The Pacific Region champions hope a strong culture on and off the ice will lead to success at the Esso Cup
If you spend time with the Fraser Valley Rush, you’ll hear the team
repeat several phrases. “One to two, A to B,” represents where the team
wants to be and how they will get there; “40 for 40” represents the
importance of putting effort into every action on the ice, like
backchecking.
However, there is one phrase that fully represents the team at its
core: “Other teams are here to beat us, we’re just here to be us.” As
head coach Tony Lindsay describes it, the Rush want to focus on being
who they are as a team and the things they excel at in every game.
“We just got to focus on being the best version of ourselves,” Lindsay
says. “Our goal is to make sure that we have more fun than the other
team. We use this slogan before every game: party on the bench. It’s
got to be a party on the bench. We got to celebrate every success,
every blocked shot, every successful back check.”
That culture has guided the team to a lot of success this season, with
the Rush losing three games in league play on their way to becoming
B.C. Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) champions. They are also the first
team from British Columbia to ever defeat the Alberta champions to win
their way to the Esso Cup as Pacific champions.
Fraser Valley had a significant number of 17-year-old players on its
team last year. Coming into the 2021-22 season, the Rush were a very
young team with 13 new players, including several 14-year-olds. With
the new additions, it provided Lindsay with the opportunity to
establish a team culture that stressed the importance of being a good
teammate early in the season.
“Everybody’s contribution matters, even though it’s different,” he
says. “Everybody has to make a difference when they get on the ice. And
the players have bought into that.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting the number of games played…