Busy Week at the Coliseum

It's been an incredibly busy week around the Giants. A Memorial Cup bid. A new radio deal, and a new coach.

Links to everything you need to know are below.

Giants Bid for 2016 Memorial Cup

Press Release

Steve Ewen's Province Article

Kelly Friesen's Yahoo! Buzzing The Net Article


Giants Renew Partnership with TEAM Radio

Press Release

#WHL Giants announce renewal of deal with @Team1040, through 2017-18. Announce @Batchelor1040 as full-time play-by-play man.
— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) July 17, 2014

Giants Name Troy Ward Head Coach

Press Release

Steve Ewen's Province Article

Brad Ziemer's Vancouver Sun Article

Cam Tucker's Metro News Article

Troy Ward had lots of Coaching offers on the table and chose Vancouver Giants. Says a lot for Giants Ownership group and GM Scott Bonner.
— JAY JANOWER (@DOUBLEJGLOBALBC) July 16, 2014

Vancouver Giants assistant Matt Erhart chats with new head coach Troy Ward prior to Thursday presser. pic.twitter.com/G3myRMQPX0
— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) July 17, 2014

Giants Draft Bobylev

The CHL Import Draft was held earlier this week, and for the second year in a row the Giants drafted a Russian, selecting 17-year-old forward Vladimir Bobylev with the 21st overall selection. Bobylev and defenseman Dmitri Osipov, who went first overall in last year's import draft, are expected to fill the two import spots on the Giants roster for the upcoming season.

Vlad Shushovksy, the agent for Bobylev as well as Saskatoon Blades standout Nikita Scherbak, told Steve Ewen of The Province that Bobylev is similar to Scherbak.

"I would say that Scherbak is more skilled, but Bobylev is a meaner kid,” he said. “This guy drives hard. He’ll come off the wall and go to the net.

“He’s a kid with a Russian name but he plays a North American style.

“Vancouver Giants fans can expect a power forward.”

Read the full article from The Province here.

Here's the press release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants selected 17-year old Russain forward Vladimir Bobylev in the 2014 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

Bobylev played 35 games with Atlanty Mytischi of the Molodyozhnaya Hokkeinaya Liga (MHL) in Russia last season. The 6'3", 198lbs forward had 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) and registered 36 penalty minutes in the 35 games.

Rathjen Shipped to Medicine Hat

While the Canucks stole the headlines in Vancouver with three trades on Friday, the Giants made a move as well, sending goalie Jared Rathjen to Medicine Hat for a fifth round bantam pick.

The 20-year-old puck stopper played in 48 games over two seasons with the Giants, posting a record of 15-19-5-1.

Here's the press release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants have traded goaltender Jared Rathjen to the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2015 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft. 

Rathjen played 29 games with the Giants last season. He finished the regular season with a 13-8-4-1 record and posted a Goals Against Average of 2.98 and a .898 Save Percentage.

Giants Schedule: Five Key Dates

The Vancouver Giants released their schedule for the upcoming 2014-15 season today. You can get the full press release and see the full schedule here, but here are five key dates to circle on your calendar.

For ticketing information, click here or call 604-444-2687.

September 20th vs. Victoria - The Giants will once again open the regular season on home ice against their division rivals from the island. This will be the first of 10 games between the two clubs and should be a dandy when you look at the fact that these two teams produced entertaining hockey in every single one of their meetings last year.

September 26th vs. Portland - The Western Conference champions visit the Rink on Renfrew in a rematch of last season's first round playoff series in which the Winterhawks swept the G-Men out of the post-season. However, this Portland team will look a lot different with the departure of Head Coach Mike Johnston and blueliners Mat Dumba and Derrick Pouliot likely headed to pro hockey.



October 17th vs. Kamloops - This is the big one. Don Hay returns to the Pacific Coliseum as the Head Coach of the Kamloops Blazers after a decade of coaching the Giants including a WHL Championship in 2006 and a Memorial Cup win in 2007. The WHL's second winningest coach will be hoping to steer the Blazers' ship in the right direction after a season to forget last year.



February 11th vs. Edmonton - The Memorial Cup champions will pay their only visit to Van City. It's one of only two meetings between the two clubs. Of note, the G-Men actually beat the Oil Kings 5-1 the last time the two teams met in Edmonton on February 22, 2014.

March 20th vs. Kelowna - Fan Appreciation night and the final home game of the regular season for the Giants will see them face the BC Division champion Kelowna Rockets. The G-Men will then conclude the season the following night in the Okanagan, but as was the case last year, these games -- against what should be a strong Rockets club -- will be a good test for the Giants late in the year.

Giants Sign Two Players

The Vancouver Giants signed a pair of players this week, locking up first round pick Dawson Holt and goaltender Cody Porter to standard WHL agreements.

Holt spent last season playing in the Saskatoon Generals Bantam program while Porter split the 2013-2014 season between the Vancouver North West Giants of the BC Major Midget League and the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL.

Here's the Giants' release on Holt:

The Vancouver Giants are proud to announce the signing of Dawson Holt to a Western Hockey League Player Agreement.

Holt was drafted by the Giants in the first round (8th overall) of the 2014 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

The Saskatoon native, played 26 games with the Saskatoon Generals Bantam AA of the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League. The 5'10", 165lbs forward had 73 points (35 goals, 38 assists) with the Generals.

"I am extremely happy to have signed with the Giants," said the 15-year old. "The organization is top notch and I have heard great things about the city and the fans. I'd really like to thank the Giants for this opportunity and look forward to the next step in my hockey career."

Here's the Giants' release on Porter:

The Vancouver Giants are proud to announce the signing of goaltender Cody Porter to a Standard Western Hockey League Agreement.

Porter, a North Vancouver native, played five games with the Vancouver North West Giants of the BC Major Midget Hockey League and posted a Goals Against Average of 1.75 and a .942 Save Percentage.

The 6'1", 181lbs goalie also played 16 games with the West Kelowna Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League last season. In the 16 games with the Warriors, Porter posted a Goals Against Average of 3.55 and a .875 Save Percentage.

Hay Heading Home to Kamloops

It's the end of an era in Vancouver. Giants Head Coach Don Hay is heading back to his home town to take over behind the bench of the Kamloops Blazers. It will be Hay's second stint as the Blazers' bench boss after he led the club to back-to-back Memorial Cups in 1994 and 1995. Hay leaves the Giants after 10 seasons as Head Coach. During his time in Vancouver, the team won the WHL Championship and the Memorial Cup and only missed the playoffs once under his tenure. Hay also moved into second place on the WHL's all-time coaching wins list this past season.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank Don for this past season. It was a pleasure to work with such a legendary coach, and I wish him all the best in Kamloops.

Here's the full press release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants announced today that Don Hay will return to his hometown to coach the Kamloops Blazers.

"Blazers' Owner Tom Gaglardi contacted me last week and asked for permission to speak with Don," said Giants Majority Owner Ron Toigo. "I'm sure Don is looking forward to moving home and spending more time with his family and enjoying the time with his grandkids. He came here when we were a young franchise and helped develop an identity for the Giants, and showed us how to win. He leaves with a Memorial Cup, WHL Championship, and 5 BC Division Titles. I can't say how much we appreciate what Don has done and what he has meant to the Vancouver Giants Franchise."

The Kamloops native joined the Giants in the 2004-05 season and was with the Giants for 10 seasons. Hay became the third coach to reach a milestone 600-career regular season WHL wins this past season.

"I'd like to thank Ron Toigo and the ownership group of the Vancouver Giants for giving me the opportunity to be the Head Coach in Vancouver for 10 great years," said Hay. "I've really enjoyed my time in Vancouver and it's hard to leave the team. I'd also like to thank everyone in the organization that helped us have success along the way - assistant coaches, trainers, and most importantly the players. And last but not least, I'd like to thank all the Vancouver fans for their support through the years."

In his 10 seasons with the team, Hay coached the Giants to a 401-252-26-37 record. He guided the Giants to win five straight B.C. Division titles (2006 to 2010), and to appearances at the Western Conference Finals in four of five seasons, and two straight WHL league Finals (2006 and 2007). Under his leadership, the Giants won the WHL Championship in 2006 and the Memorial Cup in 2007.

Further information will be provided by the Kamloops Blazers.

Giants Draft Day Recap

Bantam draft day is almost always an eventful day for WHL teams, and the Giants were no exception as they added 13 players on Thursday, selecting 11 in the draft and trading for two others. In the first round, the G-Men selected a pair of centremen, adding Dawson Holt and Brendan Semchuk. Meanwhile, Vancouver picked up defenseman Clayton Kirichenko (96) in a trade with Saskatoon and reacquired forward Matt Bellerive (94) from Kamloops.

Also of note, the Giants drafted defenceman Max Gildon in the third round. Gildon was widely considered as one of the best, if not the best, blue liners in the draft, but whether he decides to play in the WHL or go the college route remains uncertain.

Here's a full breakdown:

First Round:

8th overall
Dawson Holt – Saskatoon, SK – Centre – 5'11", 165lbs
2013-2014: Holt posted 35 goals and 38 assists in 26 games with the Saskatoon Generals Bantam AA.

"It's an unreal experience [to get drafted by Vancouver] and I’m super excited to be a part of the Vancouver Giants organization,” said Holt. "I’ve heard so many great things about the team and I’m so proud and excited to get a chance to play for Vancouver."

10th overall

Brendan Semchuk – Kamloops, BC – Centre – 5'10", 160lbs
2013-2014: Semchuk scored 45 goals and 32 assists in 51 games with the Kamloops Blazers Bantam A1-T1.

"It's an honour getting drafted by the Giants," said Semchuk. "I didn't know where I was going to get drafted to, but it’s been a dream of mine to play for Vancouver. It’s nice and close to home, and I’m looking forward to joining the team."

Second Round:

29th overall
Dylan Plouffe – Sherwood Park, AB – Defence – 5'10", 196lbs
2013-2014: Plouffe had 22 goals and 36 assists in 33 games with the Sherwood Park Bantam AAA United Cycle Flyers and was named the AMBHL Most Outstanding Defenceman.

42nd overall

Owen Hardy – Kelowna, BC – Centre – 5'11", 180lbs
2013-2014: Hardy netted 40 goals and 35 assists in 53 games played with the Pursuit of Excellence Bantam program in the Okanagan.

44th overall
James Malm – Langley, BC – Centre – 5'8", 160lbs
2013-2014: Malm played with the Burnaby Winter Club Bantam A1-T1 team.
2012-2013: Played for the Langley Eagles Bantam A1.

Third Round:

51st overall
Max Gildon – Plano, TX – Defence – 6'1", 160lbs
Gildon had 19 points in 31 games with the Dallas Stars U16 program.

He was highly touted heading into the draft with Chris Dilks of SB Nation speculating that he could even go as high as the top three. Read the full piece here.

Kelly Friesen of Yahoo! Sports said the Giants "may have walked out of the draft with the biggest mid-round steal" if they can recruit him. Read the full piece here.

"Max is the best defenceman in the draft and it is now our responsibility to convince him to join our program," said Giants GM Scott Bonner.

66th overall (did not pick – traded to Saskatoon in exchange for Clayton Kirichenko)
Clayton Kirichenko – Sherwood Park, AB – Defence – 6'0", 187lbs
2013-2014: Kirichenko suited up in 70 games for the Blades, tallying three goals and nine assists.
2012-2013: Kirichenko had 22 points in 30 games with the Sherwood Park Kings Midget AAA.

Sixth Round:

114th overall (did not pick – traded to Kamloops in exchange for Matt Bellerive)
Matt Bellerive – North Vancouver, BC – Right Wing – 5'11", 188lbs
2013-2014: Bellerive picked up 18 goals and 23 assists in 60 games split between Red Deer and Kamloops.

Bellerive returns to Vancouver where he began his WHL career. The Giants selected Bellerive with the 43rd overall selection in the 2009 draft, and he played 98 games for the G-Men before being traded to Red Deer.

"We are happy to get Matty back in the program," said Giants' General Manager and Executive Vice President Scott Bonner. "We know he can help offensively and he's familiar with our program."

130th overall
David Tendeck – North Vancouver, BC – Goaltender – 6'0", 155lbs
2013-2014: Played for the North Shore Winter Club Bantam A1-T1.

Seventh Round:

134th overall
Bailey Dhaliwal – Mission, BC – Defence – 6'2", 185lbs
2013-2014: Dhaliwal played for Mission Bantam A1.

139th overall
John St. Ivany – Manhattan Beach, CA – Defence – 5"9", 155lbs
2013-2014: St. Ivany played for the LA Junior Kings.

Eighth Round:

156th overall
Jaren Turnquist – Calgary, AB – Right Wing – 5'11", 160lbs
2013-2014: Turnquist had six goals and six assists in 30 games with the Calgary Bisons Bantam AAA.

Ninth Round:

183rd overall
Myles Mattila – Prince George, BC – Right Wing – 5"9", 165lbs
2013-2014: Was team captain of the Prince George Cougars Bantam T1.

Giants This Week: March 28, 2014

Giants Ousted by Portland

The Vancouver Giants' season came to an end on Wednesday night as they lost 6-1 to the Portland Winterhawks in Game 4 of their first round series. Carter Popoff had the Giants' lone goal. Payton Lee started the game and allowed three goals on 13 shots before being replaced by Jared Rathjen who stopped 29 of 32 pucks that were thrown at him.

The first period was much like the opening frame of Game 3. The Giants pressured, had chances, but couldn't capitalize. Vancouver nearly opened the scoring on a golden opportunity for Brett Kulak in close, but the Giants defenseman fired the puck over the goal, and Portland went ahead moments later when Brendan Leipsic netted his fifth goal of the series on a power play. It was then that the Winterhawks took over the game. Adam De Champlain made it 2-0 just 32 seconds after Leipsic's marker when a Paul Bittner shot bounced off him and past Lee, and Alex Schoenborn completed an impressive stretch of three goals in 56 seconds when he walked off the left boards, in alone on Lee, and beat him cleanly, ending the Vancouver goaltender's night.

Popoff gave Giants fans a glimmer of hope in the second period when he put Vancouver on the board, hammering a rebound past Winterhawks goalie Brendan Burke at the right post for the Giants' first power play goal of the series, but Oliver Bjorkstrand responded for Portland with a power play marker of his own before the end of the period to restore the three goal lead for the visitors.

The Winterhawks kept pushing to start the third period and put any hopes of a Giant comeback to rest early when Keegan Iverson hammered a hard slap shot past Rathjen from the top of the right circle just 2:50 into the period. Chase De Leo picked up his first of the post-season in the later stages of the period as the Winterhawks closed out the win, completed the sweep and became the second team in the WHL to advance to the second round. (The Edmonton Oil Kings moved on with a win over Prince Albert earlier in the evening.)

The end of the season marks the end of three junior hockey careers as 20-year-olds Cain Franson, Tim Traber and Dalton Thrower, who hadn't played since January due to injury, will not be back next season. Click on each player's name above to see their career WHL stats. They were honoured as the three stars in the building after the game. I said it on Twitter after the game, but I'll say it again. They're all fine young men who have great things ahead of them, and I wish them all the best.

The Winterhawks will now move onto the second round and wait to see who they'll face next. If all the teams that are currently leading in the other series go on to win, then Portland will go up against Victoria.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Dalton Thrower - Vancouver
2. Cain Franson - Vancouver
3. Tim Traber - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Game 4 - Giants vs. Winterhawks

The Vancouver Giants will look to stave off elimination when they host the Portland Winterhawks in Game 4 of their opening round series on Wednesday evening at the Pacific Coliseum. The G-Men trail the series 3-0 after dropping a 6-3 decision on Tuesday.

The Giants face a must win game on Wednesday after Tuesday's loss. The G-Men conceded two power play goals in the first period and trailed 4-0 at the midway mark of the second period before beating Portland net minder Brendan Burke three times in the second half of the game. Despite the loss, the Giants fired 28 shots on Burke's net after only managing a combined 31 shots in the opening two games south of the border.

Brendan Leipsic had another good game for the Winterhawks on Tuesday, leading the Portland squad with two goals and two assists. The 19-year-old Winnipeg native now has seven points in three playoff games, leaving him in third in WHL playoff scoring. The Portland power play has now scored four goals against the Giants in the last two games after only finding the net three times against Vancouver in the regular season series.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:00pm.)

Winterhawks Double Giants 6-3; Take 3-0 Series Lead

Brendan Leipsic led the way for the visiting Portland Winterhawks, scoring two goals and two assists, as the Oregon club took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series against the Vancouver Giants with a 6-3 win at the Pacific Coliseum on Tuesday night. Alec Baer, Joel Hamilton and Trent Lofthouse scored in the losing cause for the G-Men.

The game started well for the Giants as they generated some chances and out shot the Winterhawks in the early stages, but Derrick Pouliot opened the scoring on Portland's first power play of the night, beating Vancouver goalie Payton Lee on a point shot through traffic. Leipsic netted his first of the evening later in the frame, sending the 'Hawks to 2-for-2 on the man advantage when he hammered a quick one-timer in underneath the cross-bar from the right circle. Carter Popoff had a couple of strong chances around the net for Vancouver late in the period, but Winterhawks goalie Brendan Burke turned them all aside.

Portland came out strong in the second period, and Taylor Leier made it 3-0 just 1:21 into the middle frame when he forced a turnover at the Portland blue line and skated in on a breakaway, beating Lee on the stick side after a shifty head-fake. Leipsic put the visitors ahead by four at the seven minute mark, pouncing on a loose puck behind the Vancouver goal and tucking a backhanded wraparound inside the right post. The Giants got on the board with less than five minutes to go in the period when Jackson Houck sprung Alec Baer in on a breakaway, and the 16-year-old beat Burke between the legs for his first career playoff goal.

Oliver Bjorkstrand restored the four-goal lead for Portland in the third period when he buried a loose puck in the slot area, but Hamilton pulled Vancouver back to within three when he knocked home a one-timer from in close while the Giants were killing a penalty. Lofthouse tallied a one-timed goal of his own minutes later to make it 5-3, but Paul Bittner would find the net late for Portland to end all hopes of a Vancouver comeback.

Vancouver was 0-for-3 on the man advantage, but two of their power plays were shortened by the fact that they took penalties while they were up a man. The Winterhawks were 2-for-5 on their power play. Portland out shot Vancouver 34-28.

Game 4 goes on Wednesday night at the Pacific Coliseum at 7:00pm. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Brendan Leipsic - Portland
2. Taylor Leier - Portland
3. Brett Kulak - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Game 3 - Giants vs. Winterhawks

The Vancouver Giants will look to battle back in their first round series against the Portland Winterhawks when the two teams face-off in Game 3 at the Pacific Coliseum on Tuesday night. The G-Men dropped the opening two games in Portland and trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven set.

Vancouver struggled mightily in a 3-0 loss in Game 2 on Saturday. The Giants mustered only 15 shots on goal and had a tough time gaining any traction in the offensive zone. Discipline was also an issue for the G-Men as they gave the Winterhawks nine power plays in the game, and Portland capitalized on two of them. Payton Lee was once again a bright spot for the Giants, turning aside 40 of 43 shots. The Cranbrook native has a .920 save percentage through the opening two games of the series.

The Winterhawks put forth an impressive effort in Game 2. Portland controlled the hockey game for long stretches at a time in the attacking zone, but the 'Hawks were also much stingier in their own end of the ice. While the Giants only mustered a combined 31 shots over the two games, the quality of Vancouver's chances in Game 1 were far greater than in Game 2, and Brendan Burke had very little work to do in earning his first playoff shutout.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:00pm.)

Winterhawks Blank Giants 3-0 in Game 2

The Portland Winterhawks took a 2-0 series lead on the Vancouver Giants with a 3-0 shutout victory at the Moda Center on Saturday night. Brendan Burke made 15 saves for the goose-egg while Portland got goals from Nic Petan, Alex Schoenborn and Taylor Leier. Payton Lee stopped 40 of 43 shots in the loss for the G-Men.

The game was closely contested in the early minutes of the first period. Both teams battled hard and had opportunities, but the opening goal didn’t come until the latter half of the stanza when Petan struck on a power play for the Winterhawks, scoring the eventual winning goal on a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle after a nice feed from Oliver Bjorkstrand out of the left corner.

The ‘Hawks continued to ramp up the pressure in the second period and extended the lead with two goals in a 1:40 span. Schoenborn netted his first of the post season, knocking a rebound between the legs of Lee from the top of the crease, and Leier capitalized on a man advantage when he was sprung in on a breakaway after a pretty stretch pass from Derrick Pouliot, and he made no mistake, beating Lee stick side to put the home team ahead by three.

The Portland squad took the life out of the game in the third and frustrated the Giants into taking a number of penalties. Vancouver generated a couple of chances in the late going but never really tested Burke in the Winterhawk net.

Discipline was once again an issue for the Giants as Portland went 2-for-9 on the power play while Vancouver was 0-for-4. The Winterhawks had a heavy shot advantage for the second night in a row, finishing ahead 43-15.

The series will now shift to Vancouver for Game 3 on Tuesday and Game 4 on Wednesday at the Pacific Coliseum. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Taylor Leier - Portland
2. Brendan Burke - Portland
3. Nic Petan - Portland

Pre-Game Report: Game 2 - Giants at Winterhawks

The Vancouver Giants will look to even their best-of-seven opening round series with the Portland Winterhawks on Saturday night when the two teams face-off in Game 2 at the Moda Center. The Winterhawks won the opener 4-3 on Friday night.

The Giants battled hard in the Game 1 loss and nearly forced overtime, despite the fact they were heavily out shot over 60 minutes. The Vancouver club was perfect on the penalty kill, holding the Winterhawks off the scoreboard on their five man advantages, but the G-Men will look to be more disciplined on Saturday. Payton Lee was the story of the night for Vancouver, stopping 41 of 45 shots in his first WHL playoff start.

The Winterhawks had two-goal nights from both Brendan Leipsic and Oliver Bjorkstrand on Friday and controlled the game for large portions, pinning the Giants in their own zone for minutes at a time. The Portland club will look to try and capitalize on more of their opportunities on Saturday as a number of their offensive chances went by the wayside in Game 1. Brendan Burke was solid between the pipes for Portland, despite allowing an awkward goal from Brett Kulak in the third period.

Where: Moda Center; Portland, OR

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:00pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca

Winterhawks Edge Giants in Thrilling Opening Game

Photo courtesy of winterhawks.com

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored with 1:37 remaining in the third period to lift the Portland Winterhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants in the opening game of their best-of-seven Western Conference Quarter-Final series. Vancouver got goals from Jackson Houck, Thomas Foster and Brett Kulak in the losing cause while Payton Lee stopped 41 shots in his first post-season start.

The G-Men started the game with enthusiasm and pressured the Winterhawks in the opening minutes of the contest. Houck opened the scoring for Vancouver with a nice net drive after a good pass out of the left corner from Carter Popoff. Brendan Leipsic pulled the Portland club back into a tie later in the frame when he shovelled home a rebound after a Derrick Pouliot point shot. The 'Hawks then used the momentum to their advantage and took the lead 43 seconds later when Bjorkstrand tallied his first of the evening. The first period then ended prematurely because of a broken gate at the Vancouver bench, and the teams were sent to the dressing rooms for the intermission with 2:52 remaining on the clock in the opening stanza. After the break, the teams finished the first period, and Foster pulled the Giants back onto level terms within moments of the restart, scoring up high on Portland net minder Brendan Burke after a nice centring pass from Cain Franson.

The G-Men had a couple of golden opportunities to go ahead in the second period. Franson was able to get around the Portland defence and in on a breakaway during a Vancouver penalty kill, but he bobbled the puck and the last minute and missed wide of the right post on the back-hand. Moments later, Tyler Morrison, who had been in the penalty box, stepped back onto the ice and received a stretch pass from Franson, sending him in alone on Burke, but the Winterhawks goalie came up with the save to keep the game knotted at 2-2. Leipsic would find the back of the net again late in the period to restore the Portland lead, completing a nice give-and-go play with Nic Petan by scoring on a one-timer.

Vancouver sustained some more heavy pressure from the Winterhawks early in the third, but Lee made a couple of big stops, including an impressive glove save on Taylor Leier, to keep Vancouver within one goal. Kulak would tie the game for the Giants on one of the strangest goals you'll ever see. The Vancouver defenseman carried the puck across centre and send a hard dump in off the end boards. However, the puck bounced off the back wall, ricocheted back in front, hit the back of Burke's right skate and trickled across the goal line. After the equalizer, it looked like the game might be headed for overtime, but the Winterhawks came up with another late goal as Bjorkstrand picked up a loose puck at the top of the crease and tucked it into the net to make it 4-3. The Giants were given a late power play in the final minute and pulled the goalie as well hoping to tie the game, but they were unable to get the puck to the net, and Portland took the opening game of the series.

Neither team scored on the power play with the Vancouver penalty kill going a perfect 5-for-5 while also failing to score on their three opportunities with the man advantage. The Winterhawks had the heavy advantage on the shot clock -- 45-16.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday night at the Moda Center for Game 2. Catch the action on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:00pm, followed by the face-off at 7 o'clock.

Game Summary

3 Stars:

1. Brendan Leipsic - Portland

2. Oliver Bjorkstrand - Portland

3. Payton Lee - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Game 1 - Giants at Winterhawks

The Vancouver Giants will open the 2014 WHL Playoffs on Friday evening when they visit the Portland Winterhawks for Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarter-Final at the Moda Center. The G-Men went 0-3-0-1 against Portland in the season series this year.

The G-Men return to the post-season following a one year absence after they missed the second season for only the second time in franchise history last year. The Vancouver club will be hoping to have Cain Franson back in the line-up after he missed the last two regular season games due to injury and skated with a non-contact jersey in practice this week. Goaltender Jared Rathjen is expected to be able to dress for Vancouver as well. He hasn't played since March 1st.

The Winterhawks enter the playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference and the defending Ed Chynoweth Cup champions. The Portland squad won 28 of its final 29 games to end the regular season and hasn't lost consecutive contests since a four game losing skid in early January. Winterhawks forwards Nic Petan and Oliver Bjorkstrand finished the year in second and third in WHL scoring respectively, and Bjorkstrand was one of only three players in the league to score 50 goals in the regular season.

Where: Moda Center; Portland, OR

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:00pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca

Giants This Week: March 20, 2014

Kulak Signs with Flames

Congratulations are in order for Giants blue liner Brett Kulak as he has inked his first NHL contract. The 20-year-old defenseman signed an entry level deal with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

Here's the press release from the Flames:

The Calgary Flames announced today that they have signed defenceman Brett Kulak from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League to a three year entry level contract.

Kulak, a native of Stony Plain, AB, playing in his third full season with the Vancouver Giants, tied for eighth in WHL scoring among defencemen with 14 goals and 46 assists for 60 points and 51 penalty minutes in 69 games. Kulak played four games with the Abbotsford Heat at the conclusion of last season.

Contract terms: Three year entry level contract with an Average Annual Value of $816,667.

Here's the Giants' release:

The Vancouver Giants would like to congratulate defenceman Brett Kulak on signing a three year entry level contract with the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames.

The Stony Plain, Alberta native was drafted in the 4th Round (105th overall) by the Flames in the 2012 NHL Draft.

"It feels really good for me," said Kulak. "It's a pretty exciting time and it's motivating for me. I just want to work harder and be able to make that jump to pro next year."

Kulak finished the regular season fourth in scoring for the Giants with a career-high 14 goals, 46 assists, and 60 points in 69 games.

Vancouver Drops Final Game in Kelowna

The Vancouver Giants dropped their final game of the regular season on Saturday night, falling 5-3 to the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place. Jackson Houck had two goals for the G-Men while Joel Hamilton also found the net. Vancouver finishes the year with a record of 32-29-7-4.

The G-Men got out to a good start, pressuring the Rockets in their own zone and generating turnovers on the forecheck. Houck opened the scoring at the 4:28 mark when he beat Kelowna goalie Jordon Cooke up high with a shot from the high slot. The home team would equalize before the end of the period as Madison Bowey hammered a hard slap shot off both posts and into the Vancouver net past Payton Lee.

Houck put the Giants ahead again just 17 seconds into the middle frame when he scored his 34th of the season on a power play, deflecting Mason Geertsen's point shot past Cooke from the top of the crease. The Rockets would tie the game again though when Lee came out of his net to play the puck and gave it away to Tyrell Goulbourne. The Kelowna forward then centred the puck to Carter Rigby who rippled the mesh from the bottom of the right circle. Nick Merkley gave the Rockets the lead less than three minutes later when he chipped home a rebound off the rush. 

Rourke Chartier extended the Kelowna lead in the final frame, capitalizing on a loose puck to the right of the net after a long shot off the stick of Damon Severson. Vancouver pulled back to within one goal when Hamilton scored a power play, knocking a loose puck in the crease across the goal line. However, the Rockets re-established the two goal lead just 16 seconds later when Rigby tallied his second of the game.

Despite the loss, Vancouver went 2-for-3 on the White Spot power play while the Rockets were 1-for-1. Kelowna out shot the Giants 40-32.

The Giants will now turn their focus to the playoffs as they'll visit the Portland Winterhawks for Game 1 of the first round on Friday. Catch the call on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:00pm, followed by the face-off at 7 o'clock.

Game Summary

3 Stars:

1. Carter Rigby - Kelowna

2. Jackson Houck - Vancouver

3. Joe Gatenby - Kelowna

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Rockets

The Vancouver Giants (32-28-7-4) will head to the Okanagan for a meeting with the Kelowna Rockets (56-11-0-4) on Saturday night. The game will mark the end of the regular season for both teams. The G-Men have one win in seven games against the Rockets this season.

The Vancouver club is coming off a high-scoring 6-5 loss to the Rockets on Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum. The Giants outscored Kelowna 4-0 in the third period and were a goal-post away from overcoming a five goal deficit. Ty Ronning had two goals in the losing cause on Friday. The 16-year-old now has nine goals of the season after being named a co-winner of the Giants Rookie of the Year Award alongside Alec Baer prior to Friday's game.

The Rockets, who remain the top team in the Canadian Hockey League, had a record setting night on Friday. The victory in Vancouver marked Kelowna's 29th road win of the season which tied a league record that was set by the 2012-2013 Portland Winterhawks. Madison Bowey also had two goals for the Rockets, setting the club's franchise record for goals by a defenseman in a season as he eclipsed Tyson Barrie's 19 goal campaign in 2009-2010.

Where: Prospera Place; Kelowna, BC

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca