Photo Credit: Adam Hobbins Photography • Instagram
Thanksgiving weekend was not only a time for the players to take a break with their families, but also a time for the Grizzlys to hit the road once again, heading northwest to face the Grande Prairie Storm for a hard-fought weekend series.
Friday’s game at the Bonnetts Energy Centre marked the first meeting of the season between the two clubs and featured the Grizzlys debut of two new faces. Forward David Hoy made his Olds debut after joining the club from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The 2007-born Fort St. James, BC native brought high level experience to the lineup. Joining him was former Edmonton Oil Kings forward Presley Kerner, a Kelowna product who made his WHL debut during the 2023-24 season. Between the pipes, Connor Johnson earned his sixth start of the season, standing tall against 38 shots and turning aside 33 of them. Braeden Veldhuizen found the back of the net for his third goal of the season, but despite strong individual performances, the Grizzlys fell on the wrong side of a 5-1 scoreline.
Heading into Saturday night, tensions were high and emotions even higher as the Grizz looked to bounce back in front of a lively Grande Prairie crowd. Corbin Sanderman got the nod in goal and faced a barrage of shots, 56 in total, putting on an outstanding performance to keep the game tight. The night began in unusual fashion, with no music echoing through the rink, but that didn’t stop the Grizz from setting the tone early. Rookie defenceman Ky Martens scored his first AJHL goal to open the scoring, followed closely by Veldhuizen netting his second of the weekend. Once the music returned, the Storm found their rhythm too, scoring late in the first to make it 2-1. Grande Prairie came out flying in the second, finding the back of the net three times, but the period was far from over. Jordan Wales dropped the gloves at the start of the frame, sparking some fire in the Grizz bench and adding to the already electric atmosphere.
The third period turned into a statement of grit and heart. With the score at 2-4, the rough stuff carried on as Brody Martin stepped up to trade blows with big Roghan Walker in what could easily be called a fight-of-the-year candidate. Just 19 seconds later, Martens threw a massive hit that ignited yet another tilt, this time with Storm captain Colin Doherty, keeping the crowd on their feet. The physicality didn’t end there; even as the clock ran down and the Grizz pulled their goalie, the tension boiled over. At the final buzzer, rookies Calder Hutt and Jordin St. Louis got tangled up in some post-game fireworks, setting the tone for what looks to be a heated rivalry in the making.
The Grizzlys now return home to the Olds Sportsplex for a full weekend of hockey. On Friday, October 17, they’ll host the Whitecourt Wolverines in their first meeting of the season, followed by a Saturday night matchup against the Drayton Valley Thunder, who will look to break their 1-1 series split with Olds.
Skip the line and secure your seats today: tickets.oldsgrizzlys.ca
