4/8/2023 0 Comments Blazers knock off Giants(Vancouver Giants/Twitter) Jesper Vikman and Ty Thorpe may have finished their junior careers with the Vancouver Giants, but the future is bright for these two stars. One thing for sure is that the relationship between the two will far outlast their WHL careers. The Vancouver Giants’ 22nd season in the WHL ended on Friday night at the Langley Events Centre. It was the most complete game for the Giants in their first-round series over the Blazers, but still not enough to push the series to a fifth game. The G-men dropped a 5-4 decision with 1.5 seconds remaining in overtime as they were swept by the Blazers. Kamloops was dominant in the overtime period as they heavily outshot Vancouver 26-7.
Vancouver mustered 35 shots on the Kamloops net and went two-for-six on the man advantage, while Kamloops tallied 67 shots on goal and racked up two power-play markers on five chances. Kamloops scored 24 goals, including an 8-0 wallop over Vancouver in the opening game, a 6-1 victory in game 2, and a 5-0 shutout in game 3. It was a strong showing, with projected first-round NHL draft-eligible player Samuel Honzek getting a goal and three assists in the series. Giants captain Ty Thorpe led the charge offensively with three goals and an assist, making his final game in the WHL one to remember. Ty Thorpe scored a hat trick, and goaltender Jesper Vikman made 62 saves, but Kamloops still prevailed despite the effort from two of Vancouver’s over-agers. For Ty Thorpe and Jesper Vikman, their final game with the Vancouver Giants was arguably their best. Thorpe, Vikman, and Anderson were the game’s three stars in the last game of their WHL careers. All the players on the Giants were close with one another this year, but none were closer than Jesper Vikman and Ty Thorpe. They both joined the club last season, billeted together, and became close friends. Although players come and go every season and some relationships only last throughout a season, the bond between the sensational goaltender and team captain will remain. Jesper Vikman made 62 saves on 67 shots in game four which were the most he made in a single game in his combined 94 regular season and playoff matches with Vancouver throughout two seasons. Vikman turned 21 last month, and despite being drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, he has not managed to sign a deal with Vegas. Many expect an agreement between the two parties to be completed relatively soon. Ty Thorpe spoke highly of his goaltender throughout the year, including his postgame interview after game four. Thorpe claims that he and Vikman would always be very competitive against each other in practice and that he knows where Vikman’s sweet spots are. Hopefully, these two will play with or against one another again in the pros. Ty Thorpe hopes to sign a deal with a professional team, and Giants general manager Barclay Parneta has claimed that NHL teams have been calling and asking about him. Thorpe finished the regular season as Vancouver’s top scorer with 37 goals and 71 points. Thorpe and Vikman were incredible leaders in the Giants room this past season and have helped the team, which relied heavily on 17 and 18-year-old players, to build a competitive culture. The Giant's head coach had the final words on the season regarding Thorpe and Vikman. “They’re going to be sorely missed not only on the ice but off it as well.”
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