Kamloops Storm Defenceman Aaron Zulinick earns Player of the Game honours in the BCHC Prospects Game
The Pacific Junior Hockey League earned its second straight British Columbia Hockey Conference Prospects Game victory with a 4-1 decision over the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Oliver Nottingham opened the scoring at the George Preston Recreation Centre for the PJHL with a power-play goal 6:37 into the first period. The PJHL went 2-for-8 on the power-play. Nick Kovich scored the eventual winner at the midway mark of the first period giving them a 2-0 lead.
Aaron Zulinick, selected as the Player of the Game for the KIJHL, scored their lone goal on the power-play at 15:43 of the second period. KIJHL goalie Brenner Fyfe stopped 22 of 24 shots in 30:11 of action, while Michael Makowsky saved 20 of 22 shots during the final half of action for 29:49 of playing time. Josh Vallee earned the win stopping all 14 shots he faced in 30:11 of action. Cody Johnston was named the PJHL Player of the Game after assisting on the 3-1 goal by Tyler Blatz.
This week’s KIJHL Notebook highlights Kamloops Storm defenceman Aaron Zulinick as he shares his thoughts on the BCHC Prospects Game, reflecting on his performance, the team’s effort, and the unique experiences the event offered.
KIJHL: How did it feel to get that goal?
AZ: It’s a good feeling scoring in a game like this. There’s lots of people watching so it felt great.
KIJHL: How did you feel that you played?
AZ: You’re going to make mistakes when there’s nerves, but for the most part I played pretty well and worked hard and did my best.
KIJHL: How do you guys feel you played?
AZ: We definitely had some really good moments, unfortunately we took a lot of penalties which didn’t help. They capitalized on the power-play twice. Our 5-on-5 play was good and I thought we worked hard, had lots of chances, it just didn’t fall for us.
KIJHL: Talk about the experience of being at this Prospects Game, what was it like for you?
AZ: The people here treat you amazing. The hotels were great, the food was awesome, and they always fed us very well. The coaching staff was great, they really shared a lot for us to learn.
KIJHL: What was the WHL combine experience like for you?
AZ: It was really cool, it was my first time doing a combine, but George Cochrane did a really good job on that and we had lots of fun. It’s cool to see your speeds, see what events you are good at, and what you need to work on more. It’s also a great time whenever you do it with your teammates.
KIJHL: What do you think you will cherish the most about these past few days?
AZ: Just the guys I met. There’s some really good guys here I’ll be friends with for life and the experience. It was a really fast game, so taking that back to the Storm and hopefully I can excel this season with that.
