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Thursday, February 6, 2014
Gallagher into the Ring of Honour
Below is the full release from the Giants as well as information on how to get tickets:
The Vancouver Giants are excited to welcome back one of the most popular players in team history on Saturday, February 15.
On this night, Giants’ all-time leading scorer and current spark-plug for the Montreal Canadiens, BRENDAN GALLAGHER, will be inducted into the Giants ‘Ring of Honour’ in a pre-game ceremony. Fans are encouraged to get to their seats early as we pay tribute to one of the most exciting players to ever wear a Giants uniform.
Drafted in the 9th Round of the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft, Gallagher went on to play 244 regular season games in a Giants uniform and set team records for most goals (136) and most points (280) in a career. He was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 5th Round, 147th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and has since become a fan-favourite in Montreal.
The first 5,000 fans at the Saturday, February 15 game vs the Portland Winterhawks (7:00pm face-off) will receive a commemorative 8x10 collector piece, while 111 random lucky fans will get to meet Brendan during the game.
Tickets are available now at 604-4-GIANTS (604-444-2687) or CLICK HERE to buy online.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Franson Lifts Giants Past Rebels in OT
Tuesday night marked another milestone for Head Coach Don Hay as he picked up his 604th career WHL victory to move past Lorne Molleken into second on the all-time list.
The Rebels had the best early chance of the game when Rhyse Dieno made a nice move in the slot to get right in on goal but was stopped by Lee from in close. The first goal of the evening didn't come until the final two minutes of the opening period when Osipov netted his second of the year with a quick shot from the slot after a hard-working play on the left boards by both Luca Leone and Travis McEvoy.
Vancouver got into penalty trouble in the second period, giving the Rebels a full two minute five-on-three power play after Dominik Volek, Tyler Morrison and Dalton Sward all took minor penalties. The Rebels thought they'd tied the game when Connor Bleackley chipped the puck into the Vancouver net, but the goal was disallowed because Lee's mask came off before the puck crossed the goal line. Lee came up big later in the power play with a gigantic stop on Bleackley, and the Giants completed the kill. Moments after the penalties expired, Foster gave Vancouver a two goal lead, finding a rebound in front of the Red Deer net and beating Patrik Bartosak. The Rebels pulled to within one late in the stanza when Aspen Sterzer scored on a net drive off the right wing.
The Giants gave Red Deer two more power plays in the third period, and the Rebels capitalized on the second one when Bleackley scored a highlight reel between the legs goal to tie the game and eventually force overtime. Before scoring the winner, Franson made a big defensive play in his own zone by splitting up a two-on-one with Sterzer and Scott Feser bearing in on goal. Franson ended the game when he tipped a Tyler Morrison point shot past Bartosak for his 21st goal of the season.
The Giants will continue their four-game home stand on Friday against the Calgary Hitmen. The face-off is set for 7:30pm. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Payton Lee - Vancouver
2. Patrik Bartosak - Red Deer
3. Brett Kulak - Vancouver
Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Rebels
The Giants are coming off a hard fought 3-2 overtime loss in Victoria on Saturday night that completed a back-to-back set that saw the Vancouver club pick up three of a possible four points on Vancouver Island. Tuesday's game will kick-off a four game home stand for the G-Men that will also see Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria visit the Rink on Renfrew. Vancouver has a record of 4-2-0-0 against teams from the Central Division this season.
Red Deer will begin a four-game road trip with the match-up against the Giants. The Rebels have lost two in a row and sit in eighth in the Eastern Conference with an eight point cushion on the ninth place Prince Albert Raiders. The Red Deer offence is led by 17-year-old Connor Bleackley. The native of High River, Alberta has posted 23 goals and 34 assists in 51 games this year while net minder Patrik Bartosak is the reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year.
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 6:30pm.)
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Royals Edge G-Men in OT
Joe Hicketts scored 36 seconds into overtime to lift the Victoria Royals to a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Giants at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday night. Cain Franson and Ty Ronning had the Vancouver goals while Jared Rathjen made 33 saves in his return from injury.
Neither team was able to find the net in the opening frame, despite chances for both sides. Ben Walker had the best chance of the period for Victoria when he found the rebound of a Travis Brown shot that bounced off the end boards, but Rathjen made a huge save on the Victoria forward from in close. On the ensuing counter-attack, Thomas Foster nearly opened the scoring for Vancouver but was stopped by Royals net minder Coleman Vollrath.
Logan Nelson put Victoria on the board with a power play marker in the middle frame, sneaking the puck through Rathjen from the bottom of the left circle. Ben Walker made it 2-0 for the home side when he found a loose puck in the Vancouver crease after a scramble in front of the goal and poked the puck across the line. Franson answered back for the G-Men with a power play marker of his own, scoring on a rebound after a ricochet off the back wall to pull Vancouver to within one.
Ronning tied the game for the Giants in the early stages of the third period when he drove to the net and re-directed Foster's centring pass into the net. Vancouver got into penalty trouble later in the frame and had to kill off a five-on-three Victoria power play. Rathjen was a key factor on that penalty kill as he robbed Austin Carroll on the doorstep and kept the rebound out as well to help Vancouver force overtime for a second straight night.
Hicketts ended the game when he drove down the right wing and was forced behind the net by Franson, but the Royals defenseman found a loose puck behind the net and walked out in front before scoring on the backhand to send the fans in Victoria home happy.
The Giants picked up three of a possible four points on their two-game trip to the island. Vancouver returns to action on Tuesday when the Red Deer Rebels visit the Coliseum. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Logan Nelson - Victoria
2. Jared Rathjen - Vancouver
3. Joe Hicketts - Victoria
Neither team was able to find the net in the opening frame, despite chances for both sides. Ben Walker had the best chance of the period for Victoria when he found the rebound of a Travis Brown shot that bounced off the end boards, but Rathjen made a huge save on the Victoria forward from in close. On the ensuing counter-attack, Thomas Foster nearly opened the scoring for Vancouver but was stopped by Royals net minder Coleman Vollrath.
Logan Nelson put Victoria on the board with a power play marker in the middle frame, sneaking the puck through Rathjen from the bottom of the left circle. Ben Walker made it 2-0 for the home side when he found a loose puck in the Vancouver crease after a scramble in front of the goal and poked the puck across the line. Franson answered back for the G-Men with a power play marker of his own, scoring on a rebound after a ricochet off the back wall to pull Vancouver to within one.
Ronning tied the game for the Giants in the early stages of the third period when he drove to the net and re-directed Foster's centring pass into the net. Vancouver got into penalty trouble later in the frame and had to kill off a five-on-three Victoria power play. Rathjen was a key factor on that penalty kill as he robbed Austin Carroll on the doorstep and kept the rebound out as well to help Vancouver force overtime for a second straight night.
Hicketts ended the game when he drove down the right wing and was forced behind the net by Franson, but the Royals defenseman found a loose puck behind the net and walked out in front before scoring on the backhand to send the fans in Victoria home happy.
The Giants picked up three of a possible four points on their two-game trip to the island. Vancouver returns to action on Tuesday when the Red Deer Rebels visit the Coliseum. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Logan Nelson - Victoria
2. Jared Rathjen - Vancouver
3. Joe Hicketts - Victoria
Pre-Game Report: Giants at Royals
The Giants won their second straight game with a 5-4 shootout win over the Royals on Saturday. The victory vaulted the G-Men past the Everett Silvertips into sixth in the Western Conference. Dalton Sward had another shorthanded goal in the win, moving him into a tie for first in the league with Mitch Holmberg of the Spokane Chiefs while the 20-year-old also tied James Henry's Giants franchise record for shorthanded goals in a season.
Friday's loss at the hands of the Giants snapped a three-game winning streak for the Royals. The Victoria club now sits tied for third in the Western Conference with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Despite the loss, Brandon Magee extended his point streak to six games by tallying a goal and an assist. The Royals will hold their third annual "Pink in the Rink" night on Saturday in support of the BC Cancer Foundation.
Where: Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre; Victoria, BC
When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)
Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca
Giants Comeback to Beat Royals
Thomas Foster and Joel Hamilton both had two-point nights as the Vancouver Giants came from behind to beat the Victoria Royals 5-4 in a shootout on Friday night at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The victory marked the first time the Giants have come back to win when trailing after 40 minutes this season.
The Royals had a strong start and opened the scoring when Steven Hodges completed a pretty passing play with Brandon Magee and Axel Blomqvist by scoring his 13th of the season to put the home team ahead. The Victoria club had a couple of other good chances in the opening period, but Payton Lee was solid in net, including an impressive left pad stop on Logan Fisher off the rebound of a Brett Cote point shot.
Lee came up big again early in the second when he made a big save on Blomqvist on the door step to keep the Giants close, and the Vancouver club tied the game shortly thereafter when Foster and Dalton Sward skated in on a shorthanded two-on-one and Sward was robbed by Royals goalie Patrik Polivka, but he followed up and scored on the rebound to pick up his sixth shorthanded goal of the season, tying James Henry's franchise record for shorthanded goals in a single season. Victoria retook the lead on a power play goal later in the stanza as Brandon Magee wired a hard shot over Lee's left shoulder, but Cain Franson pulled the Giants back onto level terms with an unassisted marker. The Royals went ahead again late in the frame when Logan Nelson tallied his first of the evening with less than two minutes remaining before the break.
Foster tied the game at 3-3 early in the third period when he scored with a shot off the left wing, and Tim Traber found the net on his own rebound to give the G-Men their first lead of the evening. Nelson scored for a second time to tie the game again, and the teams would need overtime, and eventually a shootout, to settle the match-up. In the skills contest, Franson scored for Vancouver while Lee stopped all three Victoria shooters to complete the comeback win.
The two teams will play again on Saturday night in Victoria. Hear the action on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the face-off at 7 o'clock.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Thomas Foster - Vancouver
2. Logan Fisher - Victoria
3. Joel Hamilton - Vancouver
The Royals had a strong start and opened the scoring when Steven Hodges completed a pretty passing play with Brandon Magee and Axel Blomqvist by scoring his 13th of the season to put the home team ahead. The Victoria club had a couple of other good chances in the opening period, but Payton Lee was solid in net, including an impressive left pad stop on Logan Fisher off the rebound of a Brett Cote point shot.
Lee came up big again early in the second when he made a big save on Blomqvist on the door step to keep the Giants close, and the Vancouver club tied the game shortly thereafter when Foster and Dalton Sward skated in on a shorthanded two-on-one and Sward was robbed by Royals goalie Patrik Polivka, but he followed up and scored on the rebound to pick up his sixth shorthanded goal of the season, tying James Henry's franchise record for shorthanded goals in a single season. Victoria retook the lead on a power play goal later in the stanza as Brandon Magee wired a hard shot over Lee's left shoulder, but Cain Franson pulled the Giants back onto level terms with an unassisted marker. The Royals went ahead again late in the frame when Logan Nelson tallied his first of the evening with less than two minutes remaining before the break.
Foster tied the game at 3-3 early in the third period when he scored with a shot off the left wing, and Tim Traber found the net on his own rebound to give the G-Men their first lead of the evening. Nelson scored for a second time to tie the game again, and the teams would need overtime, and eventually a shootout, to settle the match-up. In the skills contest, Franson scored for Vancouver while Lee stopped all three Victoria shooters to complete the comeback win.
The two teams will play again on Saturday night in Victoria. Hear the action on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the face-off at 7 o'clock.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Thomas Foster - Vancouver
2. Logan Fisher - Victoria
3. Joel Hamilton - Vancouver
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