A series of wins and increasing fan support are turning this season into a great one for the Vancouver Giants.
In their most recent home game, the attendance at the Langley Events Centre topped 4,753, the largest crowd since moving to Langley.
“It was great, it was a good atmosphere,” said McKee. “Our players really fed off it.”
The increasing attendance is a direct result of the Giants’ winning ways. A five-game road trip brought the team four more wins and a single loss in overtime. Then it was back to the LEC for a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Kelowna Rockets.
McKee gives credit to his players for the string of solid games.
Players like James Malm continue to distinguish themselves – Malm now has a league-leading nine game winning goals for the season.
According to McKee, Malm’s scoring streak has come together because he’s been spending the year working on becoming a better defensive player.
Meanwhile, Ty Ronning has hit 40 goals for the season, becoming only the fifth Giant ever to reach that mark.
“Ty’s been very consistent for us throughout the season,” McKee said. “He’s had a tremendous year.”
Last season did not go well for the Giants, but throughout it McKee insisted the team was building. This year, the pieces are in place. Recent trades added a few more as the team can finally begin to think about the playoffs. Brandon Riddle and Davis Koch were acquired in recent trades to give a little more experience to the team.
The team can’t rest on its laurels.
“We’ve got a huge weekend ahead of us,” McKee said. That’s because of games against Victoria and Portland, two of the other top teams in the league.