Jason La Rose
For the first time ever, the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds sit atop the BCMML standings. League champions a year ago, the Thunderbirds carried that momentum into the 2018-19 season, opening with 18 wins in 22 games before holding off Cariboo by a single point. Fraser Valley was near the top of the BCMML at both ends of the ice; its 180 goals were good for fourth in the league, while its 100 goals against came in at No. 2. The trio of Zackary Funk (34-24—58), Jacob Wright (17-35—52) and Dawson Good (17-34—51) did the heavy lifting up front, while Dawson Pelletier posted the league’s second-best GAA at 2.29.
PLAYOFF MATCH-UPS 1) Fraser Valley Thunderbirds vs. 8) Valley West Giants 2) Cariboo Cougars vs. 7) Greater Vancouver Canadians 3) Vancouver NE Chiefs vs. 6) Vancouver NW Hawks 4) Okanagan Rockets vs. 5) Thompson Blazers
FINAL STANDINGS (W-L-T-OTL) Fraser Valley – 60 points (29-9-1-1) Cariboo – 59 points (27-8-5-0) Vancouver NE – 57 points (25-8-5-2) Okanagan – 52 points (24-12-1-3) Thompson – 50 points (24-14-2-0) Vancouver NW – 44 points (21-17-1-1) Greater Vancouver – 42 points (18-16-4-2) Valley West – 34 points (14-20-4-2) South Island – 24 points (11-27-2-0) North Island – 18 points (9-31-0-0) Kootenay – 12 points (4-32-3-1)
LEADING SCORERS Logan Stankoven (Thompson) – 49G 52A 101P Tyler Cristall (Vancouver NW) – 32G 31A 63P Jarrod Semchuk (Thompson) – 19G 43A 62P Zackary Funk (Fraser Valley) – 34G 24A 58P Colby Elmer (Okanagan) – 27G 26A 53P
LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE 2017 (Cariboo Cougars (host) – sixth place)
TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES (since 1984) 7 (1986, 1992, 1996 (host), 2001 (host), 2007, 2011, 2014, 2017 (host))
LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 1982 (Burnaby Winter Club Travellers)
TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 1 (1982, Burnaby Winter Club Travellers)