in the Coastal Conference basement and a lot of the blame can be put on the defensive side of things. They are allowing 4.40 goals against per game, which is tied with Prince George for the worst in the BCHL and they have already given up 114 goals in 26 games. On the bright side, they do have three defensemen amongst their top nine scorers: Alex Halloran (third with 17 points), Darrin Robak (sixth with nine points) and Troy Paterson (ninth with seven points).