As heard on 96.5 CKFM, a kid from Carstairs came up clutch for Drayton Valley in Olds.
The Drayton Valley Thunder (12-13-3-3) outlasted the Grizzlys 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday, January 7th at the SportsComplex thanks to the heroics of 20-year-old forward Matthias Bessey (2004).
His goal gave the Thunder the victory and snapped a string of seven straight victories in extra time this season for Olds. The Grizzlys are now 3-1 in overtime, and 4-0 in shootouts.
Former Olds Grizzlys defenceman Kabe Bleay (2000) is in his second season as an Assistant Coach with Drayton Valley. Before Tuesday’s game Bleay said it would be a big night for Bessey since it was going to be the final regular season game in Olds of his junior hockey career. Last night’s goal was the 4th of the season for Bessey who now has 12 total goals in 137 regular season games during his AJHL career – all of them as a member of the Drayton Valley Thunder. It is the second time Bessey has scored a goal for the Thunder at the SportsComplex. He had a shorthanded tally versus the Grizzlys in October of 2022.
The loss broke up the Grizzlys two game winning streak and puts the fifth place Thunder 3 points ahead of sixth place Olds in the South Division standings.
However, the Grizzlys (13-18-1-0) still wound up getting 5 out of 6 points on their 3 game homestand to start the new year.
Rookie forward Braeden Veldhuizen (2006) from Calgary put the Black & Gold up 1-0 in the second period with his 9th goal of the season.
The OGs would move back in front during the final seconds of period two thanks to the first goal of the season for a player who has been due for a while. Defenceman Quinn Abbott (2005) from North Vancouver, B.C. now has 1 goal and 13 assists in 32 games in 2024-2025.
In his last 13 games for the Grizzlys, Abbott has posted a goal and 7 assists from the blueline.
Up next for Olds is an Alberta Junior Hockey League road trip to Devon (6-21-2-2) on Friday and Whitecourt (22-8-2-1) on Saturday.
96.5 CKFM had this pre-game conversation with Grizzlys Head Coach Brad Tobin.
CKFM also caught up with Kabe Bleay before Tuesday’s AJHL action in Olds.
