Peninsula Panthers honour memory of Grant Gilbertson

The Peninsula Panthers played their first home game following the passing of forward Grant Gilbertson in a car accident earlier this week, hosting the Victoria Cougars at the Panorama Recreation Centre on Friday.

The 18-year-old Sooke native was on his way to Panthers practice on Monday when his car slid into an oncoming lane and collided with an approaching SUV. He died soon after from injuries suffered in the crash.

A memorial service was held prior to the game to honour the memory of Gilbertson.

Panthers owner Pete Zubersky began the ceremony with an impassioned speech commending the young man on his contributions to the organization. This was followed by a series of short video presentations featuring highlights from his career and video tributes from a number of NHL superstars, including Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, who offered their condolences to Gilbertson’s family and the Panthers team.

The true scope of Gilbertson’s passing was felt when his Grandfather, Don Gilbertson, got up to speak before the max-capacity crowd at the Panorama Recreation Centre. Through tear-filled eyes, he painted a picture of his grandson as a fun-loving, kind-hearted person with a deep passion for the game of hockey:

“I will miss his kindness, his dedication to his family, and his passion for life,” said Colgrave. “He was always wanting to try something new and be the best at it…Grant was a very bright light, an inspiration…he will be missed.”

Gilbertson's brother Garret could be seen in the stands wearing his brother’s number 26, which is soon to be retired by the club.

A pair of speeches were also given by team captain Riley Braun and assistant captain Aleko Sdrakas, who recounted humorous memories from their time as Gilbertson’s teammate, including one instance which had the forward abscond with a teammate's flip flops and hide them in the arena’s parking lot.

Following the ceremony, the two teams formed a circle at centre ice and held a moment of silence in the young man’s memory.

Then the game was on.

The Cougars struck first on a goal by defenceman Brody Johnston at 5:43 of the first period, opening up a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later, Victoria opened up a two-goal advantage on forward Aiden Turner’s seventh marker of the year at 11:42.

One can only imagine the emotion the Panthers began the game with following the moving pregame ceremony, something which certainly played a factor in their early deficit.

But the team would find their footing late in the period with a goal by captain Riley Braun goal at 19:00 of the first, cutting the Victoria lead in half.

However, the Cougars would respond with an early second period marker by forward Jake Watson at 7:19. His third of the year made it 3-1 for the away side.

The Panthers answered back at 17:01 of the second, cutting the lead in half again on a goal by forward Ryan Grambert, his sixth of the year.

The Panthers were awarded a power play with around two minutes remaining in the frame, but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity and remained down 3-2 headed into the third.

Victoria extended their lead to 4-2 with Brody Johnston’s second of the night at 8:46 of the final frame. The Cougars would add an empty netter at 17:56, sending the Panthers home with a disappointing 5-2 loss.

Peninsula goalie Ashton Lukan stopped 22 of 26 shots in the loss while his counterpart Fraser Wyatt turned aside 34 of 36 shots for the Cougars, being named player of the game for his effort.

While the Panthers would have loved to honour Gilbertson with a win, some things are bigger than hockey, a sentiment that was echoed by team owner Pete Zuberksy after the game:

“As soon as the game was over, it was about Grant,” said Zubersky. “This week has been a whirlwind, and I think the team is beat up emotionally…I can’t imagine how difficult it is for them.”

It was an emotional night for everyone involved and Zubersky commended the sportsmanship shown by their opponent on Friday.

“I thought the Cougars were first class all the way. That is one of our biggest rivalries in the league…tonight that was all put aside and it was about the bigger picture.”

On top of having his number 26 retired, the team has dedicated a “friendship” award to Gilbertson that will be given out at the end of each season.

The team will play their next game against the Lake Cowichan Kraken next Friday, Jan. 14 as they continue life without teammate Grant Gilbertson.