Mark Berry
Special to the Mirror
The big story for Campbell River Storm fans last weekend wasn’t the 6-1 victory or the 3-3 tie; it was news that the league’s leading goal scorer and team captain, Gage Colpron, is out of the lineup for the remainder of the season.
In a short release on Friday night following the game, team officials reported the following on social media: “In extremely disappointing news, we regret to announce the end of Gage Colpron’s season due to an upper body injury.”
The back half of January has been particularly hard on the team. On Jan. 13, Braeden Cyra left the game after receiving a huge hit and his return date is uncertain. On Jan. 22, Alex Rosolowsky was hit awkwardly into the boards and he hasn’t played since.
Colpron, after receiving a hit in the second period on Jan. 26, went to the dressing room favouring his arm. Those three players represent almost 40 per cent of the Storm’s goal production this season.
According to Associate Coach, Mike Wilson, “With those key pieces out of the lineup, there’s an opportunity for guys to step up and contribute in ways that hasn’t been expected of them,” according to associate coach Mike Wilson. “One of the things I’ve loved about this team all year is that we have a lot of depth.”
On Friday night against the Comox Valley Glacier Kings, the Storm demonstrated that depth by getting goal production from six different players in a 6-1 win. Despite scoring the opening goal, it took the team more than 30 minutes to find their rhythm. After Christian Brandt’s goal from his office in the high slot, the Storm dominated, outshooting the Yetis 31-13 in the final two frames.
Other Storm goals came from Kobe Oishi, Josh Coblenz, Darryl Senholt, Dylan McCann and Aaron Brewer.
The Kerry Park Islanders have played the Storm tough all season long and their Saturday encounter, a 3-3 draw, was no different. Oishi and Coblenz gave Campbell River a 2-0 lead after one period but the second would belong to the Isles, who took advantage of the pressure they established after a full two-minute two man advantage early in the period.
Kerry Park would pick up three goals to just one from the Red and Black. Joe Gage, on a goal mouth scramble picked up Campbell River’s third goal and that was it for scoring.
The Storm’s Jake Mullen was spectacular in goal, particularly in the second overtime when he stoned Kerry Park snipers on numerous occasions. He earned third-star honours.
The tie moved the Storm’s undefeated streak to 12 games and closed off a near-perfect January, one in which the team picked up 21 of a possible 22 points.
As a 20-year-old, Gage Colpron’s junior hockey career has come to a close and what a career it’s been. He is one of three current players that joined the team when head coach Lee Stone took over the reins three seasons ago. In 134 regular season games, he’s amassed 110 goals and 207 points. At last year’s Cyclone Taylor Cup, B.C.’s Junior B Championship, he averaged two points per game and led the team to the title. On April 19, he scored the insurance goal as the team dropped the North Edmonton Red Wings 6-3 to capture the ultimate prize, the Keystone Cup.
Stone said just a few weeks ago in the Mirror after Colpron’s fifth hat trick of the season, “He makes me look good, it’s pretty nice when you can put out a guy like that.”
The captain is ranked No. 2 among Storm alltime scorers.
The next three games for the North Divisions leaders are on the road, including Friday’s matchup with the Saanich Braves.