The smoke has cleared after the blockbuster deal that sent Bryce Gervais to the Penticton Vees and what has emerged is a good-news kind of week for the Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
Not only did the club win two overtime games over the Vernon Vipers, the players acquired for Gervais were major factors in the victories. The Gorillas claimed consecutive 3-2 overtime triumphs against the Snakes with newly acquired Garrett Hendrickson and Shane Hanna both having multi-point weekends.
This past weekend was the BCHL’s Celebration Weekend in recognition of its 50th season, and teams paired up for home-and-home sets throughout the league. On Friday in Vernon, Hendrickson opened the scoring and Sean Flanagan scored in the final minute on a play set up by Hanna to force OT where Devin Muller got the winner with two seconds left in the first overtime period.
Back at Sunwave Centre on Saturday night, Hanna and Hendrickson scored less than two minutes apart in the second period to put Salmon Arm ahead 2-1. An Aaron Hadley goal for Vernon in the third forced overtime where it was Flanagan playing the hero with the winning goal.
“The guys we brought in are key contributors for us right now,” said ’Backs head coach Colin O’Hara. “These are guys that were buried on a deep team but can really play at this level.”
That’s especially true for Salmon Arm product Shane Hanna. The 17-year-old is now getting an opportunity to quarterback the power play, something he wasn’t getting in Penticton.
Salmon Arm also got clutch goaltending from Kurt Williams. The Rocky Mountain House, Alta. product kept the SilverBacks in the game in the third period Saturday as Vernon carried the play and outshot the ’Backs 36-26 for the game.
“I thought he was solid (on Friday) and that’s what we’ve been looking for out of him,” said O’Hara. “It was the same at home (on Saturday); we were good for the first 35 or 40 minutes, but in the third, we took a four-minute double-minor for high-sticking. They did get one goal but he gave us a chance to win.”
Salmon Arm played both games with a shortened roster again as players were missing due to injury. But more good news comes on the health front as defencemen James Friedel and Matt Brown are both probable for this coming weekend when the team hits the road for three games. Also expected back is big forward Stefan Nicholishen who seems back to full strength after a hard skate at practice Monday.
O’Hara said forward Alex Gillies may be able to return the weekend after next and now, only Joel Kipp remains on the injured reserve list. Salmon Arm visits the Victoria Grizzlies, Nanaimo Clippers and Alberni Valley Bulldogs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a Vancouver Island road swing.
“We’re going to have almost a full lineup for the first time in a long time so we’ll take it,” said O’Hara.
