A first-round playoff sweep wasn't meant to be but the Cowichan Valley Capitals did dispatch the Nanaimo Clippers in five games with a 3-0 victory on home ice on April 11.
Camden Bajzer and Gavin Giesbrecht scored power-play goals in the first and third periods respectively while Jordan Bax got a goal with just over a minute to play in the second.
At the other end of the ice, Dylan Krick got his fourth win of the playoffs between the pipes, saving all 30 shots he faced for the shutout — his first in the BCHL.
Though Cowichan only dropped one game in the opening round of the 2025 BCHL playoffs, it was a hard-fought series that saw two games go to overtime and one-goal leads in the final minutes of play in two of the other three games.
The Capitals never let up, battling hard until the final whistle every game and it paid off.
"How we played against Nanaimo is how we want to continue to play no matter who our opponent is in the next round," said head coach Cam Keith.
And without a doubt, the Cowichan faithful will pack the stands to give the Caps an extra gear.
"We didn’t lose a game at home for a reason," Keith said of the first round win.
"The atmosphere and energy at the Cowichan Arena was electric. It forms a deep connection of pride with our group to the community and gives us a true home ice advantage."
The Capitals will face the Victoria Grizzlies in the second round with Games 1 and 2 Friday and Saturday at the Cowichan Arena. Both games start at 7 p.m.
Ice Chips:
• Forward Hayden Russell has been short-listed for the Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy for BCHL's Rookie of the Year. He joins the Sherwood Park Crusaders' Poul Andersen and Jeremy Loranger as nominees.
• Caps Captain Gavin Giesbrecht was the BCHL's second Star of the Week last week with three goals and an assist in two games played. Hayden Russell and Camden Bajzer were honourable mentions.
• The Caps have also signed forward Jayden Levesque for the 2025-26 season. This past season Levesque scored 17 goals and added 34 assists for 51 points with the Wellington Dukes of the OJHL.
