The Princeton Posse's 2024-2025 season in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) came to a close last weekend after a memorable year of hockey.
On March 22, the Posse faced off against the Revelstoke Grizzlies in a Saturday night showdown in round two of the KIJHL Playoffs, which was a must-win game for Princeton. Trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, the Posse needed a win to force a decisive final game back in their home barn but were blanked 3-0 despite firing a whopping 47 shots on goal.
The defending champion Grizzlies advanced to the Okanagan Conference Final while the Posse returned home to get ready for next season.
Princeton had an excellent regular season, finishing atop the Bill Ohlhausen Division and Okanagan/Shuswap Conference with a record of 33-7-3-1 and 70 points, second in the entire league. They finished first in their division in scoring with 192 goals, which was second overall in the KIJHL, and were the only team to allow less than 100 goals, allowing a minuscule 99 goals against.
The Posse took on the Sicamous Eagles in Round 1 of the playoffs and disposed of them in five games before being eliminated by the Grizzlies in Round 2.
Mark McNaughton, head of operations for the Posse, said that there is no sugarcoating the way the playoffs ended, as the series against Revelstoke was a tight battle with each game being a nail-biter. He did make it clear, however, that the series does not define their entire season.
"We had high expectations, so ending early stings, but it also shows just how close we were, as this team had the talent and the drive 香蕉视频直播� it just wasn香蕉视频直播檛 our year," he said. "The foundation this group built will only make us stronger moving forward."
That foundation started before the start of the season with the arrival of new head coach and general manager, Torrin White, who took over the reins of the Posse.
McNaughton said that White's professionalism and energy made the adjustment period easy, and the team responded well from day one. Under White, the Posse quickly established themselves as one of the most consistent teams in the KIJHL, especially on the defensive end.
"Night after night, we made it clear we weren't an easy team to play against," McNaughton said.
The Posse also had strong leadership on the ice, not just behind the bench. The team's five graduating players, Brennan Watterson, Matt Langdon, Josh Roy, Tyson Horiachka, and Grady Sterling-Ponech all set the standard in the dressing room and on the ice. They also gave back to the community and left a legacy that will impact the program for years to come.
Realignment before the start of the season saw Revelstoke, Sicamous and Merritt move into the Posse's division, bringing even more competition to an already tough division. With strong leadership up and down the lineup and behind the bench, as well as impressive individual performances, the Posse were up to the challenge and made their mark.
"If you talk to anyone around the Posse organization, they'll tell you that this season was one to remember," McNaughton said. "We knew heading in that there would be challenges, but instead of backing down, our group took it as an opportunity to prove we could compete with the best in the league."
Langdon led the Posse offensively, scoring an impressive 35 goals along with 25 assists for 60 points in 41 games. Horiachka and Bryton Morrow finished second and third on the team with 49 and 47 points, respectively.
On the defensive side, Sterling-Ponech led the way on the back end with 39 points, and Blake Sittler was outstanding in goal, posting a 22-2-2 record with a .930 save percentage, 2.00 goals against average and three shutouts.
Twenty of the Posse's 33 wins came at home at the Princeton and District Arena, which averaged more than 300 fans per game. McNaughton said the fans made a statement this season, as the community has fully embraced the club, whether it is packing the stands for home games, following the team on the road or engaging with players outside of games.
"A 20-2 home record says a lot, but more than the numbers, it was the energy in that rink every night," he said. "It wasn't just about showing up, it was about passion, and that connection is something we take a lot of pride in."
The KIJHL has recommended the Posse as one of 11 teams for BC Hockey's Tier 1 Junior A classification for 2026-2027.
Princeton will have one more season in the current league, allowing it to fine-tune operations and bring in the next wave of talent before the promotion for the 2026-27 season. Torrin and assistant coach Estevan Hale are already on the road scouting players.
McNaughton noted that a junior hockey team is more than just what happens on the ice, and is looking forward to bringing all aspects of the Posse organization's success into next season and beyond.
"It's about the people who make it happen 香蕉视频直播� our board, volunteers, bus drivers, billet families, sponsors, and, of course, our fans," he said. "This season was special, they all are, but having seasons like this one really makes it easy to look forward to next year, and fall 2025 can香蕉视频直播檛 come soon enough."