By Adam Dunfee /
The Vancouver North West Giants season came to an end April 5 after they were defeated 3-2 by the Calgary Buffaloes in their best-of-three Telus Cup play down series.
Calgary will now represent the Pacific Region at the 2009 Telus Cup National Midget AAA Finals in Selkirk, Manitoba.
“I thought it was a good series. Both teams played as hard as they could and unfortunately for us we fell on the short end of the stick,” said Giants coach Jon Calvano.
After losing 3-1 in Game 1 and winning 6-3 in Game 2, Vancouver came into the third period of Game 3 down 2-1. Defenseman Jared Eng scored to tie the game on a powerplay midway through the third but Calgary responded just minutes later when Chris Collins scored to give his Buffaloes the 3-2 lead.
In what was most likely his last game in the Major Midget ranks, Giants star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a goal and was named the series MVP after collecting four tallies in the three-game set.
Nugent-Hopkins finished the year as the leading scorer in the Major Midget regular season with 87 points in 36 games and led the league in playoff scoring with 10 points in five games. He was also named to the league’s all-star team.
“He’s definitely a special hockey player; he’s going to have a great future in the game,” ?said Calvano.
Most predict that Nugent-Hopkins will be playing in the WHL next season with the Red Deer Rebels. In five games with the team this season, he had two goals and four assists.
As for the Buffaloes, they’ll be looking for their second national Midget title after taking home gold at the 1989 tournament in St. John’s Newfoundland.
Joining the Buffaloes at the Telus Cup will be the Moncton Flyers out of the Atlantic Region, the Notre Dame Hounds from the West Region, the Hamilton Reps from the Central Region and the host Winnipeg Thrashers. The Quebec Region winner wasn’t available at press time.
It’s been a long drought for B.C. at the Telus Cup (and its predecessor, the Air Canada Cup).
Since 1979, the only B.C. team to win the national title was the Burnaby Winter Club Travellers who won in Victoria in 1982.
A B.C. team hasn’t medaled at the event since 1996 when the host North Kamloops Lions took home bronze.
This year’s tournament runs April 20 to 26.
All-Stars Announced
The B.C. Major Midget League announced its all-star team earlier this month. Joining the Giants’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins upfront are Brett Bulmer from the Cariboo Cougars, who finished second to Nugent-Hopkins in league scoring with 63 points, and the Greater Vancouver Canadians’ Manraj Hayer. On the blueline are Giants defenceman Joey Laleggia, who collected 54 points to lead defenseman in scoring, and the Valley West Hawks’ Tyler Wotherspoon. In goal is the South Island Thunderbirds’ Brandon Glover. |