AN AMAZING RIDE

Virden Oil Capitals’ head coach and general manager Tyson Ramsey will remember the 2022-23 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season with great pride.

After all, this was a team that was “full of holes” in training camp, found itself with a record of 15-15-1 at the end of December and then went on a run for the ages.

Sure, the team finished three wins short of its dream, but from start to finish there is probably no better story written in Manitoba hockey this year than the story of the Virden Oil Capitals.

“Early on, the team started to show signs of an identity and with it, came some results. We put together a group that we thought was going to work really hard. We got off to a good start to the season -- 4-0, with some good, tight games against Waywayseecappo that went into overtime. Everyone was feeling pretty good about themselves and I think after that weekend, throughout the first half, we kind of came back down to earth a little bit. Our hockey wasn't consistent on where it needed to be.”

Although the Oil Caps’ were 15-15-1 at the end of December, the team had just completed a tough stretch Between Nov. 18 and Dec. 4. Virden went 0-6, while scoring just 12 goals and allowing 38.

“At that point, we started thinking about the direction of our group,” Ramsey said. “You think about the 20-year-olds and look at maybe moving them to teams who might have a chance to play in the playoffs. You start thinking about all those different things. We certainly didn't make any decisions at that point, but I remember going into the Christmas break and we talked to our group about re-setting, forgetting about the first half, including that good start. I think it was a little smoke-and-mirrors, that 4-0 start. Everybody thinks we're rolling along pretty well and maybe in hindsight, that wasn't a good thing. So, we talked a lot about re-setting and we decided to treat the second half like a new season."

"When the guys came back, we had a good week of practice and we treated it just like a training camp,” Ramsey explained. "Nobody's spot was safe. We wanted guys to come in hungry. They had a bit of a rest and got away from the rink, especially the young guys. That first half of MJHL hockey can be taxing on the younger guys who just played U18 and only played weekends. Those kids aren't on the ice or in the gym every day and it can be hard. So, they had a breather and they came back ready to battle for a spot and our guys really latched on to it."

Ramsey credited his veterans -- star 20-yearolds such as captain Brody Wilson, veteran defenceman Bray Rookes and forwards Colten Miller, Andrew Blocker and Davis Chorney -- for setting a positive mindset early in the second half.

And were they ever ready to succeed. From Jan. 6 to the final game of the regular season on March 17, the Oil Caps’ record was 21-6. Then Virden defeated OCN 4-2 in the Opening Round of the MJHL playoffs. Unfortunately, their reward for that Round 1 win was a date with the top-seeded, Centennial Cup-host Portage Terriers.

“It was a grueling, physically and mentally taxing seven game series that went right down to the wire,” Ramsey said. "Portage was a tough, tough team. They battled through some injuries and illness, but so did we. I think we understood how we needed to play as a group and at the end of the day when you have a team that's willing to lay it all on the line and understands the structure that they need to play and won't vary from it when things get hard, those teams are tough to beat. We did a really good job of that throughout the Portage series. Our penalty kill was very, very good against a really tough power-play. Like I said, when you have a group of guys who buy in as a group and understand the way they need to play to be successful, don't ride the ups and downs, stay consistent, those are hard teams to beat and I thought we did a good job of being that kind of team."

Coaches are always doing something behind the bench and sometimes they miss seeing goals go in. For Ramsey, he can still clearly see the double-overtime winner that sent his club to the MJHL finals.

“I did see it trickle across," he said with a chuckle. "Right away, I remember it was going so slow, crawling so slowly, we were not 100 per cent sure it got across the line, but it looked like it to me. So, my first reaction was to jump in the air and celebrate a little bit. I was excited, but I was really excited for our guys. The work they put in and to see them succeed in Game 7 and get to the MJHL finals, for me, I was just so proud of them. So proud of what they accomplished to that point and I was just so happy for them to play in the league finals."

“Losing in the finals has to fuel you for the next year,” he said. “I wish it started tomorrow and I'm sure we have a few players that would feel the same way. You have such an exciting run, feel the highs then experience the lows that you don't want to feel again. I think our guys understand that. We have some exciting young guys coming back and we've signed a few guys that will fit in well, too. When you go through a season like that, you want training camp to start tomorrow. That's the way we feel around here.

“And our fans are amazing," Ramsey continued. "We have one of the best fan-bases in the league, one of the best season ticket fan-bases in the league. It's really remarkable when you consider it's just a town of about 3,500 people. When you get half the town in the rink for a playoff game, it's really exciting for our guys. I can't say enough about the people of Virden and how well they've supported us, not just our fans but the businesses, as well.

“It's amazing to see when a community rallies around something like our hockey club, we all just feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”