WHL

Kelowna Rockets captain Colton Dach gets help from a teammate as they lift the trophy after winning the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships for Canada on Thursday night, Jan. 5 (@reganrant/Twitter)

Two Kelowna Rockets coming home with gold and silver from World Juniors

Colton Dach, who was injured, won gold with Canada while Gabriel Szturc won silver with Czechia

Kelowna Rockets captain Colton Dach gets help from a teammate as they lift the trophy after winning the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships for Canada on Thursday night, Jan. 5 (@reganrant/Twitter)
Jesper Vikman stopped 28 of 31 Royals shots to tie the game as Vancouver Giants went on to down Victoria Royals 4-3 in a shootout at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena on Friday, Dec. 30. (Jay Wallace/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Giants end year with a win

Game against Victoria decided by shootout

  • Dec 31, 2022
Jesper Vikman stopped 28 of 31 Royals shots to tie the game as Vancouver Giants went on to down Victoria Royals 4-3 in a shootout at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena on Friday, Dec. 30. (Jay Wallace/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Jesper Vikman blocked 34 of 36 shots for the Vancouver Giants Tuesday, Dec. 27, as the G-Men won their fourth in a row over Victoria Royals 3-2. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Vancouver Giants win fourth against Victoria Royals

Langley-based G-Men win despite being out-shot 36-19.

Jesper Vikman blocked 34 of 36 shots for the Vancouver Giants Tuesday, Dec. 27, as the G-Men won their fourth in a row over Victoria Royals 3-2. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Vancouver Giants defenceman Brenden Pentecost in action Saturday, Dec. 17, against the Winterhawks in Portland. Portland won in overtime, 5-4. (Keith Dwiggins/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: A great comeback, but not a win: Vancouver Giants lose to Winterhawks

Portland hung on for overtime victory

Vancouver Giants defenceman Brenden Pentecost in action Saturday, Dec. 17, against the Winterhawks in Portland. Portland won in overtime, 5-4. (Keith Dwiggins/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Kelowna Rockets captain Colton Dach is playing for Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships. (Hockey Canada/Twitter)

“I’m really thankful I get this chance”: Kelowna Rockets captain ready for World Juniors

Colton Dach is one of two Kelowna Rockets getting the chance to play in the tournament

Kelowna Rockets captain Colton Dach is playing for Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships. (Hockey Canada/Twitter)
A shorthanded Giants roster made a valiant effort against the first-place Portland Winterhawks, but Portland came away with a 2-1 win on Friday, Dec. 16 at Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Vancouver Giants)

VIDEO: A close loss to Portland for Vancouver Giants

Home ice defeat for Langley-based G-Men

  • Dec 17, 2022
A shorthanded Giants roster made a valiant effort against the first-place Portland Winterhawks, but Portland came away with a 2-1 win on Friday, Dec. 16 at Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Vancouver Giants)
Vancouver Giants’ Samuel Honzek in action at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, WA on Sunday. Dec. 11, as the G-men fell 5-2. (Brian Liesse/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Road trip loss for Vancouver Giants against Seattle

Thunderbirds scored five unanswered goals in second and third periods

  • Dec 12, 2022
Vancouver Giants’ Samuel Honzek in action at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, WA on Sunday. Dec. 11, as the G-men fell 5-2. (Brian Liesse/Special to Langley Advance Times)
A near-capacity crowd of 5,021 turned out for Chevrolet Teddy Bear Toss night at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday, Dec. 10. Dylan Anderson scored the Teddy Bear goal and Brenden Pentecost sniped home the winner shorthanded in overtime. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: A teddy bear toss and a win at home for Vancouver Giants fans

Near-capacity crowd at Langley Events centre

  • Dec 11, 2022
A near-capacity crowd of 5,021 turned out for Chevrolet Teddy Bear Toss night at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday, Dec. 10. Dylan Anderson scored the Teddy Bear goal and Brenden Pentecost sniped home the winner shorthanded in overtime. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)
After a scoreless first period, Ty Halaburda put Vancouver up with an end to end rush 3:29 into the second period against the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday, Dec. 9. (Allen Douglas/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Giants fall to Blazers

Vancouver scored first, Blazers respond with two

  • Dec 10, 2022
After a scoreless first period, Ty Halaburda put Vancouver up with an end to end rush 3:29 into the second period against the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday, Dec. 9. (Allen Douglas/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Cloverdale-raised Caedan Bankier in action with Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). (File photo courtesy Kamloops Blazers/Allen Douglas Photos)

4 B.C. hockey players have shot at making Canada’s World Juniors team roster

Starting Friday in Moncton, the camp will involve 4 goaltenders, 9 defencemen and 16 forwards

Cloverdale-raised Caedan Bankier in action with Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). (File photo courtesy Kamloops Blazers/Allen Douglas Photos)
Julian Cull got past two Cougars Sunday afternoon, Dec. 4, before 2,908 fans at Langley Events Centre. Giants led for most of the first two periods, but a huge third period by the Prince George Cougars was too much for the G-men to handle. (Rob Wilton/Vancouver Giants)

VIDEO: Vancouver Giants fall to Cougars

Four games in five days end with loss

  • Dec 5, 2022
Julian Cull got past two Cougars Sunday afternoon, Dec. 4, before 2,908 fans at Langley Events Centre. Giants led for most of the first two periods, but a huge third period by the Prince George Cougars was too much for the G-men to handle. (Rob Wilton/Vancouver Giants)
Goals were freely flowing for both teams at the Langley Events Centre Saturday night, Dec. 3, as the Vancouver Giants hosted Kamloops Blazers at Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: A shootout win for Vancouver Giants against Kamloops Blazers

Team overcame 2-0 deficit

Goals were freely flowing for both teams at the Langley Events Centre Saturday night, Dec. 3, as the Vancouver Giants hosted Kamloops Blazers at Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Vancouver Giants centre Kyren Gronick played his 100th WHL game against the Kamloops Blazers on Friday, Dec. 2 at the Sandman Centre. (Allen Douglas/Special to Langley Advance Times)

A goaltenders duel ends in defeat for Vancouver Giants in Kamloops

Blazers scored three times with less than 5 minutes remaining for the win

  • Dec 3, 2022
Vancouver Giants centre Kyren Gronick played his 100th WHL game against the Kamloops Blazers on Friday, Dec. 2 at the Sandman Centre. (Allen Douglas/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Two of the top prospects in hockey battled it out at Prospera Place on Tuesday night.(@Kelowna_Rockets/Twitter)

Cristall wins the battle, Bedard wins the war as Kelowna Rockets fall in front of sold-out crowd

Rockets forward Andrew Cristall collected four points but Connor Bedard extended his point streak

Two of the top prospects in hockey battled it out at Prospera Place on Tuesday night.(@Kelowna_Rockets/Twitter)
Best friends and two of the top prospects in hockey: Kelowna Rockets forward Andrew Cristall (left) and Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard are set to each each other for the first time in their WHL careers. (Regan Bartel/Kelowna Rockets)

Top hockey prospects, best friends Bedard and Cristall set to battle it out in Kelowna

Rockets and Pats forwards first and second in WHL scoring

Best friends and two of the top prospects in hockey: Kelowna Rockets forward Andrew Cristall (left) and Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard are set to each each other for the first time in their WHL careers. (Regan Bartel/Kelowna Rockets)
Vancouver Giants bounced back in a big way Sunday afternoon, Nov. 27, taking down the first-place Portland Winterhawks 3-1 at Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Shorthanded Vancouver Giants score to down Portland Winterhawks

Ty Thorpe notches 100th career point

  • Nov 27, 2022
Vancouver Giants bounced back in a big way Sunday afternoon, Nov. 27, taking down the first-place Portland Winterhawks 3-1 at Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk was named second star of the game Friday, Nov. 25 as a sellout crowd of 5,276 watched Pats captain Connor Bedard, a rising star and top NHL prospect, lead his team against Vancouver at the Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Sold-out crowd watches Connor Bedard lead Regina Pats to victory over Vancouver Giants

Top NHL prospect generates ‘unprecedented’ turnout

  • Nov 27, 2022
Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk was named second star of the game Friday, Nov. 25 as a sellout crowd of 5,276 watched Pats captain Connor Bedard, a rising star and top NHL prospect, lead his team against Vancouver at the Langley Events Centre. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)
(Photo - Steve Dunsmoor/Kelowna Rockets)

THE MOJ: Rocketing into orbit with a B.C. hockey success story

Bruce Hamilton’s Kelowna Rockets have been doing junior hockey the right way for years

(Photo - Steve Dunsmoor/Kelowna Rockets)
Four hockey legends from the 1972 Canada-Russia hockey series were on hand for the puck drop at Langley Centre Centre on Friday, Nov. 18 with Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk and teammates wearing jerseys that paid tribute to Team Canada. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Giants loss at ‘Legends’ tribute game

Special teams were the story of the night

  • Nov 19, 2022
Four hockey legends from the 1972 Canada-Russia hockey series were on hand for the puck drop at Langley Centre Centre on Friday, Nov. 18 with Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk and teammates wearing jerseys that paid tribute to Team Canada. (Rob Wilton/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Samuel Honzek scored his 12th of the season for the Giants against Prince George Cougars on Sunday, Nov. 13. Prince George won 6-4. (James Doyle/Special to Langley Advance Times)

VIDEO: Vancouver Giants drop game to Prince George Cougars

A six-goal streak proved impossible to counter

Samuel Honzek scored his 12th of the season for the Giants against Prince George Cougars on Sunday, Nov. 13. Prince George won 6-4. (James Doyle/Special to Langley Advance Times)