September 5
Virden, MB – The Virden Oil Capitals will look to enter the win column tonight as they open up the home portion of the MJHL Pre-Season at Tundra Oil & Gas Place.
The Oil Caps fell 4-3 to the Portage Terriers on Tuesday in their opener.
Tonight, the Caps welcome the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. The Bruins, who hosted Virden in their pre-season tournament on year ago are entering a historic season as they will host the 2016 Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup at Affinity Place in April.
The Oil Capitals are expected to ice a much older lineup tonight as most of the returning veterans will slot into the lineup for the first time this season.
Ben Dalke and Kyle Salaway lead the Oil Caps in pre-season scoring with 2 points each while Nathan Cvar stopped 26 shots in his Oil Caps debut.
The Oil Caps also received some fresh faces from WHL Camps this morning. 1999 born Kolten Kanaski (Beausejour) returns to camp from the Kootenay Ice and Tyler Kirkup (Virden) joins the Oil Caps from the Red Deer Rebels. Both are expected to be in the lineup tonight.
Game time at Tundra Oil & Gas Place is 7:30.
GAME NOTES
Pre-Season Scoring Leaders:
Ben Dalke 1G – 1A – 2 PTS
Kyle Salaway 0G – 2A – 2 PTS
Brayden Pawluk 0G -1A – 1PTS
Morgan Magwood 0G -1A – 1PTS
Pre-Season Goaltending Leaders:
Nathan Cvar 26 / 30 | 4 Goals Against
Pre-Season Penalty Minute Leaders:
Morgan Magwood 5 Mins
VOC Roster Notes:
-Nine returning veterans will be in the lineup tonight
-The Oil Caps will dress four 20 year olds
-Four members of tonights lineup are from Virden, MB
-Michael Newberger will make his first start in goal as an Oil Capital
-The Ross twins will make their VOC Debut. Davis wearing #5, Nolan wearing #7
-Dylan Cusmano will make his VOC Debut tonight as well, wearing #24.
-Cody Durdle and Carter Cowlthorp will both be facing their former team for the first time
Bruins Roster Notes:
-The Bruins have seven 20 year olds listed on their roster
-The Bruins have 4 American Born players
-There are two local Estevan, SK born players listed.
-Three Bruins have WHL experience (Oleksyn, Fuhr, DeRoose)
-Just one Manitoban on the Bruins roster, Goalie Tyler Gutenburg (Brandon, MB)
Name Dropping:
-The Bruins Nolan Gallagher is the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher.
-The Bruins Chase Tippett is the nephew of former NHL’er and current Phoenix Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett.
-VOC forward Kaiden Jones is the son of Lionel Vital, current Director of Player Personnel with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
-VOC Assistant GM Chad Leslie was an Assistant Coach for the Bruins for 3.5 seasons and an interim Head Coach in 2010-2011. (Replacing Kerry Biette)