Nanaimo and Powell River will start their respective BCHL seasons against each other for the second year in a row. (Gary Dorland)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

DROP THE PUCK

Clippers schedule released for 2022-23 BCHL season

Jun 9, 2022 | 4:30 PM

NANAIMO — With recruiting still underway, the ‘who’ for the Nanaimo Clippers might be unclear but the ‘where’ and ‘when’ is set in stone.

The British Columbia Hockey League revealed its complete regular season schedule on Thursday, June 9 with the Clippers beginning the campaign on the road in Powell River for a double header for the second year in a row.

They’ll visit the Kings on Friday Sept. 23 and Saturday, Sept. 24 before entertaining Powell River at Frank Crane Arena on Friday, Sept. 30 to kick off a six game home stand.

Pending games for the BCHL Showcase, just four of the Clippers first 15 games will take them away from home.

Rematches from this past season’s pheromonal playoff run dot the team’s schedule next year.

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The Clippers host Langley, who they swept in the third round of the 2022 BCHL Playoffs, on Oct. 9.

Nanaimo will visit Chilliwack, their second round opponent in 2022, on Nov. 19 then Surrey, who the Clippers dispatched in the first round, the following day.

At the end of their 54-game schedule, Nanaimo will play each of those teams four times.

A rematch of the 2022 Fred Page Cup final will have to wait until March 17 when Nanaimo visit Penticton.

Their regular season schedule wraps March 25 in Victoria ahead of playoffs beginning the following week.

League wide, the BCHL schedule for the 2022-23 season features games on Friday and Saturday nights 83 per cent of the time, up from around 65 per cent before the pandemic.

An extended season length means games are, on average, 3.41 days apart instead of 2.95 like in previous years.

“This allows for more practices, gym time and more recovery time for BCHL athletes, bringing the schedule closer to a college hockey format,” a release from the league noted.

The Clippers have been members of the BCHL since the 1972/73 campaign, registering five league titles in franchise history.

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