The Merritt Centennials will travel to the Chilliwack hub for their opening game of the abbreviated BCHL season on Friday night against the Chiefs (Image Credit: Garrett James / Merritt Centennials)

By Chad Klassen

BCHL OPENING NIGHT

Merritt Centennials face off in shortened BCHL season Friday night

Apr 1, 2021 | 5:32 PM

MERRITT, B.C. — It’s been more than four months since the Merritt Centennials last played a game. It was a 4-2 win in exhibition play against Cranbrook. The Cents’ last regular season game was Feb. 23, 2020, in Salmon Arm.

The organization is relieved to be returning to play Friday night (Apr. 2) after multiple delays to the season.

“That’s why we’ve been fighting so hard is because this whole thing is about the players,” said Merritt Centennials’ governor Neil Menard. “It’s about the opportunity for them to get scholarships, the opportunity for them to move on in the hockey world — be it to a college, be it to semi-pro down across the line.” The Centennials open the abbreviated season on Friday night against the Chiefs in the Chilliwack hub. It’s one of five hubs across the league.

“It’s an extremely exciting time for fans and broadcasters, parents, players, right on down the line,” said voice of the Cents on Q-101, Jared Thomas. “For me and Q-101, super happy to have some more games to call. In the preseason, it was very difficult to navigate not able to travel with the team, not being able to be in the building.”

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Thomas will once again be calling the game from Merritt, not allowed to travel to the Chilliwack hub.

Kamloops native Ben Ward in action for the Merritt Centennials last season (Image Credit: Garrett James / Merritt Centennials)

For the owners and governors of the BCHL, the postponements during the pandemic has resulted in major financial losses. Like the Western Hockey League, the shortened season is for the players, but the league will need some assistance to come out on the other side.

“What we need, and what we’ve asked for, the BCHL, we’ve asked for $3.5 million to be shared,” noted Menard. “Right now, there are 16 teams that have opted into play. Two have opted out: Wenatchee because of the border closure and Langley opted out because of the educational part for the boys. So right now, our finances are coming from the parents and we’re hoping to get some assistance from the provincial government.”

Looking ahead beyond this season, there is hope with most being vaccinated by fall that the next BCHL season could look like it normally would.

“Our thinking right now is based on having a season next year. By late fall, we will be able to have some fans in the arena. We’re hoping that it will be wide open and we can get back to having fans in all of our arenas, especially here, which is our big financial base.”