Revelstoke Grizzlies need extra time to capture Mowat Cup
By Lone Sheep Publishing
Mikkel Hrechka had a goal and an assist to lead the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Champion Revelstoke Grizzlies to a 3-2 overtime victory over the PJHL champion Ridge Meadows Flames to capture the 2024 Mowat Cup BC Junior A championship Sunday in Kimberley.
The Grizzlies won the game on the power-play as Colton McLeod was able to bury a rebound from a Luke Aston shot.
Grizzlies head coach Jiri Novak says he didn’t know how to describe the moment.
“It’s an amazing achievement what these guys did, I’m so proud of this group,” says Novak during on-ice celebrations.
Novak added the Grizzlies arrived in Kimberley to win and show that Revelstoke is a good organization, adding it started with general manager Ryan Parent and the other coaches.
“It’s kind of just the cherry on the top on what we achieved,” he says.
“It’s an awesome season that I will never forget. It is something special. It’s back-to-back provincial champions (including the Cyclone Taylor Cup Junior B championship last season). It shows the class of this organization.”
Hrechka was named the Mowat Cup MVP with three goals and three assists in six games.
Luke Aston also scored for Revelstoke. Samuel Allen and Jacob Douglas replied for the Predators, who trailed 1-0 after the first period and 2-1 after 40 minutes.
Revelsoke out shot the Predators 29-18 with Jozef Kuchaslo registering the win in goal for the Grizzlies.
Revelstoke advanced to the Mowat Cup after capturing their fifth KIJHL Teck Cup championship with a 7-1 victory over the Fernie Ghostriders in the KIJHL Final.
Revelstoke won the KIJHL best-of-seven final 4-0.
The Grizzlies open up the four-team tournament Thursday with a 7-1 victory over Sannich Predators, winners of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
Revelstoke then defeated Pacific Junior Hockey League Champ Ridge Meadows 2-1 before completing the round-robin with a 3-1 win over host Kimberley Dynamiters.
Host Kimberley Dynamiters lost 3-0 to Sannich in the consolation game.
KIJHL Notes:
The Merritt Centennials are proud to announce that Wes McLeod has been hired as their head coach-assistant general manager.
McLeod, 31, joins the Centennials after spending the last two seasons as head coach of the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds in the B.C. Elite Hockey League. This past season McLeod guided the Thunderbirds to first place with a record of 30-5-1 and advanced to the BCEHL’s semifinal round.
McLeod played in the KIJHL for the Kimberley Dynamiters in the 2010-11 season.
— with files from the KIJHL
