More hockey fans will have an chance to cheer on the Vancouver Giants in person starting Friday night – at least more than have been allowed in to attend the games during the past two years.
“Without a doubt” the players are pretty psyched to get “some more bodies, some more bums in the seats,” as Langley Event Centre (LEC) returns to 100 per cent seating capacity this week –following the lifting of COVID crowd restrictions, said Giants vice-president Dale Saip.
“It’s good that we’re able to welcome everybody back…,” he added, the Vancouver Giants return to action this weekend with a trio of games.
It starts Friday night at the LEC, when the G-Men look to secure their third-straight victory when they host their Island rivals, the Victoria Royals at 7:30 p.m.
Then on Saturday, the Giants will hit the road for a 7 p.m. showdown in Kamloops against the Blazers.
The long weekend wraps up Monday, back at home, when they play a matinee game at 2 p.m. – again squaring off against Victoria. That’s followed by a free post-game public skate with the team mascot – Jack the Giant – presented by C&D Logistics.
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While the team will be excited to see more people coming out, even this weekend, Saip said they’re not expecting to immediately be at maximum seating capacity, which is about 4,400.
During the COVID periods, they have been near the limited capacity of about 2,000. The hope is to soon double that.
“We don’t expect it to be bursting at the seams to start with,” he added, noting they will work at building the crowd again as they move forward towards playoffs.
“Because we weren’t sure what was going to happen, we haven’t had much of a runway to get ready for it, to be quite honest,” Saip said.
But, he assured, plans are now in the works to reinstate the Giants school, community, and minor hockey programs and other initiatives to boost the numbers of at-home spectators.
“Now, we’re needing to ramp up and make sure we get people back in the building.… I think it’s long overdue,” he said, noting that young fans especially bring a very high energy to the games – something that’s greatly appreciated by the players.
“It adds so much to the atmosphere,” Saip elaborated, noting how it also motivates the team to play harder.
He offered major accolades to the “committed” and “focused” young athletes on the Giants and all they’ve had to ensure the past few years.
For example, he said, they played in a bubble for 45 days last year, living in basic isolation in a hotel room for the duration of the abbreviated season. Then this year, they’ve been up and down with COVID restrictions, PCR testing, postponed games, and an 11-hour bus trip up to Kelowna to play because the highway was washed out due to flooding.
“These guys, the commitment they’ve made to their trade and what they’ve chosen to pursue, it’s remarkable and all the credit to them,” Saip said.
He’s confident getting fans back in the seats will be a huge boast for the morale of these teenage boys.
There are still lots of opportunities for people to get out and catch the action, with the Giants a little more than halfway through the regular season.
Tickets for the at-home games are still available online.
Saip noted that masks and proof of vaccination are still required.
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SEASON EXTENSION ANNOUNCED
The Giants also announced an updated schedule Thursday, which will see them playing for about a month longer than normal.
That, too, is pandemic related, explained Saip. The Giants had to postpone a number of games in the past two month, due to COVID concerns. So on Thursday, the team and the Western Hockey League rolled out a revised schedule that will see the G-Men making up those games in the first half of April.
In addition to the regular games already on the roster, the team has rescheduled the following:
• April 8 – Vancouver Giants vs. Portland Winterhawks (from Jan. 9)
• April 9 – Vancouver Giants at Kelowna Rockets (from Jan. 7)
• April 10 – Vancouver Giants at Kelowna Rockets (from Feb. 9)
• April 13 – Vancouver Giants vs. Seattle Thunderbirds (from Feb. 6)
• April 15 – Vancouver Giants vs. Kelowna Rockets (from Jan. 22)
ª April 16 – Vancouver Giants at Kamloops Blazers (from Jan. 8)
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