For the first time ever, the Victoria Grizzlies will play a pair of regular season games in Seattle.
The ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Hockey League, despite no longer having a U.S.-based franchise, is taking its annual BCHL Showcase south of the border and on Wednesday announced the schedule for the 2023 event which will take place at the Kraken Community Iceplex, the official practice facility for the NHL team.
The format for the Showcase, which was previously held in Chilliwack, remains the same with all 17 BCHL teams playing two games in one location in front of fans, NHL scouts and NCAA coaches. This year’s event will take place Oct. 22-26.
The Grizzlies’s two games will be against Interior Conference teams with Victoria playing the West Kelowna Warriors on Oct. 24 and the Merritt Centennials on Oct. 25. Both games will start at 1:50 p.m.
The defending Coastal Conference-champion Alberni Valley Bulldogs will play their Showcase games on Oct. 25 against the Cranbrook Bucks and Oct. 26 against the Trail Smoke Eaters. The Cowichan Valley Capitals are in action in Seattle on Oct. 22 versus the Chilliwack Chiefs and Oct. 23 against the defending BCHL-champion Penticton Vees, while the Nanaimo Clippers will take on Trail on Oct. 25 and the Prince George Spruce Kings on Oct. 26.
Ticket information for the Showcase games will be released in the coming weeks.
The Grizzlies will open the 2023-24 BCHL regular season on Sept. 22 in Surrey against the Eagles. Victoria’s home opener goes Oct. 1 when Cowichan Valley visits The Q Centre.
