Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

JUNIOR B HOCKEY

Storm on the move: Kamloops KIJHL club heading back across the river

Mar 3, 2020 | 2:56 PM

KAMLOOPS — After a hard-fought 3-1 loss to the Revelstoke Grizzlies last night, the Kamloops Storm are on the brink of elimination in the KIJHL Playoffs heading into tonight’s game four.

If there was an extra glimmer of hope for the team last night, it was the raucous crowd who gathered at McArthur Island Sports Centre to support the team in their return to the north side of the river.

It was an almost perfect start for the Kamloops Storm Monday night at Mac Island. With less than four minutes left in the first period of game three of the KIJHL quarterfinal series, the home team notched a power-play goal — and the home crowd erupted.

“This is what you hope for when you organize hockey, when you play hockey,” Storm GM Matt Kolle told CFJC Today after the first period of last night’s game. “You want people, you want environment, you want fun, and that’s what I’m in it for. I think tonight is a great night for that.”

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In a rink that holds around 1,200 fans, the seats and standing room area were at least half full on Monday night. For some fans, the return to the Island feels like the right move for the team.

“We’ve never seen a crowd like this — anywhere near this — at any game we’ve ever seen at Memorial Arena,” one fan told CFJC Today.

“Right now, it’s boomin’! There are tons of people in here,” another fan said, as they surveyed the crowd. “For a Monday night, I think it’s pretty good. Maybe it’s because it’s playoffs, but I think it’s great.”

Other fans felt like the smaller space was the reason the rink was rocking, as just as many fans would have likely come out to Memorial.

“I think your crowd size is going to be the same, but I think with less seats here, it’s going to seem more full and louder.”

There was no official attendance number logged on the league’s website for Monday night’s game. Considering all the work the team did ahead of puck drop to entice fans in, it was likely the Storm’s best crowd of the year.

“I would say there are at least 300 North Shore folks here,” Kolle said. “In marketing this game, we did go to every school on the North Shore and drop off tickets. We did go to business on the North Shore and create partnerships and give them tickets. We wanted to make sure everyone got a taste here on the North Shore again.”

And one of the reasons Kolle heard for those fans coming back? It’s about as Kamloops as you can get.

“Parking. I mean, the biggest comment tonight is parking,” Kolle said. “When you look out there right now, cars are scattered all around this building. And you know what? There’s enough room for everybody.”

So with all that in mind, Kolle made it official: the Storm are moving north, back to their roots.

“I’ll say it today: we’re coming back to the North Shore,” Kolle said. “What ice surface we’re playing on is yet to be determined, but we will be back at the North Shore next year.”

So while the Storm have their backs against the proverbial wall heading into Tuesday night’s game four, they know they’ll have some fans at that wall as well, cheering like hell for them.