The Grandview Steelers are hoping to gain momentum as the club begins its hunt for a prime spot in the 2023-24 playoffs.
To start, the Burnaby junior 'A' hockey team has made a trade to cut its defensive core from eight blue-liners to seven.
Enver Chan was dealt to the Port Moody Panthers on Thursday, Dec. 7, in exchange for future considerations.
The 18-year-old scored five points in 19 games, including four assists, which was tied for the most points by a Steelers rookie defenceman.
Chan, a Burnaby-raised athlete and former Bulldog, recently scored his first career Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) goal on Nov. 5, 2023.
He lit the game-winning lamp in Grandview's 7-3 victory over Abbotsford on home ice.
Season comparison
It also appears the Steelers are on the same page as last season.
Grandview is above .500 at more than halfway through the 2023-24 campaign with a record of 13-12-0-2 through 27 games, cutting sitting in fifth place in the Tom Shaw Conference.
In 2022-23, the black and yellow held a record of 14-11-1-1 through 27 contests and ultimately finished fourth in season play.
And this year's Steelers have means to improve on last year's finish with four players with more than 10 goals, as of this publication, Dec. 9.
Veteran forward Tanner Milne leads the pack with 18 goals and 32 points to date.
Grandview, currently on a three-game losing skid, will put its second-half ambitions to the test with back-to-back games this weekend, starting tonight in North Vancouver.
The Steelers will then return home on Sunday, Dec. 10, for a conference clash with Port Moody at 7:15 p.m. at Burnaby Winter Club (4990 Canada Way).
The evening is also Grandview's annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Fans can throw stuffed animals over the glass after the home side scores its first goal of the night.
The toys will be donated to the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.
