If last weekend’s win against the Vancouver NW Giants is any indication, Williams Lake’s Tyler Povelofskie’s sophomore season as a member of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League’s Cariboo Cougars could end in celebration.
The Cougars and Povelofskie, currently third in the BCMMHL with 18 wins and six losses, split last weekend’s series with the first-place Giants losing 6-2 Saturday before bouncing back to a 4-0 shutout win. The loss was just the Giants’ second of the season.
Povelofskie told the Tribune it’s nice to see the hard work his team’s put in pay off, especially after losing to them in last year’s playoff final.
“It’s definitely nice to beat the Giants,” he said. “Especially when I lose to them last year all the time and then lose to them twice this year — it’s great to pickup the win against them.”
The 16-year-old forward, in 24 games, has collected 12 goals and 10 assists for a 22-point campaign thus far. The league, currently on its holiday break, resumes play Jan. 5 to wrap up its 40-game season when the Cougars host the Valley West Hawks.
Despite being the lone Williams Lake player on the team, Povelofskie said he’s being looked to more by the team’s coaching staff to provide leadership on and off the ice. He’s also filling the assistant captain role for the Cougars this year.
“That’s definitely the biggest change this year,” he said. “The leadership role has been the biggest change.
“I’m being put in more situations where I’m supposed to be the leadership and more depended on.
“I’m definitely more comfortable this year. We don’t have as many guys returning this year as last year so it’s a bit harder for us because we have to be the example but I’m having a great time.”
Povelofskie’s holiday respite will be short-lived, however, as the Cougars are entered in this year’s Mac’s AAA Hockey Tournament in Calgary from Dec. 27 to Jan. 1. The team’s bus, he added, leaves Christmas day.
“It’s an international tournament so there’s a lot of teams and a lot of people there,” he said. “It’s also really good for exposure to all sorts of different leagues. There’s people from all over watching — scouts and things like that.”
He said once the Cougars get back to Prince George following the tournament, the team will shift its focus to finishing the season on a high note.
“Last year we made the final, and it’s the same thing this year,” he said.
“Our main goal is to win the league and then go on to the Telus Cup.”
The BCMMHL winner will go on to play the top Alberta team, with the winner then advancing to the national tournament April 22-28, 2013, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Following the season Povelofskie said he plans on attending multiple major junior hockey camps throughout the province with the hope of stepping up a level for next season.
“I’m going to go to a couple of junior A camps down in the Okanagan, maybe go down to Vancouver Island, then I’m still planning to go to the [WHL’s] Kelowna Rockets camp.
“I have to get my name out there and see what I can do. I’m going to have to train hard and play harder.”