The Kootenay Ice hosted the Brandon Wheat Kings for the last time in Cranbrook.
The Wheaties came into Western Financial Place on March 5 on a mission as they are currently in a battle for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, and sit two points behind the Red Deer Rebels who occupy the final spot.
It was a shutout for the Brandon, who defeated the hosts 7-0.
“It was pretty close in the first, but they pulled away with it in the end,” said Nolan Orzeck, who finished the night with one shot on goal.
“I thought we played pretty hard. We had a bit of a collapse here and there, and they capitalized on their chances.”
The Ice couldn’t get on the board in the first period, but Peyton Krebs had a close call when he hit the post.
Baron Thompson and Luka Burzan both scored in the first period to give the Wheat Kings a 2-0 lead going into the second period.
“I just thought the first period we gave them two easy goals, it’s a team we could have played better against,” said head coach James Patrick.
The second period wasn’t offensively better for the Ice as they remained off the scoreboard, but the Wheat Kings added to their total.
Ridly Greig and Stelio Mattheos potted goals, while Thompson scored his second of the night to make it 5-0 going into the third period for the Wheat Kings.
Burzan also added his second goal of the night, while Ben McCartney tallied one in the final frame, as the visiting Wheat Kings won 7-0 over the Ice.
The Ice were in the box for quite a bit, as Brandon had five power-play opportunities, but Kootenay was able to kill them off.
While they didn’t get a win it was a special night as it was Ice defenceman Martin Bodak’s last game in a Kootenay uniform.
“For two years he was our top defenceman, he always played against the other team’s top lines,” said Patrick.
“He’s a really good defender, he’s a competitor, he can skate and physically compete with the best players in the league.”
Bodak has played in 117 Western Hockey League regular season games with the Ice and has recorded 18 goals and 38 assists for 56 points in his two seasons.
“It was great,” he said about his time with the team.
“Just bad luck we didn’t get to play in the playoffs, but I still appreciated what the Kootenay Ice did for me. I got a lot of ice time, and I really liked those years here.”
Big memories for Bodak include when he scored his first WHL goal, which was Dec. 2, 2017, against the Kelowna Rockets in a 5-2 loss.
“Maybe my first goal, it was pretty nice,” he said. “Or when we win big games it’s really nice. I have a lot of memories with all the guys here. I love all the guys here, they are great.”
Bodak is from Slovakia and has plans to play over in Europe, however, he doesn’t know where yet.
There are now only two home games left for the Ice as they take on the Medicine Hat Tigers on March 15 and their final game at Western Financial Place against the Red Deer Rebels on March 17.
jessica.dempsey@cranbrooktownsman.com
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