Salmon Arm, B.C. – The 2025 BCHL Showcase kicks off in Abbotsford with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks taking on the Victoria Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies light the lamp to start the game in the first period. Halfway through, Owen Warnick slides home the first goal of the Showcase for the Grizzlies 1-0 lead. The Silverbacks had to face a penalty kill in the opening frame but fought off the Liam Bursaw charging call.
The floodgates opened in the second period. At the 10:51 mark, Levi Eiter snaps home a goal to extend the lead, 2-0. Two minutes later, on a powerplay, a tick-tack-toe play finds Landon Mackie on the backdoor wide open for an insurance goal, 3-0. With four minutes left in the period, Niklas Karjalainen fires the puck on net which leads to a blocker save high up into the air before the puck falls safely into the back of the net, puck luck going against the Silverbacks, 4-0. The action doesn’t stop as Vidar Blixt collects the loose puck at the top of the crease and wires it by the blocker for the 5-0 lead.
No team scores in the third period as the Silverbacks look to grab some sort of momentum. In the first 14 seconds, the captain, Tanner Walos, does captain things and tries to fire up the team, getting into a fight with Hunter Ashton. Ashton for the Grizzlies grabbed a slashing penalty later in the final frame but the Silverbacks were not able to take advantage and can’t find the back of the net. For the only period this game, the Silverbacks out shot the Grizzlies, 11-9.
Daniel Dirracolo takes the loss, his first regulation loss of the season, stopping 34/39.
(Photo credit: Garrett James)
