Revelstoke Grizzlies capture 2023 Cyclone Taylor Cup
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Revelstoke Grizzlies scored three times in the opening frame en route to a 4-1 decision over the Kimberley Dynamiters 4-1 in the all-KIJHL Cyclone Taylor Cup Final Sunday at the Revelstoke Forum.
Will McPhee, Carter Bettenson and Brady Schawb scored power play goals in the first period, and David Coyle added another special team’s goal in the second to power the host Grizzlies to the BC Junior B Hockey Championship Title.
“We all came focused, we all came ready to go tonight, we knew we had a great team over there (Kimberley), we were all dialed in and ready to go,” said Jozef Kuchaslo, who was named the Player of the Game for the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
“We wanted to prove everyone wrong, we know we came in as the host team, a little bit of an underdog, people doubted us being there. We just wanted to prove to everyone how much it meant to us, how much it meant to the city and how much it meant to each and every guy on our team.”
Trailing 3-0 after one period, Kimberley answered with its only goal of the game when Ethan Bloomquist scored to beat Kuchaslo witih a power play marker in the second period.
However, five minutes later, Coyle answered to restore Revelstoke’s three-goal advantage before the period ended.
Kimberley could not muster any offence in the third period as Revelstoke checked the Nitros, allowing only six shots on Kuchaslo.
Dynamiters goalie Trystan Self finished with 36 saves.
Bettenson, who netted the winner, was named the Cyclone Taylor Cup MVP.
In four games, Bettenson had five goals and six points.
“I kind of found that role late in the tournament, just burying a couple goals on the power-play, helping the boys get the wins,” he Bettenson.
“Late in the game I thought I played really well defensively to get pucks out. Just chipping simply on the wall, especially in Game 2 and 3 as well. It makes it easy to get offence when you are not giving up anything in the defensive zone.”
Kimberley, winner of the KIJHL with a thrilling seven-game series win over Princeton Posse in the league final, advanced to the Cyclone Taylor Championship with wins over Delta Ice Hawks of the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League and Oceanside Generals of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
Revelstoke defeated Kimberley and Delta to reach the Cyclone Final.
Oceanside defeated Delta 4-2 to claim the bronze medal.
—With files from KIJHL
