The Peninsula Panthers came out of pre-season even, finishing with two wins and two losses through their four-game tune-up ahead of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) season.
They opened with a home-and-home against the Victoria Cougars, falling 5-3 on Aug. 24 before bouncing back with a decisive 8-3 win on Aug. 28.
The Panthers then dropped a 6-3 decision to the Westshore Wolves on Aug. 30, but closed things out the next night with a 4-3 win over the Lake Cowichan Kraken.
16-year-old Logan Barnes of Qualicum Beach led the charge offensively, collecting two goals and five assists for seven points in four games – tying him for second overall in league exhibition scoring.
19-year-old forward Jacob Caron, returning from last year’s championship squad, added five assists.
In goal, newcomer Matus Volovar, a Slovakian pickup from the off-season, went 2-0 in his starts, posting a 3.00 goals-against average and an .880 save percentage.
General manager Tyler Stanton said the pre-season was more about evaluation than results.
“We have liked what we have seen during pre-season,” Stanton said. “It’s not necessarily the results that are the biggest measuring stick, but what we see from the day-to-day during our training camp. There is some big decision to be made heading into the season, but that’s always a good problem to have.”
Some of those decisions came to fruition Monday evening, with the Panthers trading goaltender Jacob Walsh to the Saanich Predators in exchange for 20-year-old forward Mathieu Ouellette.
Around the VIJHL, nine other clubs also took to the ice for exhibition play.
The Campbell River Storm, last year’s finalists, were the only team to finish perfect at 3-0.
Victoria, Westshore, and Lake Cowichan each went 3-1, while Comox Valley stumbled to an 0-4 record. Kerry Park was the lone team not to play.
Victoria’s Tyler Delli-Carri led all players with 10 points, scoring six goals and four assists.
The Panthers now shift their focus to the regular season, which begins on the road against the Cougars on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Archie Browning Arena.
They return to Panorama Recreation Centre the following night for their home opener, where they will raise their 2024-25 championship banner before facing off with the Westshore Wolves at 7:30 p.m.
