The second place Clippers go after a fourth straight win when they play the first place Capitals in back to back divisional games. Nanaimo leads the head to head series 2-0. (Damon James/Island Images Photography)

By Dan Marshall

Showdown

Clippers take on division leading Capitals in home and home series

Nov 6, 2025 | 12:06 PM

NANAIMO — A three-game winning streak vaulted the Nanaimo Clippers into second place in the Coastal West division, setting the stage for a key Island rivalry this weekend.

The Clippers can’t catch the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the standings, even with a pair of wins on Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8, but a weekend sweep would have Nanaimo nipping at the heels of their Duncan-based rivals.

Cowichan Valley has 23 points compared to the Clippers’ 17, but in two previous head-to-head meetings Nanaimo won by scores of 7-4 and 1-0.

The Capitals have lost only four games in regulation time this year, with two of those setbacks at the hands of the Clippers.

Nanaimo defenceman Will Subject said having only one opponent for the week has given the team a chance to really focus on Cowichan Valley’s tendencies.

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“We just have to go in and play our game and take it from there. This is our biggest weekend yet. With four points on the table it’s a huge weekend for us,” Subject told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Forward Tanner Bruender is playing some of his best hockey of the season for the Shipmen, having racked up three goals and four assists in his last seven outings.

He said it will a full team effort to get points from a difficult opponent.

“Our coaches do a good job with video and a pre-scout against Cowichan. We have a pretty bought in group and I think we adjust pretty well to their game plan,” Bruender said.

Following a five game playoff series last spring, won by the Capitals, Nanaimo has treated the head-to- head games with extra importance.

After losing the first two games this season, Cowichan Valley head coach Cam Keith said the rivalry is growing on both sides.

“Nanaimo is right there at the top as they normally are. I feel like this team is stronger than what they had last year. Normally with Colin Birkas’s teams they usually grow exponentially.”

Keith said the Capitals are focusing more on their process of improving, as opposed to closely watching the standings.

“We get two really good sample sizes against them. All those different little side games are really interesting for a coach to dive into and it’s a mini playoff series in a way. You get a naturally rivalry that gets built up from playing two games in a row. It usually gets more physical and there’s emotion from the kids.”

Nanaimo hosts Cowichan Valley on Friday night at 7 p.m., followed by a short bus ride to Duncan’s Cowichan Community Centre the following evening for a 7 p.m. start.

October was a busy month for the Clippers with 11 games, with only three on home ice.

Things are shaping up similarly for November with nine games on the docket, and again only three staged at Frank Crane Arena

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