Over the last few decades hockey has changed.
Scoring is down.
Way down. The offensive numbers teams and players put up during the late 1970s through the mid 1990s are tough to explain to hockey fans under the age of 20.
During the 1983-84 season Brett Hull set the BCHL record for goals in a season when he scored 105 goals in 56 games for the Penticton Knights.
That record will never be broken. In today’s BCHL a 50 goal season is an incredible accomplishment for a player.
During the Chiefs first season in Chilliwack (1990-91) Joey Potskin set the team record for goals (60) and points (146) in a season.
I doubt those records will ever be broken either.
There are, however, a couple of offensive team records that are in danger of being broken this season.
Doug Ast spent three seasons in a Chiefs uniform and holds the team career records for goals (101) and points (242).
I thought Gabe Gauthier would break Doug’s point record during the 2001-02 season but an injury kept him out of the last few regular season games (he could have played through it but there was no point as the Chiefs had wrapped up first place at the time) and he finished his Chiefs career with 236.
During Ast’s three years in the league there were an average of 10.17 goals scored in each BCHL game. During Gauthier’s three years it was 8.25. With this trend it seemed unlikely that Ast’s career marks would be broken.
It was likely going to take four seasons rather than three in a Chiefs uniform for a player to approach these totals.
Enter Jordan Kawaguchi.
Back for a fourth season with the Chiefs, Kawaguchi began this season with career numbers of 82 goals and 157 points.
For reference sake, the average number of goals per BCHL game during his first three years in the league was 6.92.
I think Ast’s records are both in danger. Kawaguchi began the season with a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win in Langley last week leaving him just 19 goals and 83 points from making those records his own.
Kawaguchi’s Chiefs home opener is tomorrow (Saturday) against the Langley Rivermen and believe me there is a lot more than just the game going on.
Fans entering the Chuck A Puck contest will have the chance to win a home theatre recliner courtesy of Jags Furniture and Mattress.
Hypnotist Lee Dyson will be demonstrating his talents on an unsuspecting Chiefs player during one of the intermissions and the first 1000 fans will receive a free magnet schedule.
Minor Hockey players are encouraged to wear their jerseys to the game.
For every kid wearing their minor hockey jersey to the game the Chiefs will donate $2 to Chilliwack Minor Hockey.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller will be the special guest.
He’ll be signing autographs on the concourse from 6 to 6:45 pm.
During the first period 10 kids wearing their minor hockey jersey and one guest (parent or sibling) will be randomly selected to visit Miller and watch part of the second period with him in one of the suites.
jb@chilliwackchiefs.net