Josh Lockhart
The Kimberley Dynamiters have familiar foes again this weekend — same teams, same locations, just different dates.
First, the Dynamiters head to Fernie on Friday to play the Ghostriders in a rematch of last Saturday’s game. The Riders are now winners of seven of their past 10 games and sit three points behind the Dynamiters.
“The only thing we need to do differently [this weekend] is [manage our game] when there is adversity. When there was adversity last [Saturday] night we didn’t do a very good job at managing it,” said head coach and general manager Derek Stuart on Sunday in preparation for facing Fernie again. “We have to [be better at that].”
After Fernie, the Nitros host the Columbia Valley Rockies in a rematch of last Friday’s game.
“They have a great coach over there in Columbia Valley,” Stuart said of the Rockies bench boss, former NHLer Wade Dubielewicz after Friday’s game. “He is very knowledgeable [about] the game [and] he has played at the highest level.”
The Nitros added forward Nolan Kurylo (’98) to their roster this week. He comes to the team from the Canmore Eagles of the AJHL. The Calgary, AB native played the full 2015-16 season with the Eagles, notching one goal and seven assists in his 43-game rookie campaign. He played 13 games this season with them, scoring one goal and four points.
Stuart is happy to have Kurylo in the lineup and said that “he is going to be a big part of [the] team moving forward offensively.”
“He’s going to add a lot of speed to our lineup which bodes well for us,” he said. “[Our speed] is one of the elements that makes us hard to play against.”
With the experience at Junior A, he makes plays a little quicker and faster.”
Friday’s game in Fernie starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Fernie Memorial Arena. Saturday’s puck drop is 7 p.m. at the Kimberley Civic Centre.
MATCH STICKS: The Kimberley Dynamiters now have 23 players on their roster. George Bertoia and Cody Campbell are both listed as injured, but Campbell is expected back this weekend. Team leading scorer Korbyn Chabot made his Jr A debut Wednesday with the Trail Smoke Eaters.
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