The Drayton Valley Thunder are gearing up for the playoffs, and they are currently sitting in fourth place in the North Division.
Coach Eric Thurston says the team this year is one of the youngest in the league, with the oldest couple of players being twenty years old. He says that while they are doing well right now, they have some stiff competition in the postseason.
There are five games left in the regular season and Thurston says the competition is always hard fought.
“On any given night, any team in the North can win,” he says.
He says the hope is to keep their position as fourth in the league, but there are no guarantees.
“We have tough games ahead of us, but our guys have been playing really hard,” he says.
Thurston says over the month of January the games have been quite tough, with teams already playing like they are in the playoffs.
“It’s been intense, heavy, physical hockey and our guys are doing really well.”
He says the team has gained a lot of experience over the year and he thinks it bodes well for the playoffs, which he says is its own season in many ways.
The team has had to work hard this year, especially for the younger players. Thurston says most of those players are used to playing 30 games a year, but the AJHL season has about 60 games. “It’s been heavy lifting… but the growth of the guys has been great.”
One thing Thurston has been working on with the team is getting the most out of games that go to overtime. He says the team lost out on ten points this year because they lost in overtime on road games.
However, he’s pleased with the fact the team is getting points on the road games. He says they can be particularly tough on teams because of the amount of travelling involved. “It shows the hard work and the character of the team,” says Thurston.
One of the things Thurston is happy with is the goaltending for the team. He says Jackson Berry is one of the best goaltenders in the league. Because Berry is only 19, he will be back with the team again next year and will be able to offer valuable leadership.
As things stand, the Thunder will likely be playing against the Lloydminster Bobcats in the first round of the playoffs. “You can literally just roll the dice on any games with them. We’ve gone into shoot-outs, overtime, or otherwise been close with them,” he says.
Thurston says the three teams ahead of them are the Spruce Grove Saints, the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, and the Bonnyville Pontiacs have all been playing very well this year. “We have had success with those teams. We’ve beaten them as well, so it’s going to be interesting,” he says.
Thurston says the Omniplex can now accommodate fans in the seats for the playoffs. Thurston says the best games to watch coming up will be the ones they play against the Bobcats on February 24 and 25 because those games will determine who sits in fourth and fifth place heading into the playoffs.
