New Page Added On Blog

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Hi. Just a quick note to let everyone know that I have added a new page on my blog. It’s called “Gameday Lineups.” It’s just been published. If you’re viewing on your laptop, it will be right beside the “Posts” page. If you’re viewing on your mobile device, it will be above the “Posts” page in the dropdown menu.  My intention is to update the page before games when the coaches of both teams have released their Gameday Lineups. I have updated it for tonight’s game in Saanich. Both lineups have been added. Feel free to check it out.

Darryl Skender

Game 2 Tonight

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The Comox Valley Glacier Kings are back in action tonight when they take on the Saanich Predators. The Glacier Kings lost their opener 4-2 to Nanaimo while the Preds are 1-1 after beating Kerry Park 7-3 in their opener and dropping a 6-2 decision in Westshore 2 nights later. Both teams are coming off disappointing 2024/25 seasons. Comox Valley finished 3rd in the North and were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs while Saanich had the worst record in the league with 10 wins and 23 points. Both teams won 2 out of the 4 games head to head but the GKings record was officially 2-1-1 as one of their losses were in OT. The crowds at the George Pearkes Arena for the 2 meetings were two of the smallest they had all season. The OT thriller on November 22nd drew only 58 fans, their smallest attendance all season.

If the first week of play is any indication, Saanich will have more scoring power this season. They were the 3rd worst offence last season for scoring goals. They averaged just 2.8 goals per game. Only Oceanside and Comox Valley scored less. They already have 9 goals in 2 games and are led by Elijah Kim, who has averaged over a point per game pretty much everywhere he has played. After putting up 34 points in 23 games last season for Saanich, the 5’10” 165 pound Forward already has 3 goals and 2 assists in just 2 games.  He ended last season with the Victoria Cougars putting up 7 points in 6 regular season games and repeated that stat line in the playoffs. The former Peninsula Panther Travis Swanson also has 3 goals and 2 assists in the Predators first 2 games. That includes a hat trick in the season opener. Of course, Saanich just had a trade a couple weeks ago with the Panthers where they acquired goaltender Jacob Walsh, who has started both games this season, and 6’0″ 144 lb. defenceman Jason Sekulich who has also suited up in both Predators games.

As for the Glacier Kings, they will have a bunch of new bodies in the line up this weekend that they picked up this past week. Despite 5 new players in the fold, Comox still seems a little thin up the middle. Upgrades at center are not that easy to find. Head coach/GM Curtis Toneff talked about the tough task of finding one, “Unless someone really emerges as a good faceoff man or a number 1 or 2 center, those things don’t come around everyday. Our centers have really struggled so far winning faceoffs and playing down the middle. Usually everybody plays center but now we don’t have enough.”

Curtis is still looking for the team to gel a little bit more and is hoping for some of the veterans to really take on leadership roles. He still hasn’t named a captain and won’t be handing out the job to anyone this weekend as he awaits for someone to emerge.

The Glacier Kings will have to get out of the gates quicker in Saanich than they did in Nanaimo if they want to pick up 2 points. The Yeti didn’t get their game together until the 3rd period in the season opener. Comox Valley’s bench boss said they need to game into a game mindset from the beginning. “We gotta get out of summer hockey mode, stop trying to dangle guys at blue lines, make sure we have our guy, be ready from the faceoff, check with our legs, not glide around and watch .” He admits it’s every cliche from a hockey coach but there’s a reason coaches say that.

I’ll try to get the line ups out on a post later this afternoon assuming I get them before game time. You can watch the contest on FloHockey with Clay Cochrane. It’s Clay’s 9th season as the play by play broadcaster for the Predators (and Braves). The puck is slated to drop at 6:30.

Darryl Skender

Glacier Kings Add 5 Players

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The Comox Valley Glacier Kings have bolstered their roster by adding key players in key positions. In Game 1 in Nanaimo, the team was short-handed dressing 5 true-defencemen and having players fulfilling in unfamiliar positions. The club looks more rounded after moves Head coach/GM Curtis Toneff made this week. Here are the additions:

 

Kyle Mayenburg – Defenceman (6’1″ 175lbs)

Kyle played 10 games with the Powell River Kings of the BCHL last season but didn’t get into any playoff action as the team failed to qualify for post-season action.  In his 10 games with Powell River, the rearguard went pointless and was on a tryout this season. He played in 1 exhibition game on September 6th wearing jersey #3. He did not play in their second exhibition game and was released back to the Glacier Kings. The Powell River native had 2 goals and 9 assists in 33 games with Comox Valley last season. Mayenburg previously comes from the Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep and did play 1 game for the Campbell River Storm on December 22, 2023.

 

Thomas Scobie-Gyug – Defenceman (5’7″ 157 lbs)

Tommy has spent the past 3 years in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) with the North Shore Warriors.  In the 2022/23 season, he advanced from the U16 to the U 18 team.  The Drumheller-born blue liner has 1 career goal and 12 assists in 74 games for the Warriors. He also netted a goal and an assist in 3 games at the 2024 U18 Prep Western Championships.

 

Geon Park – Forward (5’9″ 174 lbs)

Geon spent last season playing in the the CSSHL for the Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy U18 Prep where where he tallied 10 goals and 12 assists in 33 games. That included a 2-goal performance against RHAK (Kelowna). At the 2025 U18 Prep Division II Western Championships, the South Korea native had 5 points in 4 games including 2 goals. Park finished 4th in scoring for the Wild and most likely would have finished 2nd if he hadn’t missed games. In total in U18 AAA, he amassed 15 goals and 34 points in 51 games which was also 4th on the team. The high scoring winger was one of only 3 South Koreans to play CSSHL U18 hockey last season.

 

Leon Mikhalchuk – Forward (6’3″ 181 lbs)

Leon committed to the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL back in July and had a tryout with them. He played in both pre-season games going scoreless and 2 PIM’s. Mikhalchuk played in Belarus last year for the Yunost Minsk U17 team where he scored 25 goals and 42 points in just 39 games. He then got bumped up to the Yunost Minsk U18 team in the Belarus U18 league where he gathered an assist in 2 games. Prince George General Manager Mike Hawes said, “Leon is a young player with great size and tremendous skill who has a huge upside and loads of potential.” He is still young being a 2008 and will most likely be back in the BCHL next season after getting more experience in the Canadian game.

 

Anthony Ganoung – Goaltender (5′ 10″)

Anthony played for the Wenatchee Wild last season along with Geon Park. Ganoung played well despite the team not not faring so well. The Vancouver, WA native ended the year with a 10-15 record and a 4. 20 GAA with a .887 save percentage. In his previous season with the U16 squad, he was very impressive. Despite only having a 4-12 record, the backstop collected an impressive .898 save percentage and a .927 in the playoffs.

Needless to say, Curtis Toneff is excited about this past week’s additions. He said, “For now, adding those 5 guys and when Cameron Collins gets healthy, we’ll be looking at getting guys into their proper spots starting this weekend.” In case you were wondering, Collins is a Comox native who played for the Pacific Coast Academy U18 Prep team in the CSSHL last season but has yet to an exhibition or regular season game with the Glacier Kings.

Have a good Thursday. On tomorrow’s post, I’ll preview the Glacier Kings game tomorrow night in Saanich. 

Darryl Skender

Darryl Skender – Former Play by Play Broadcaster of the Comox Valley Glacier Kings