The Alberni Valley Bulldogs, the most recent Island powerhouse in the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Hockey League, will be the visitors in the Victoria Grizzlies’ regular-season home opener Friday night at the Q Centre.
It will be a night of conflicting emotions for David Michaud. The former co-owner and president of the Alberni Valley club, who built the Bulldogs into what they became, is now in his first season as president of the Grizzlies.
“Someone at league headquarters has a sense of humour, or likes a good storyline,” quipped Michaud, who was with the Bulldogs since 2018.
“Alberni is a team I know well and it’s going to feel a little strange at first. But once the puck drops, there are no friends. This is a big early-season test for both teams. [Bulldogs head coach Joe Martin] believes he has a good team, and we do, too.”
Michaud was co-owner of the Bulldogs, with Jim Hartshorne, as Alberni Valley rose in the standings with deep playoff runs the last two seasons to the final four of the BCHL. That included a first-ever trip to the league final in 2023.
Michaud and Hartshorne, the latter who also owns the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association, announced in June that their Keycorp Sports and Entertainment company had sold their majority ownership share of the Bulldogs to Olithan Sports and Entertainment from the Lower Mainland.
Hartshorne, who bought majority interest in the Grizzlies in May, has brought Michaud down-Island and given him the job of running the Grizzlies.
“I am immensely proud of the work we did in Alberni Valley,” Michaud said.
That included playing to more than 100 per cent of seating capacity at the Port Alberni Multiplex the past few seasons. Mixing that marketing magic with on-ice success is the goal in Colwood with the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies will host a tailgate party ahead of Friday’s home opener, and all local youth 18-and-under are free all season when accompanied by a paying adult.
As for the on-ice product, Michaud said: “We are excited about our beefed-up blueline.”
Michaud hopes to build on a Grizzlies pedigree that includes having produced two recent NHL first-round draft picks with Matthew Wood and Alex Newhook.
The recent defence additions, to which Michaud alluded, are Oscar Pantzare, who led the Swedish U-20 league in goals for a defenceman last season with 17 for Frolunda, a team that boasted seven NHL draft picks, and Brady Smith from the Trail Smoke Eaters, who is committed to the NCAA University of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½icut Huskies.
“They were thrown into the fire last weekend. But they have now had a full week of training with us and it’s feeling much better,” said Michaud.
The Grizzlies opened the season with two victories in Powell River against the Kings, including one in overtime. Alberni Valley also won its first two games of the season.
