The Olds Grizzlys four-game homestand continues on Friday, November 1st when a Storm rolls into town.
The Grande Prairie Storm hit the ice at the SportsComplex for games versus Olds on both Friday and Saturday.
The Grizzlys have 7 wins and 6 losses so far this season to reside in 5th place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s South Division, while G.P. is first overall with a record of 11-1-1-1. The Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Top 20 rankings for the week of October 28th had Grande Prairie slotted in at number 4.
Grizzlys forward Esteban Labelle (2006) breaks down how his team can be successful this weekend against the Storm. He says “if we are playing our ‘A’ game it is going to be hard for them to match that but, yeah, best team in the league right now so we need to come hard and hit them every time they have the puck. Kind of just be in their face all game and, you know, talk a lot and just be ourselves.”
Labelle scored his second goal as a Grizzly during the opening game of this four-game homestand last Friday at the SportsComplex (3-2 loss to Fort McMurray). In his rookie season with the Black & Gold the 18-year-old from Mirabel, Quebec has a pair of goals and one assist through 11 games while playing mostly on the team’s energy line along with Hunter Motley (2005) from Czar and Michael Albert (2006) from Clayton, California.
Grizzlys Captain Connor Seeley (2005) from West Kelowna, B.C. sizes up this weekend’s battle with Grande Prairie. He says “it’s always big, like they are a strong physical team. You’ve got to just play that strong physical game. You can never underestimate them or they’ll get a couple on you but I think, like coming off the first games of the season and those playoffs its going to be a big weekend. These are two games that we’ve got to battle for, compete for.”
The 19-year-old Seeley had the game winning goal in the one victory that Olds had over G.P in last year’s postseason best of five play-in round series. He has 2 goals and 7 points through 13 games this season. In 2023-2024, Seeley posted 2 goals and 14 points in 46 games as a rookie in the AJHL.
The Grizzlys came up short (5-2, 10-0) in their first two meetings this season with the Storm back in September in Grande Prairie.
96.5 CKFM will have live coverage of the home games this weekend for Olds versus Grande Prairie. Puck drop for both is set for 7 o’clock.
The Olds Grizzlys are also hosting their annual U18 double ‘A’ tournament this weekend at the SportsComplex.
96.5 CKFM spoke with Esteban Labelle following practice on Thursday, October 31st.
CKFM also caught up with Captain Connor Seeley this week.
