CANMORE – The Canmore Eagles scored six goals and ran the Calgary Canucks out of town to start off 2023; however, the new year is presenting the same old problems for the junior A club.
Captain Vinny Scott scored twice and goaltender Andreai Proctor-Ramirez made 32 saves in the 6-1 thumping on Sunday (Jan. 1).
The game was a clear improvement from the Eagles’ final showdown of 2022 on Friday (Dec. 30), which was a 4-2 loss to the Okotoks Oilers when the local team went an unsightly 1-for-12 on the power play and was sent to the sin bin nine times.
“Coming back [Sunday] and being a little more disciplined and having those special teams work was part of our plan, but I just thought our guys were top to bottom good,” said head coach and general manager Andrew Milne.
“I think the discipline factor was pretty important and I don’t just mean on penalties, I mean on other things on the ice too.”
Eagles forward Reed Jacobson opened the scoring in the first period.
In the second, Canmore blew the game wide open with goals from Scott, Owen Jones, and Riley Dekowny. The Canucks added one on the power play after 40 minutes to break up Proctor-Ramirez’s shut out.
Scott and Kai Billey scored in the third (one empty net) to close things out.
Milne said it was important to start off 2023 in the win column and a nice bounce-back game.
ICYMI 📢
— Canmore Eagles (@canmoreeagles) January 2, 2023
Eagles pot 6, including a Vincent Scott “No Move” move on the breakaway short handed on route to the first win of the New Year over the Calgary Canucks. pic.twitter.com/P7BHm2sZfs
In the final frame of Sunday's game, Canucks defenceman and former Eagle, Dylan Bidyk, was thrown out of the game after he and former teammate Kyle Young got into it late in the game. Young was also ejected from the game.
Bidyk was sent to the Canucks in October after requesting a trade out of Canmore.
Captain Scott said the sequence between former teammates got the bench fired up.
“It’s exciting when friends come back [to play],” said Scott. “You’re friends before and after the game, but on the ice you try to dial it in and get a win.”
The Eagles captain netted his team-leading 16th and 17th goals and 47th point of the season, putting him into the league’s top 10 in point production in what's been a career season for the 20-year-old forward.
With eight weeks remaining until the post-season, Scott said the goal for the club is to climb into the top three in the south standings. The Eagles sit fifth and nine points behind the third place Blackfalds Bulldogs.
However, the club might have to do it short-handed if help doesn’t arrive at the Jan. 10 trade deadline or from available and unsigned players looking for a club to join.
In what’s been a recurring theme for the Eagles, and throughout junior hockey, the Eagles were once again put into a hole when rookie forward Tanner Gould stepped away from the team and sport to pursue other endeavours.
Gould, 17, is the third Eagle this season to leave the team in this fashion after Carter Myrol in October and Nathan Ellis in December.
“The hockey part of it, it sucks,” said Scott. “Obviously going down another guy we’ve kind of had trouble with that this year. But, I think away from the rink, on a personal level, I think we’re happy for him. He wasn’t feeling it and I think we’re all supporting him through his decision just like every other guy.”
On the management side, the absence of players complicates things.
The Eagles will “jump on something if it becomes available,” but without assets, the club isn’t in the driver’s seat for any potential deal. The Eagles could be looking at call-ups from affiliate teams to fill the void.
“We’ve been trying the whole time [to acquire players], there just isn’t a whole lot of guys out there,” said Milne. “If you don’t have assets it’s hard to make a move … so we’re in a tough spot.”
The Eagles are on a three-game road swing starting Thursday (Jan. 5) in Camrose against the Kodiaks.
Canmore’s next home game is Jan. 11 against the Oilers. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
