West Kildonan hockey totes firepower

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This article was published 05/11/2021 (1723 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The West Kildonan Wolverines varsity men’s hockey team is back on the ice after the pandemic caused the cancellation of most of last season.

Head coach Jesse Goertzen said players at the school were raring to go before the season got underway.

“We thought at one point that we might struggle in terms of numbers of students showing up to try out, but I think that the year off built up excitement,” he said. “We had record numbers show up for tryouts. And it’s turned out we have a pretty solid team.”

The Wolverines got off to a middling start in terms of wins and losses, racking up two of each in the Winnipeg Free Press East Division. But Goertzen said he thinks the team can elevate its game higher.

“We have an offensive edge. Even just looking into the first bit of the season here, we’re tied for first in goals for per game. I think we’re a pretty, pretty good team,” he said. “I feel like we probably have one of the strongest offensive teams in the league.”

But to take their game to the next level, Goertzen said they need to do a few things better.

“I would say some positioning stuff within our own zone and then special teams as well, focusing on the penalty kill quite a bit,” he said. With their offensive firepower, Goertzen said, it could make all the difference “to focus on our own end and to make sure we’re keeping that goals against down.”

Another element to watch out for is penalties.

“You’re dealing with a bunch of teenagers, right? So emotions can run pretty high on the ice at times,” he said. “So discipline is definitely key — staying out of the box and letting other teams take penalties against you.”

But all in all, Goertzen said he likes his team. And it appears they don’t mind each other, either. Of the atmosphere in the dressing room, Goertzen said: “It’s loud.”

“We get along really good as a team. We’ve known each other since we were little,” said centre and leading scorer Zach Gallinger.

That’s led to some on-ice results, said the 17-year-old Grade 12 student.

“We kind of found our chemistry,” he said. “Me and my linemates have been producing lots.”

Gallinger said he views himself as a sort of 50/50 split between goal scorer and playmaker, and he has the stat line to back it up. In five games played, at press time, he had six goals and six assists. Almost three points a game ain’t bad.

After this year, Gallinger said he plans on playing junior hockey. In fact, he already has an offer from the Vancouver Oceanside General, a junior “B” team in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.

“It’s scary, but also really exciting,” he said, adding that he’s using it for motivation this year. “So I’m here to get ‘er going.”

Gallinger, who wears the captain’s C on his sweater, said he’s reveling in the leadership role. Now, he hopes to lead his team through the season as they seek to earn a banner for their home arena.