The Cranbrook Bucks return to home ice tonight (Oct. 16) to face the Chilliwack Chiefs at Western Financial Place.
Bucks head coach Roshen Jaswal spoke with Pattison Media this week about the matchup, the importance of sticking to the team’s process and the experience of competing at the BCHL Showcase.
The BCHL Showcase is an annual event that brings every league team to one location for regular-season games.
It gives players a chance to compete in front of hundreds of coaches and scouts from the NHL, NCAA Division I programs and U Sports.
This year’s showcase was held Oct. 11 to 14 at the Silent Ice Center in Nisku, Alta.
Cranbrook beat the Coquitlam Express before falling to the Powell River Kings in a close game. Jaswal said he was impressed with the group’s performance and the opportunity for players to compete in front of college scouts.
“I thought we performed really well, especially the first night against Coquitlam,” says Roshen Jaswal, Head Coach, Cranbrook Bucks.
“We stuck to our game plan, which was nice and Powell River, we spotted them a 3-0 lead, which was frustrating, but I was really happy with our group’s willingness to fight through adversity and showed their resiliency with how they battled back and made a 4-3 and then obviously we were about an inch away from scoring to make it 4-4.”
The Bucks will face the Chilliwack Chiefs for the first time this season. Chilliwack sits first in the Coastal East Division. Jaswal said the Chiefs move the puck well, play a structured game and will require Cranbrook to be prepared.
“Brian’s a really good coach, who I respect a lot, so I know they’ll be well coached and a team that we just need to make sure that we have our best foot forward and we’re prepared the way we need to be prepared, and I think it should be a really good game,” adds Jaswal.
“Just continuing to focus on how we want to play, just getting our structure. I think it’s showing how, when we use our structure and play within our structure, how we can play and how we can dominate games and then there’s times in games where we get away from it and you can see where we struggle… I was really, really impressed, against Coquitlam and seeing the tale of two tapes of when we played the right way and when we played the wrong way, so we just have to play the Bucks way, as we call it.”
Jaswal said the team is building on those experiences and developing with each game.
“These guys are young kids at the end of the day, and they’re learning how to play the game and they’re learning how to play with leads, they’re learning how to battle through hard points of the game and hard points in their careers and seasons.”
The Bucks are also looking to build a strong home-ice atmosphere by playing an exciting brand of hockey for fans at Western Financial Place.
“I think it’s always nice to play at home; you don’t have to travel, and our fans are great, having the support behind us,” says Jaswal.
“I would encourage them to come out and support us, and I think the more they can support us, the more these kids will feel like they need to put their best foot forward for them as well, so yeah, really happy with the support we’ve got in the community so far, and I think that it’s only going to continue. “
“I just think our team’s progressing in the way that I want them to and they’re focusing on the process, so hopefully people are happy with that.”
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Western Financial Place.
Bucks tickets are available to purchase at cranbrookbucks.ca/tickets/
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