Dylan Coghan's NHL journey, the Nanaimo NightOwls debut on hold and a banner raising for the VIU Mariners women's volleyball team headline the top sports stories of the year. (NNN File Photo)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Top Stories of 2021: A year of sports cancellations and comebacks

Dec 23, 2021 | 3:52 PM

NANAIMO — For some local athletes 2021 was a return to competition while for others the waiting game continued.

Nanaimo’s Dylan Coghlan scored his first NHL goal for the Vegas Golden Knights on Mar. 10.

In the same game he recorded a hat trick, becoming only the third defenceman in NHL history to accomplish the feat.

Before the start of the current season the 23-year-old signed a two year contract with Vegas. The mobile rearguard has has a productive season so far recording nine points in his first 22 games of the 2021-22 campaign.

Coghlan spoke to NanaimoNewsNOW in February following his debut with the team. Because of COVID-19 his family couldn’t be there to share the moment.

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“It would have been pretty incredible to have my parents, my brother and grandpa here, but on the other side playing here and being in this league is a huge honour.”

While Coghlan was able to hit the ice at the NHL level, the Nanaimo NightOwls played the waiting game in 2021.

Their first season in the West Coast League collegiate summer circuit was grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and rescheduled for 2022.

The expansion NightOwls first game will be May 31 in Portland with Nanaimo’s home opener at a refurbished Serauxmen Stadium on June 3 versus the Edmonton Riverhawks.

NightOwls managing partner and GM Jim Swanson is eagerly anticipating opening day.

“It’s an indication that we can get going, it drops the gate and lets us start running on the track towards where we’re going to be in the summer of 2022,” Swanson said following the release of the 2021 WCL schedule.

After winning the CCAA national championship in March of 2020 the VIU Mariners waited almost 20 months to raise their championship banner.

It finally happened on Nov. 5 as a new PACWEST season began.

“It really has been a long time,” coach Shane Hyde said as he reflected on how much had changed since the team won the CCAA title. “People have graduated and moved on in their careers and some are even playing professionally.”

The Mariner women have won three straight national titles and four in five years.

Nanaimo Clippers hockey made a return in April after a nearly year long COVID break.

During a 20 game all Island season in Port Alberni the Clippers finished in third place with a record of 8-11-0-1.

In October fans were welcomed back to Frank Crane Arena for a full season.

The current club ended 2021 with a 17-10 record good for second spot in the BCHL’s Coastal Division.

Some of the other top sports stories from NanaimoNewsNOW were Nanoose Bay’s Michael Mason going to his fourth Olympics in high jump, and Trevor Hirschfield of Parksville representing Canada on the wheelchair rugby team at the Paralympics.

A second place finish at the 2021 CrossFit Games for local chiropractor Patrick Vellnor, and the Barsby Bulldogs journey to the the junior varsity BC highschool football championship round out the top sports stories of the year.

The pandemic continues to plague some portions of the sporting community. Sports tournaments are cancelled during an existing round of COVID-19 related restrictions.

Hopefully 2022 provides fewer sporting disruptions, and more memories.

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