Recap by Mackenzie Grafton
The Canucks will head into February on a four-game winning streak after finishing January with a 6-4 record, now placing them second in the AJHL standings with 54 points.
Bowden Singleton and Julien Gervais received recognition as Weekly Award Winners for January 15th to 21st. Singleton was named Player of the Week for his outstanding performance, scoring two goals and accumulating seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in two games. Gervais was named Rookie of the Week after he scored one goal and earned five points in two games.
“It was good getting a couple of points this week, especially with everything that’s going on in the league right now”. Said Assistant Coach Mike Glawson, “I thought it was good that our guys put all that distraction behind them, moved forward and got two big wins this weekend” Glawson added on the Canucks two weekend victories to end the month.
Earlier in the month the Canucks made a splash with five trades and one signing at the CJHL January 10th trade deadline.
Player Spotlight – #34 – Julian Molinaro
Julian Molinaro picked up all six wins for the Canucks in January improving his record to 21-13-1 on the season. Molinaro holds a 2.70 goals-against average (GAA) and a .914 save percentage (SV%), along with four shutouts. His 21 wins on the season places him third among all AJHL goaltenders.
Celebrating Milestones
January Recap
January 3rd vs Okotoks Oilers
Calgary would host the Okotoks Oilers in their first game of the new year, with Canucks falling 9-2 to the Oilers. Ty Hipkin would pick up his 16th along with Gavin Garland scoring his tenth of the season.
January 6th vs Drayton Valley Thunder
In the next game, the Canucks found themselves trailing behind by a score of 3-0 to the Drayton Valley Thunder. However, in the second period, the Canucks seized the opportunity on the powerplay, with Riley Bracko scoring the Canucks first of the game making it 3-1. Later in that period, Sam Lozinki scored another goal, cutting into the Thunder’s lead even further, making it 3-2.
In the third period, with only 34 seconds left to play and their net empty, Chris Kobelka scored the tying goal, which was his first goal in 18 games. His goal sent the game into overtime. The overtime didn’t last long, as Bowden Singleton scored his 15th goal of the season, leading the Canucks to a 4-3 victory over the Thunder.
January 7th vs Lloydminster Bobcats
After winning their first game of the new year, the Calgary got prepared to host the Lloydminster Bobcats. In the first period, Ty Hipkin scored a shorthanded goal, putting Calgary in the lead with a score of 1-0. In the second period, Chris Kobelka added another goal to the scoreboard, making it 2-0 for the Canucks, this time on the powerplay.
In the final period, Carter Anderson scored his first AJHL goal, extending Calgary’s lead to 3-0. Julian Molinaro made some great saves, stopping all 24 shots on goal, securing a 3-0 victory over the Lloydminster Bobcats.
January 9th, 13th and 14th
After playing three home games, the Canucks headed out for a three-game road trip to Canmore, Lloydminster, and Bonnyville. They struggled to find success and returned home on a three-game skid.
January 17th vs Sherwood Park Crusaders
Homecooking was all the Canucks needed as they came out strong against the second-place Sherwood Park Crusaders. Calgary would hold a 2-1 lead after two periods with goals from Ty Hipkin and Bowden Singleton. In the third, the Canucks would grab two more goals from Jack Plandowski and Chris Kobelka, his fifth of the season, while only allowing one goal against. With the victory, the Canucks would snap the three-game skid.
January 20th vs Grande Prairie Storm
Calgary played another strong game the next day, scoring seven goals against the Grande Prairie Storm. Although they allowed the opening goal, Bowden Singleton was able to tie the game up with just 2 minutes and 12 seconds left to play in the first period.
In the second period, Gavin Garland opened the scoring with his tenth goal of the season, followed by goals from Billy Hooson and Ty Hipkin. The Storm were able to score one of their own, but Gavin Garland responded with his second goal of the game, making it 5-2. The Canucks added two more goals from Adam Leitch and Julien Gervais to secure a 7-2 victory.
January 27th vs Canmore Eagles
It was Beats in the Bracko night at the Ken Bracko Arena as the Canucks hosted the Canmore Eagles. Scoreless after one period, the two teams would trade goals with Ty Hipkin getting on the board for the Canucks with his 20th of the season. Still tied up at 1-1 late in the final frame, Tiy Hipkin would once again find the back of the net with his second goal of the game with 22 seconds to play. Julian Molinaro, who stopped 22 of 23 shots would backstop his Canucks to a 2-1 win.
January 28th vs Whitecourt Wolverines
The Canucks came into the game with five wins in their last eight games and were looking to extend their winning streak to four games against the Whitecourt Wolverines. They got off to a quick start with two goals from Jack Plandowski and Gavin Garland, taking a 2-0 lead. Towards the end of the period, Julien Gervais scored his tenth goal of the season to make it 3-0. In the second period, one lone Wolverine goal was all to report.
In the third period, Whitecourt managed to score their second goal, making it a one-goal game. However, Easton Hewson scored a powerplay goal a few minutes later, extending the Canucks’ lead to 4-2. Captain Bowden Singleton then scored his 50th career AJHL goal, bringing the score to 5-2. Although Whitecourt scored once more, the Canucks held on for the 5-3 win, making it their fourth win in a row.
Upcoming Home Games
- Tue, Feb 6th vs Drumheller Dragons: 7 PM puck drop
- Fri, Feb 16th vs Drumheller Dragons: 7 PM puck drop
- Sat, Mar 2nd vs Olds Grizzlys: 5 PM puck drop
- Saturday Night Live featuring live music from Mitch & Justine Belot!
Red & Yellow Awards Banquet 2024
On February 21, 2024, the Calgary Canucks will host its Annual Red & Yellow Awards Banquet in the Telus Club at the Scotiabank Saddledome. This year we’re excited to welcome award-winning sports analyst and former NHL goaltender, Kelly Hrudey as our guest speaker!
The event starts at 5:30 PM with cocktails and the formal program beginning at 6:30 PM. The silent auction will be open from 5:30 – 9:30 pm. Tickets are $150 each, or a table of 8 for $1,000.
We welcome you to join us for an interactive evening filled with great entertainment, delicious food, and lots of fun. All proceeds from the Red and Yellow Banquet go to operating your community-owned Calgary Canucks.
Event Overview
5:30PM – Cocktails and Silent Auction Bidding
6:30PM – Dinner
7:15PM – Program with guest speaker, Kelly Hrudey
8:30PM – Award winner pictures and final silent auction bidding
9:30PM – Auction closes
About Kelly Hrudey
Kelly Hrudey is an award winning sports analyst, following a 15 year career as an NHL goaltender for the LA Kings, New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks. He’s been a familiar face as a hockey broadcaster on Sportsnet and CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada for the past two decades. Kelly is also the colour commentator for Calgary Flames regional broadcasts.
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