After winning a gold medal this past summer, Virden Oil Capitals defenceman Devon Becker is hoping to help his current team have a successful winter.
Becker was a part of the Team Canada squad that won the men’s open ice hockey championship at the 2017 Maccabiah Games, which are known as the Jewish Olympics. The event, held every four years in Israel, drew 10,000 athletes from 85 countries to compete in 45 sports. Becker and his older brother Kyle won gold together. Their father, Ben, competed in soccer at it in 1985.
“Winning a gold medal just was unbelievable,” Becker said. “Championship teams, no matter how long ago, will always have great memories that you’ll never forget.”
Becker hopes to make some memories with the Oil Caps this season. Acquired by the team in October from Weyburn, he has brought experience and veteran leadership to a young blue line.
“He has been very solid,” Virden head coach Troy Leslie said. “He just makes good plays with the puck. He’s calm and poised with the puck out there. He never panics.”
The Oil Caps earned at least a point in all three of their games last week. They fell 4-3 in overtime to Swan Valley, beat Portage 4-1 on the road, and romped past Dauphin, 8-2, on the road. On Monday, Virden lost to Selkirk, 7-2, in Winnipeg at the Manitoba Junior Hockey League Showcase.
The MJHL Showcase brings all of the league’s teams together in one place for scouts from the major junior, college, university, and pro ranks to see. On Wednesday, after the Empire-Advance deadline, the Oil Caps were to play Neepawa at the Showcase.
The 6-foot-2, 201-pound Becker had eight points through 15 games with Virden. Leslie said he is a quiet leader, a good person, and is positionally sound.
“I enjoy the up tempo pace here in Virden,” Becker said. “Different style than what I played back in Weyburn. The game is fast now and this team is very fast and skilled and we have a great chance at doing some damage this year come playoff time.”
Game Tonight
Virden hosts Waywayseecappo on Friday night. This is the annual Teddy Bear Toss game. All stuffed toys thrown onto the ice after the Oil Caps’ first goal will be collected for the Virden and Area Christmas Cheer. The team will also be collecting non-perishable food items for the same organization as part of its Tin for the Bin campaign. Donations will be matched in cash value by the Valleyview Co-op.
Saturday the team plays in Steinbach. The Oil Caps host those same Pistons on Dec. 21.
Stampeders 4, Oil Caps 3 OT
With less than four minutes remaining in the third period on Dec. 5, Tyler Kirkup scored to tie the game at 3-3 and force overtime. Lane Kirk was able to score in the extra session to give the visiting Stampeders a 4-3 in front of 722 at the Tundra Oil & Gas Place.
After a scoreless first period, Virden led 2-1 on goals by Kyle Salaway and Dylan Thiessen with about six minutes remaining in the second. Virden goalie Dalton Dosch made 24 saves on 29 shots. Stamps netminder Ethan Peterson had 48 saves as the Oil Caps sent 51 shots his way.
Oil Caps 4, Terriers 1
On the road on Dec. 6, the Oil Capitals lit the lamp twice in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. The lone Portage shot that got past Virden goalie Riley McVeigh was on a power play in the second period. That made the game 2-1. McVeigh shut out the hosts the rest of the way and the Oil Caps added two more goals in the third.
Thiessen, Salaway, Graeme Hore, and Ben Dalke all scored for Virden. The Oil Caps had two empty net goals. Leslie said it was a closer game than the score indicated.
“We got out to an early two nothing lead and they came hard,” he said. “Riley made some timely saves for us.”
Oil Caps 8, Kings 2
On the road, the Oil Capitals scored four goals in the first period and four more in the second to grab a stranglehold on their game with the Kings. Virden led 4-1 and 8-1 at the intermissions.
“Offensively we were very good that night,” Leslie said. “We had the puck a lot and were moving it around nice.”
Defenceman Justin Lee racked up four assists on the night. Kirklan Lycar and Kolten Kanaski each had two goals. Also scoring for Virden were Kirkup, Hore, Jeran Knorr, and Rylee Zimmer. Virden’s offence forced Dauphin to use two netmidners. They combined to stop 43 of Virden’s 51 shots.
McVeigh made 18 saves. McVeigh’s strong play last week earned him runner-up honours for Recycle Everywhere MJHL Player of the Week.
Pistons 7, Oil Caps 2
At the Bell MTS Iceplex, Virden had a strong start with what Leslie called one of its best periods of the season. Selkirk led 2-1 and 5-1 at the intermissions. The Steelers scored three times on eight power-play opportunities. Leslie said Virden picked things up in the third period but the deficit was too big.
Salaway and Knorr had Virden’s goals. McVeigh made 14 saves on 19 shots. Dosch came on in the third period and stopped three of the five shots he saw.
Slapshots
Lee was invited to the Canada West selection camp for the World Junior A Challenge. Although he did not crack the team, Lee said the Dec. 2-5 event in Calgary was a positive experience. “I enjoyed the speed of the game a lot and just the overall experience was a blast. I’ve very fortunate to have been selected and to have gone out there.” … Salaway was the RBC MJHL Player of the Month for November. The wrong month was stated in a previous issue. … As of Monday, the Oil Caps were 19-10-1 this season.
