Official 2006-07 Vancouver Giants/WHL Season Thread

[Robbie]

Now that the WHL season has started, let's use this thread to discuss Vancouver Giants and other WHL matters. It will be interesting to see how well the Giants can defend their WHL title as the enter the season as the defending WHL champions. Even if the Giants don't manage to defend their WHL title, as hosts of the 2007 Memorial Cup, they should get an automatic berth.

Some good players from the championship team like goaltender Dustin Slade are still with the team, but others like playoff MVP Gilbert Brule and captain Mark Fistric are gone.

With the expansion Chilliwack Bruins, those living in Greater Vancouver will have the same privilege like people living in Greater Seattle with the choice of two teams to attend. Those living in Seattle could attend the Seattle Thunderbirds or Everett Silvertips. And depending on where you live, it may not be too far for you to attend a Chilliwack Bruins game. I wonder if an intense cross-town rivalry will develop between the Giants and Bruins.

The Giants open their season this coming Saturday night at 7:00 PM. According to this ad on their web page, the first 10,000 fans entering the Pacific Coliseum will get a commemorative championship banner. Who is planning to go to the season opener?

[img]http://www.vancouvergiants.com/images/O ... Banner.jpg[/img]

[nelson95]

Hopefully can take in the Seattle homeopener vs the Giants on the 30th.
Will stick with the Tbirds this year although we're probably moving to Fraser valley next month(job willing)
Got my memorial cup tix, Vancouver Canucks code is van2007, presale til tonight.

[CB123]

Im going tomorow, I cant wait!

[Robbie]

Im going tomorow, I cant wait!

So, did you enjoy watching the Giants demolish the Portland Winter Hawks 9-0 in their season opener?

Did you get a mini championship banner? With an attendance of 11,012, I guess that left 1012 without one.

The Chilliwack Bruins lost tonight 2-1 to the Everett Silvertips. But they opened up their first ever game with a win on Thursday night, 3-1 over the Kelowna Rockets. Prospera Centre was sold out as 5115 was there to attend the first ever game. A trivia question answer: Keith Voytechek scored the first ever goal for the Chilliwack Bruins.

[CB123]

So, did you enjoy watching the Giants demolish the Portland Winter Hawks 9-0 in their season opener?

YES! IT WAS AWESOME! Portland kept their goalie in for the whole game! Even though he let in 9 goals! At one time he let in 3 in a row (within like 15 seconds).

Did you get a mini championship banner?

Yes, and I used it to spit out my gum! All it was, was a piece of heavy duty paper, that was about 9 inches tall, cut into the shape of a banner, with the Giants logo/WHL Champions 2005-2006 printed on it.

Im pretty sure they just printed them out on a computer and had the team cut them into the banner shape ahahahah.

[Robbie]

Speaking of banners, was there a pre-game ceremony in which a banner to commemorate the 2005-06 WHL Championship was raised to the rafters of the Pacific Coliseum? If not, then I wonder when that ceremony will be.

[CB123]

was there a pre-game ceremony in which a banner to commemorate the 2005-06 WHL Championship

Yeah it was pretty cool too. They had Mitch Bartley and Paul Albers (They are too old to play for the Giants this season), Gordie Howe, and Ron Toigo to raise three different banners.

1st they played a highlight reel of the BC division playoffs, and then raised that banner.

2nd they played a highlight reel of the Western Division playoff run and then raised that banner.

Then last they played a highlight reel of the WHL Championship series and raised that banner.

[Robbie]

Yeah it was pretty cool too. They had Mitch Bartley and Paul Albers (They are too old to play for the Giants this season), Gordie Howe, and Ron Toigo to raise three different banners.

Darn it. I missed a great pre-game ceremony with Gordie Howe present. I see that the WHL championship trophy was present for the ceremony as well. The only thing missing was a fourth banner for a Memorial Cup win. Maybe this season the Giants can win it all.

[img]http://www.vancouvergiants.com/images/a ... in_001.jpg[/img]

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

Giants win 7-1 vs Chilliwack, improve to 3-0 on the season:

Chilliwack Bruins at Vancouver Giants: September 29th

A new rivalry between two WHL teams was created Friday night, as the expansion Chilliwack Bruins headed into Pacific Coliseum to play their first road game, and first game against now rival team, the Vancouver Giants.

The Giants started with a bang, as 2:40 into the game, 1987 born Garet Hunt scored on Chilliwack backup Andrew Pinsent. The Goal was assisted by Brendan Mikkelson, who was on his second shift of the game after returning from Anaheim Ducks Pre-Season action, and by sophmore player Michal Repik. The goal by the way, was on the powerplay created by an interference penalty on Chilliwack Cam Stevens.

With a minute and 14 seconds remaining on the first period clock, Repik along with D Cody Franson set up a Tim Kraus goal, once again on the powerplay, 2-0 Giants.

Over a minute later, with only 6 seconds remaining in the period, Hunt passed to J.D. Watt who netted his third goal of the year, and the Giants third of the game. 3-0 Giants at intermission.

The first half of the second period was filled with nice saves and 6 penalties, and then Jon Blum, with an assist from Spencer Machacek, fooled Andrew Pinsent, 4-0 Giants.

2 minutes later, Mitch Czibere and Lance Bouma gave the puck to Watt, who then scored his fourth goal of the year, and it was suddenly 5-0 Vancouver.

Chilliwack came back firing in the third period, as Oscar Moller scored his first career WHL goal and it was a whopping lead still for Vancouver. 5-1.

Jason Reese later scored for Vancouver, as did Mitch Czibere, but it was nonetheless a boring game, 7-1 Vancouver.

Jeremy's Three Stars of the game:
1. Garet Hunt(left): A goal, an assist and two fights deserves a first star selection.
2. Mitch Czibere: A goal and an assist proves that the sophmore player is ready to play.
3. Dustin Slade: Saving 16 of 17 shots on the night, in what should've been a shutout. Slade broke his glove as a puck came right through it, and had to use backup Tommy Tartaglione's glove for the remainder of the game, which included the Moller goal.


Game notes: Dustin Slade got the start for Vancouver, and Chilliwack Backup Andrew Pinsent got the nod for the Bruins, and was in net for all 7 Giants goals.

The Giants showed off their Third Jersey's (right) friday, and they were not a fan favourite, compared to the previous grey and silver third jerseys.

Tommy Tartaglione is expected to start either tonight's road game in Seattle, or Sunday at 5:00 PM as the Prince George Cougars come to town.

Game time in Seattle tonight is 7:05 on AM 730 Radio in Vancouver.

from my blog: http://www.lf4l1994.blogspot.com

[nelson95]

I'll be there tonight. Go Tbirds!!!

[Robbie]

I'll be there tonight. Go Tbirds!!!

A close one at Key Arena and the Thunderbirds outshot the Giants 9-2 in overtime, but the Giants eventually prevailed in a shootout to remain undefeated at 4-0 to start the season. The Thunderbirds get one point for their overtime loss. Did you enjoy the game?

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

Giants at Seattle: September 30th First Road Game of Season

Upon speculation of a trade involving the Swift Current Broncos, Giants backup goalie Tyson Sexsmith started in what may have been his final game in a Vancouver Giants jersey.
Here are the scratches last night for Vancouver:
F Craig Cunningham
F Lance Bouma
D Brent Regner
D Nolan Toigo
G Dustin Slade

With Slade given the night up in the stands, it meant that Coach Don Hay and GM Scott Bonner could watch the other three overagers play in action tonight, before releasing or trading one of them by October 10th.

For only the second time this year, the Giants didn't get off to a quick start against the Seattle Thunderbirds, in Seattle. The first goal came at 13:18 in the first period, when Spencer Machacek and Brett Festerling set up Kyle Lamb, for his third goal of the season.

Only a minute and fourty-eight seconds into the second period, Jason Reese (insert) got a shorthanded marker from Jon Blum and J.D. Watt to give the GIants a two goal advantage over Seattle G Derek Yeomans, and the Seattle Thunderbirds.

6 and a half minutes later, Seattle got a goal of their own, as Aaron Gagnon (left) scored his 2nd goal of the year at 8:34 of the second period. Seattle's Kyle Pess would later score in the period, tying the game up at two going into the third period.

With the Giants eight power plays of the game, you would've thought they could muster a goal on the PP, but it came back negative. As did the T-Birds powerplay, as they went 0-12!!

As you can probably tell, is that I'm leading you to believe there were no goals scored in the 3rd period, so the game went into overtime. I hate to tell you but I'm leading you to believe the truth. No goals were scored in regulation, so this game went into Overtime. Of course, after 5 minutes of OT, if it is still tied there will be a shootout.

Well, 5 minutes of OT still no goals! Shootout time baby!

Here were the shootout cards that both coaches gave to the referee.

Vancouver:
#6 Cody Franson
#11 JD Watt
#12 Tim Kraus
#27 Milan Lucic

Seattle:
#7 Aaron Gagnon
#11 George "Bud" Holloway
#20 Chris Durand
#13 Kyle Pess

First up,
Cody Franson, no goal

Seattle:
Aaron Gagnon, no goal
GIants:
JD Watt, no goal
Seattle:
Bud Holloway, no goal
Vancouver:
Tim Kraus, no goal
Seattle:
Chris Durand, no goal
Giants;
Milan Lucic, and its a GOAL!!!! If Seattle's Kyle Pess misses the Giants win in a shootout.
Seattle:
Kyle Pess, and its a NO GOAL! Giants win! Giants win!

What a thriller, Giants improve to 4-0 on the season and remain undefeated.

Jeremy's 3 stars:
1. Vancouver: Jason Reese, two goals in two games, not bad for a kid that most fans want traded!
2. Seattle: Aaron Gagnon, the Seattle Captain was +2 and scored the T-Birds first goal of the game.
3. Vancouver: Tyson Sexsmith, the goalie amongst trade rumours, stopped 28 of 30 Seattle shots, and had 4 saves in the shootout.

Giants next game; Today 5:00 PM vs. The Prince George Cougars at Pacific Coliseum. Projected goalies:
Vancouver: Tommy Tartaglione
Prince George: Scott Bowles

Sunday's game is the first of three consecutive games against Prince George, with two games following tonight's contest up in Prince George, following a return home to the Pacific Coliseum to face Swift Current Saturday.

http://www.lf4l1994.blogspot.com

[nelson95]

[quote="Robbie"][quote="nelson95"]I'll be there tonight. Go Tbirds!!![/quote]
A close one at Key Arena and the Thunderbirds outshot the Giants 9-2 in overtime, but the Giants eventually prevailed in a shootout to remain undefeated at 4-0 to start the season. The Thunderbirds get one point for their overtime loss. Did you enjoy the game?[/quote]

Enjoyed it. Giants are very good. Combine that with a lousy Tbird PP and a good game by both goalies and you get a Giants win in the skills competition.
Good crowd, Tbirds hit well. A few draftees suked(Durand and Stamler) but Pess, Gagnon and Hickey played very well.Home and home in 2 weeks!!

[Dan_Payne_fan!!]

gggggg G-UNIT! lol

[Dan Russell]

Giants look to better last year which will mean winning the Memorial cup and they are off to a great start.