The Grande Prairie Storm have finished up a smoking hot regular season, finishing second in the AJHL North Division heading into the postseason.
Storm net-minder Nick Jones, whose contributions have resulted in much of the team’s defensive success, says the team is “pretty excited” to hit the ice in the post-season.
“I think the team is pretty excited,” he says. “I mean obviously for a lot of guys it’s their first time in junior playoffs, and then for all of us 20 year olds it’s kind of our last chance to win something, to do something special.”
Jones says his teammates share a “one game at a time” attitude in the playoffs. He says focusing on small victories throughout the post-season will lead the boys through a deep run this year.
“Coming into this week, it’s one game at a time, you’re never thinking months down the road to the championship, it all starts Friday, so if we can come off hot on Friday and lead that into Saturday, we have a group that can do something special so we’re looking forward to it,” he says.
Reflecting on the season
The veteran tendie took a moment to reflect on the success of the regular season. He says that the lightning-fast start at the beginning of the year, combined with a desire to improve from last season resulted in the team’s consistent performance night after night.
“We were really hot at the beginning of the year, September to October we were almost unbeatable, I think we only lost like three games and we were ranked third in all of Canada among junior teams in the CJHL,” he says. “It was a surreal experience, I can’t lie, it’s something I’ve never done, I mean I got here last year in October, and we were kind of middle of the pack all year, this year to have a team that everyone’s bought in, we have a good group, it’s pretty cool to be a part of.”
Dedicated fans
Bonnetts Energy Centre consistently saw the most well-attended games across the league all season long, with well over 1,000 fans in seats at nearly every home game, with some even breaking the 2,500 mark.
Jones says playing at home, especially with a crowd, simply feels better. He says the energy in Grande Prairie is unlike anywhere else in the league and is a significant contributor to the team’s success on the ice, so the Storm is counting on the fans to support them through the playoffs.
“It makes a huge difference, especially in the AJHL, you play in a lot of rinks in smaller towns where there’s not a whole lot of crowd and you kind of have to create your own energy,” he says. “When we have fans at our rink, it makes a tougher environment for the other team, so it’s a bit of a home-ice advantage.”
He adds that throughout this season, the fans have been quite electric in the stands. He says knowing the whole crowd has his back, especially between the pipes, can make all the difference in the final score.
“We know everyone in that rink is cheering for us and when that noise is coming every time I make a save or every time we score, every time a close play happens, we might not even score, but the whole crowd goes wild,” he says. “It’s cool to see that you’ve got all the fans in Grande Prairie behind your back, it makes a big difference for us on the ice.”
“Whether it’s a Tuesday game, a Friday game, Saturday Sunday, doesn’t matter, there’s always people in the seats, that’s how we get our energy.”
The Storm will face off against the Lloydminster Bobcats on March 21st, marking the beginning of a potential seven-game series between the two in the first round.
