New Look Merritt Centennials seek Redemption this Season

MERRITT  — The time is here, it’s finally a Merritt Centennials game day. It may be the preseason but the city is buzzing in anticipation of a new hockey season, it’s a chance to turn a page on what has been a tumultuous couple of seasons.

Merritt enters 2023/24 as a team looking for redemption. Let’s deconstruct the last few seasons, five years that saw five different coaches.

2018/19: (36-15-7)  This was head coach Joe Martin’s last season with the team. After starting a respectable 7-6-0 the Cents would go on a 29-9-7 run to finish the season, an incredible run. One of Merritt’s best seasons ever ended in a very disappointing first round exit. This team was predicted to make a run in the BCHL Playoffs, so a first round playoff loss was quite a gut punch. This would mark the beginning of a dreadful slide, as the team was never really that bad in prior years- but would drop to the basement of the league for years to come.

2019/20: (14-40-4) The beginning of the downslide. After a tremendous season the Cents would start the season 2-10-0 and never recover, the team would go on a 15 game losing streak that year in what was a massive setback for the franchise.

2020/21: (2-13-0) The COVID year. They played in a division with Prince George and Chilliwack. They went 2-6-0 against Chilliwack and 0-7 against the Spruce Kings. This season would lead into one of the worst seasons in BCHL history next year.

2021/22: (3-47-0) Former 2nd overall pick in the NHL Draft Dave Chyzowski would have an abysmal season with the Centennials. A team that didn’t win a single road game. There isn’t much to say about this season other than “there is nowhere but up from here” in what could be considered rock bottom.

2022/23: (12-37-3) Injuries, injuries, injuries. After starting 0-2 the Cents redeemed themselves with two road wins to start the year 2-2-0. The team won about 1 of 3 games in the first half of the season, definitely a massive improvement from the last two seasons. Unfortunately as players were traded or hurt, the team started winning 1 out of 6 games on average, and finished the final few weeks of the season with some double-digit lop sided losses. The goals for and against speaks for itself.

What does it all mean?

It means the Centennials went 31-137-7 the last four seasons. They lost 80 % of their games. There is no sugar coating the way things have gone of late.

Where does the team go from here?

Brian Passmore took over as head coach in the offseason and had to “stock the cupboards” as the roster saw a complete overhaul. New goaltenders will battle it out for the starting goalie position, with Johnny Hicks gone the spot is essentially up for grabs.

The scouting has brought in talent from hockey hotspots such as Quebec, Latvia, Czechia and the Boston area. The results? They will speak for themselves.

Expect a bunch of fresh faces looking to prove their keep in the BCHL, it should be a hungry team with sights on redemption after what has been a “dark period” for Merritt Centennials hockey. The buzz around the team is at an all time high in a city that worships it’s hockey team.

It’s clear the players, coaches and fans want wins now.

September 8/9th.