Sharing the Penticton Vees crease has been great for Zachary Driscoll and Anthony Brodeur.
What contributes to them working so well is their friendship away from the rink. They love to hang out and play FIFA. They have good competition playing the soccer video game and have tournaments with their teammates. They also make breakfast with their teammates, which Driscoll said is a big thing. They go to the grocery store and jam to some tunes.
“We are both loose guys, easy to talk to,” said Driscoll. “I think that relationship is good outside the rink.”
“He’s probably one of my best buddies on the team,” said Brodeur. “We got really close right from the get go. That really helps our relationship too.”
Brodeur described Driscoll as funny, adding neither of them is too serious.
“Him and I are pretty relaxed,” said Brodeur. “We like to hang around the guys. Just have some fun. Usually it’s a group of guys hanging out.”
Driscoll said they have also benefitted from the rotation.
“It starts with us in practice. We both push each other pretty hard,” said Driscoll. “I think I’ve said this multiple times, he makes a save in practice, I’m clapping with my stick and vice versa. It’s really pushing each other to get better.”
Brodeur said they always want to play more games, but he said it’s about being better to help the Vees win.
“I think that’s the biggest thing out of everything,” said Brodeur, who went 28-2-0-1 with a 1.99 goals against average and .931 save percentage.
They work as hard in practice as in games, said Brodeur, maybe even harder. That approach has worked for them. The BCHL announced its remaining awards winners and Driscoll posted the best goals-against average at 1.90 and owned the league’s best save percentage at .933. He finished tied for second in shutouts with four and won 21 of his 26 starts. He and Brodeur combined for the lowest goals-against average in the league at 1.95 and teamed up to capture the Wally Forslund Trophy.
While the goalies and coaches don’t know the plan yet for playoffs, Brodeur said he believes they will be happy as long as they are winning. Should the rotation continue, Driscoll thinks it will be huge as they keep getting better. If one struggles, the other is there to pick him up. Driscoll also added if the goalie knows which game he is playing in, it helps with preparation.
“It allows you to push yourself harder through the week,” said Driscoll. “You can study your game and study his game. I will watch Anthony’s game, help him with what he needs to work on, what I need to work on.”
Vees coach-general manager Fred Harbinson said they have two outstanding goalies and it starts with their character.
“I love goalies that compete hard,” said Harbinson. “They both compete extremely hard. They are great teammates with each other and the rest of the guys. Probably one of the biggest factors is that every single guy in that room has the utmost confidence in both those guys to help us win hockey games.”
Harbinson added while they have two great goalies, he said a lot of teams don’t have one. Vees alternate captain Dante Fabbro said both goalies have been their backbone this year.
“It shows with the stats they’ve had and the success they’ve had,” said Fabbro. “Even bounce back games where they didn’t play too well, come back and have an absolute stellar night. It’s obviously exciting to watch every game. They are going to put on a show no matter what.”
As they get set to open the playoffs Friday against the Vernon Vipers at the South Okanagan Events Centre, they are excited. Part of that is because of the rivalry.
“They are a pretty good team. We can’t take them lightly, that’s for sure,” said Driscoll. “Anything can happen now that it’s playoffs.”
“We had a couple of heated games this season with them,” said Brodeur. “We’ve had some good games. We’re just really looking forward to the task at hand.”
Harbinson said the focus of the week has been on tweaking their game and making sure the players know what they are doing with or without the puck in all three zones.
The Vees are encouraging its fans to wear blue during the playoffs and the first 1,000 fans that arrive will receive a free blue playoff T-shirt and the first 300 fans will receive an Otter Co-Op cow bell.
In other news, the BCHL announced its remaining award winners. Forward Scott Conway won the Brett Hull Trophy as the BCHL’s top scorer.
Conway is the first Vee to win the BCHL scoring title since 2010 when Beau Bennett shared the award with Salmon Arm’s Mark Zengerle, after the two had 120-point seasons. Conway amassed 116 points in 56 games and finished six points ahead of the next best scorer in the league.
The veteran forward led the league in game-winning goals (15) and was second in goals (56), assists (60) and power-play goals (19); he finished the regular season on a 23-game point streak. Conway’s 116 points are the most in the league over the last six seasons.
