Bowden Singleton helps push Calgary Canucks into Centennial Cup playoffs with chip on shoulder
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But the local puck talent still lived the heartbreak felt by the Calgary Canucks at the Canadian Junior Hockey League championship.
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And the diminutive forward plans to help the Alberta Junior Hockey League kings push through that at this year's national finale hosted at the city's Max Bell Centre.
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'Playing with a chip on my shoulder,' confirmed the Canucks captain, who was sidelined by injury last spring when his teammates fell short of the coveted junior hockey crown by two victories in Oakville, Ont.
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'But I'm playing with excitement,' continued Singleton. 'I've never been here before, so it's uncharted territory. But I was there watching last year, so I kind of knew what's going on, so super exciting.'
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It has been all that and more for not only Singleton but the entire host squad so far at this Centennial Cup.
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After Wednesday night's 8-2 thump of the CJHL's top-ranked team, New Brunswick's Edmundston Blizzard, the Canucks are playoff-bound at the 11-day tournament.
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In fact, their first-place Group B record of 3W-0OTW-1L-0OTL actually earns them a bye through Friday's quarterfinal round and slots them into a Saturday semifinal — which of the 4 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. game starts is yet to be determined.
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Regardless, their success puts them just two wins away — again — from hoisting the Centennial Cup.
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Capturing the national championship has only happened once — back in 1995, when the Canucks edged the host Gloucester Rangers 5-4 in Ontario — in the junior team's storied history.
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Of course, this year's edition is hoping to be a winning host side this time around not only to add to that singular title but to avenge last year's early elimination in a 2-1 semifinal loss to Saskatchewan's Melfort Mustangs.
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And with Singleton healthy and on board, Canucks GM/head coach Brad Moran believes his charges' chances have climbed considerably.
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'He's a game-breaker,' said Moran of Singleton, who stands in at just 5-foot-9, 160 lb. 'I think he's the best offensive guy in the AJHL, no question. And he drives our offence. We saw that in the playoffs with him being the MVP.
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'You know … Bowden's the kind of guy that put you over the hump in these things,' continued Moran. 'And last year, we scored only one goal in the semifinal. If there's Bowden Singleton there, you'd like to think you get a point out of him and it's a 2-2 game and anybody can win.
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