Over the past few years one aspect of the Sockeyes game that no one can take away is the scoring productivity which continues to impress everyone from other coaches to scouts at various levels of the game.

The past two seasons we have been privy to watch the Sockeyes finish the season with 32 wins, 11 losses, 3 O/T losses, 2 shootout losses along with one O/T win finishing the 24-25 season with 69 points. This past season saw a coaching change which never deterred the productivity of the Sockeyes who to date, have an impressive record of 35 wins, 5 losses, 1 O/T win managing 213 goals in only 40 league games with nine remaining.

If numbers matter which they do, the home squad is on goal to come close to matching the final season numbers of 45 wins, 1 loss, 2 O/T wins and 1 S/O wins finishing with 92 points which will go down in the record books as a historic season. 

As strange as it sounds with the “Tunnel Series” against the Delta Ice Hawks that seems to be their biggest rival which Delta dominate winning three of the six games. Regardless of the split in the six games it’s ironic that Richmond has outscored Delta by a 23 -16 margin in goal productivity, but the series continues!

The first game of the new year saw Delta get the early jump scoring first on the PP that saw Keegan Dunn giving Delta the early lead at 17:17 only to have the Sockeyes even the game at one at 19:48 with David Yoon sending the teams to the dressing room tied at one after twenty minutes. The second was scoreless while the third period saw the Ice Hawks get their second of the game from Ryan Dunn, Keegan’s brother at 2:03 followed by Delta’s third of the game at 12:13 with Devun Olfert getting a PP marker that gave Delta a comfortable two goal lead. The Sockeyes continued to press that saw Brody Lindal (21) also on the PP at 14:16 allowing the home squad to pull within one throwing everything at Delta’s Armaan Kaila, former Richmond Sockeye who was “pumped” to pull out the win.

Try as they might this contest saw the Ice Hawks pull out the win despite being outshoot by the Sockeyes by a commanding 59 shots allowing Delta to finish with 34 shots against Alan Peregram. Regardless of the loss it was Delta’s Armaan Kaila (59 SA/57 SV) who was named the game’s first star, Keegan Dunn (1G/1A) second while Sockeye’s Dylan Nazareth (1G/1A) took home third star.

The Sockeyes next contest was a road trip to Gibsons two short days later that saw them dominate the contest pulling out a 6-3 win despite giving up the first goal a short 24 seconds in the opening period while on the PP with Carter Voll in the sin-bin. We continue to mention how discipline plays such an important role in all games and this game was no different for the Sockeye getting their first of the game at 10:55 with a “blistering” snap shot from one of the newest Sockeyes Brendan Quinn-Lagria who hammered home his first as a Sockeye. The first was more of a tentative contest with Richmond outshooting the Tsunami by a narrow 12-8 margin with newest Sockeye “tender” Haden Heide tested close in for some shots.

Haden was recently acquired from the Lloydminster Bobcats who had played 14 games with a record of 2:36 GAA and a SV% of .921 along with one S/0 whose trip saw a long quick drive from Alberta over two days.

His career started with him playing for the Lloydminster Blazers U15 team (2019-2020) eventually saw him advance his career playing with Team Alberta taking major steps in his career signing with the Sockeyes. The second saw Richmond outscore the Tsunami by a narrow 3-2 margin with goals from Beaudy Beaudin, Keelan Wyke and Brody Lindal again outshooting the Tsunami by an 18-13 shots. The third was all Sockeye with a pair of markers from David Yoon getting his 33rd on the PP and his 34th goal of the season albeit shorthanded for the 6-3 win outshooting the Tsunami 44-33 through sixty minutes. The win saw them return home allowing injuries to heal for the final stretch run of the season as they were playing host to the Burnaby Steelers in a contest that saw them not only pull out a 7-2 win but dominate from the opening face-off. The home squad opened the scoring early in the first at 4:27 off the stick of newly acquired Jayden Shirk who calls Newport Coast California home in the off-season and started the season with the Amarillo Wranglers who started his career with the Anaheim Jr. Ducks U13AAA in 2020-2021 finishing with 17 goals, 12 assists through 34 games. 

The Sockeyes managed to grab three goals in both the first and second periods with Dylan Nazareth opening the scoring in the third at 1:54 with a short handed marker only to have the Steelers finish the game with a pair leaving for home with a 7-2 loss. The Sockeyes played a return match against the Steelers three days later that saw them finish the game with the same 7-2 score in a contest that saw no scoring in the first period. The Sockeyes have nine regular season PJHL games remaining this season, four on the road and five at home at the “Fish Tank” in Richmond prior to the start of the playoff run.

The Sockeyes want to “thank” all the sponsors who have come on board this season making it a productive season as well as the Richmond Sentinel for their on-going support!!!