2019-20 WHL Season Review: BC Division

This is the third in a five-part series that will run over the course of the week as we recap the shortened 2019-20 Western Hockey League campaign.

In addition to looking over each team in the division, Daily Herald sports reporter Lucas Punkari will discuss how right or how wrong he was in his pre-season assessments and what the future holds for all 22 clubs.

Josh Maser (James Doyle/Prince George Citizen)

Prince George Cougars (20-34-4-4 – 5th in BC Division – Missed Playoffs for the Third Straight Season)

What I Predicted:

Best Case Scenario

The young core for the Cougars starts to make waves as they are in the playoff mix for the first time since 2017.

Worst Case Scenario

The Cougars are a year away from being a year away and they miss out on the playoffs again. There’s a silver lining though with a pair of first round picks arriving next season and the chance to maybe land a high-end talent at the draft lottery.

What Actually Happened:

Although they were lacking on offence once again, the Cougars made things interesting for the Seattle Thunderbirds as they were seven points back of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference with six games left in the season. They did get a nice bonus though in the Bantam Draft Lottery, as they moved up two slots to the second overall pick and will have the chance to get either Riley Heidt or Brayden Yager from the Saskatoon Contacts.

What Lies Ahead:

While they will welcome a pair of high-end prospects in forward Koehn Ziemmer and blueliner Keaton Dowhaniuk to their roster, the Cougars will need their returning skaters to step up their point totals if they want to make the playoffs as only one player (graduating overage Josh Maser) had more than 15 goals.

Provided that he doesn’t sign with the Chicago Blackhawks, defenceman Cole Moberg should lead the way, but he could prove to be a big asset for a team that is looking to add a 2000-born player. Once again, the big strength for the team will be in goal as Taylor Gauthier and Tyler Brennan are a tandem with a ton of upside.

Pavel Novak (Marissa Baecker/Shoot the Breeze)

Kelowna Rockets (29-28-3-3 – 4th in BC Division – Made Playoffs for the first time since 2018)

What I Predicted:

Best Case Scenario

It takes a bevy of trades, but everything starts to click for the Rockets after the deadline as they contend for the Western Conference title and enter the Memorial Cup as a strong host side.

Worst Case Scenario

Despite a number of deals, nothing clicks for the Rockets and they exit the playoffs early. All sorts of questions ensue in the short-term and the long-term as the Rockets prepare for the Memorial Cup and its aftermath.

What Actually Happened:

The Rockets strengthened their roster with the additions of overagers Conner McDonald and Matthew Wedman, but they didn’t go all-in like other hosts have done in years past. Meanwhile, the team itself fell off of a cliff after the trade deadline with just three wins in 12 games, which resulted in the firing of head coach Adam Foote in the middle of February.

Kris Millette took charge of the side and they showed some improvement, especially as players came back from injuries, but they didn’t get a chance to go up against Canada’s best as the Memorial Cup itself was cancelled.

Next year’s tournament will go to either the Oshawa Generals or the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, which means that Rockets fans will have to wait to find if they will get the chance to host the event in the future.

What Lies Ahead:

As one would expect, the Rockets will be losing some key pieces from the roster, especially if forwards Nolan Foote and Dillon Hamaliuk both turn pro. They will likely welcome back Pavel Novak for a second campaign, but other players will need to step up on offence to fill the holes of those who are leaving.

There are some bright spots on the blueline with veteran netminder Roman Basran and 2001-born defencemen Jake Lee and Kaedan Korczak, but they could all be moved as the Rockets look to recoup lost assets from their ill-fated Memorial Cup bid.

Tristen Nielsen (Rob Wilson/Vancouver Giants)

Vancouver Giants (32-24-4-2 – 3rd in BC Division – Made Playoffs for the Third Straight Season)

What I Predicted:

Best Case Scenario

With a great lineup from top to bottom, which includes an improved offence and the return of Bowen Byram, the Giants gets one more win than they did last year as they take home their first title since 2006.

Worst Case Scenario

Byram sticks with the Colorado Avalanche and the Giants make the wrong choice in deciding who stays between Trent Miner and David Tendeck. They are in the mix in the Western Conference, but they miss out on a second straight trip to the league final.

What Actually Happened:

The Giants ended up keeping both Miner and Tendeck, while Byram returned for his third season. After a slow start, the team started to turn things around after the trade deadline with a 11-game win streak and an improved offence, which was setting the stage for an interesting opening series with the Victoria Royals.

What Lies Ahead:

With Tendeck leaving the junior ranks, Miner will finally get the chance to be a full-time starter in the league after splitting time with the Arizona Coyotes draft pick over the last two seasons. Although they will lose Tyler Preziuso and Milos Roman, the Giants’ offence still has some good pieces in Justin Sourdif, Tristen Nielsen and Eric Florchuk, who was a great addition from the Saskatoon Blades in January.

If Byram makes the leap up to the NHL, the defence is going to take a massive hit, especially since Seth Bafaro, Alex Kannok-Leipert and Trevor Longo are going to be battling with Florchuk and Nielsen for overage spots. However, the Washington Capitals could help them out a little bit, as they can sign Florchuk and Kannok-Leipert before the end of May.

Brayden Tracey (Darren Stone/The Times Colonist)

Victoria Royals (32-24-6-2 – 2nd in BC Division – Made Playoffs for the Ninth Straight Season)

What I Predicted:

Best Case Scenario

Thanks to some breakout performances on offence and a great season from goaltender Shane Farkas, the Royals not only make the playoffs again, but they also end up being in the mix for the BC Division title.

Worst Case Scenario

Farkas has a rough year with a younger defence in front of him and the offence struggles to score goals as the Royals miss out on the post-season for the first time since 2009 when the franchise was based in Chilliwack.

What Actually Happened:

The Royals were in the mix with the Rockets and the Kamloops Blazers for the division lead at the trade deadline when they decided to go all-in and acquire Anaheim Ducks first round pick Brayden Tracey from the Moose Jaw Warriors.

However, the team ended up being around .500 after the move and had to deal with a few injuries over the last two months of the campaign, which made their aforementioned potential playoff matchup with the Giants an intriguing one.

What Lies Ahead:

In addition to losing Gary Haden, Will Warm and Farkas to graduation, the Royals have nine 2000-born players that can return in the three overage slots for next season. Goaltender Adam Evanoff, who was acquired in the Tracey trade, is likely going to be back asthe starter, but the team brass will have to decide which defencemen (Jacob Herauf, Mitchell Prowse and Matthew Smith) and forwards (Brandon Cutler, Sean Gulka, Carson Miller, Kaid Oliver and Philip Schultz) are going to be back.

No matter who ends up being the overagers, the rest of the Royals roster is going to be on the young side. If they get off to a rough start, there might be a change in the hockey operations department and Tracey could be on the move for the second straight season. Besides the Rockets, the Royals are the other side in the league that might have the longest lament over what might have been.

Zane Franklin (Allen Douglas/Kamloops This Week)

Kamloops Blazers (41-18-3-1 – 1st in BC Division – Made Playoffs for the Second Straight Season)

What I Predicted:

Best Case Scenario:

Thanks to a strong offence and good goaltending, the Blazers not only contend for a division title but they are also a sleeper pick to win the entire league.

Worst Case Scenario:

It takes some time for everything to gel under Shaun Clouston and the Blazers are nowhere near the Giants in the BC Division race. They make the playoffs with ease, but the real rise up the standings takes place next year.

What Actually Happened:

With a balanced squad that was aided by the arrival of overagers Ryan Hughes and Max Martin, the Blazers became a legit championship contender and ended up with the best offence in the league, albeit by a single goal over the Portland Winterhawks. Not only did they win their first division title since 2012, but the team seemed poised to possibly reach the WHL final for the first time in over two decades.

What Lies Ahead:

Even though Hughes, Martin and Zane Franklin are all aging out of the league, the Blazers will return the majority of this year’s roster. The defence appears to be solid, Dylan Garand will have a case to be Canada’s starting netminder at the World Juniors and the offence is still going to be pretty darn good with Orrin Centazzo, Connor Zary and Logan Stankoven all set to return. The extra waiting might be worth it for hockey fans in Kamloops.

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