The Nanaimo Buccaneers return to the Nanaimo Ice Centre on Thursday, Oct. 1 for the VIJHL season. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Dan Marshall

Bucs Are Back

Buccaneers first hockey team in Nanaimo to start regular season

Sep 30, 2020 | 7:31 PM

NANAIMO — The first local hockey team to start a 2020/2021 regular season is the Nanaimo Buccaneers.

The VIJHL will begin play on Oct. 1 when the Bucs host the Oceanside Generals.

There are eight games on the initial schedule with Nanaimo playing home and home series with the Generals, Storm, Glacier Kings, and then Oceanside again.

More dates will be added later with the hope games against South Island teams will be eventually allowed.

There will also be no fans allowed inside arenas in October.

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This will be the ninth season in Buccaneers history with the club coming off a third place finish in the North Division in the 2019/20 campaign and a first round playoff loss to the Campbell River Storm.

New Buccaneers owner Carl Ollech is thrilled to see his players get back into meaningful games.

“They want to get out there, they want to play. The players want to get out there and master their skills so they can get to the next level.”

This version of the Buccaneers will be fast skating team built with young local players.

Rookie head coach James Gaertner said that’s in line with his vision of what Junior B hockey should be.

“It’s about finding those local guys who are close or just a step away from the BCHL or the WHL. We want to get them when they’re a little bit younger and on the way up and then developing them from there.”

Some of the veterans who will be leaned on to help the young players are Simon Creighton, Nathan Howser and Hunter MacDonald.

Creighton in particular has played over 80 games in a Bucs uniform over the past two seasons.

Gaertner was coy about naming his captain and assistant captains saying he wanted to keep that information close to the vest.

With four of the first eight games against the Bucs’ biggest rival, the Oceanside Generals, it’s crucial Nanaimo has success against last year’s North Division leaders.

“Rivalries are important. They’re part of the culture of the Bucs organization and I’d be remiss to ignore that,” Gaertner said. “Building on that culture and building on the success that this team has had in years past is something I’m fully committed to.”

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77