Powell River Regals - The 1980s

The 1980s

After ceasing operations in 1980-81, the Regals once again played in the PCAHL in 1981-82 but struggled, winning just two games all year. Legendary defenceman John Vanderkemp made his impressive debut during that season and was a regular winner or contender for the club’s best defenceman award for the next 25 seasons. Randy Casparie, also a rookie, went on to become one of only four players to score over 200 career goals in a Regal uniform. Mike Andrews, also a member of the 200 goal club, was in his second season with the club and, along with Vanderkemp and Casparie, would form the core of a team in the 1980s that, with the additions of players like Pierre Roy, Gary Pierce, Verne Kinley, Tod English, Darren Clark and Brian Inkster, would climb up the rankings and quickly become one of the top teams in both the league and the province.

Regals fortunes turned quickly in the 1982-83 season, as they became one of the top teams in the league and earned a trip to the league finals. The Chilliwack Royals would deny the Regals of the league title that season and in each of the three seasons that followed. The 1985 series was the only time the Regals pushed the Royals to a seventh and deciding game. Trailing three games to two and playing game six at home, Brian Inkster scored the winner on a penalty shot late in regulation to send the series back to Chilliwack. Game seven was perhaps the most dramatic and remembered contest involving the Regals in the 80s. With goaltender Irv Stoddart pulled, Regals defenseman Tod Semenuk notched his fourth goal of the game and sent it to overtime. The teams battled into two periods of overtime before the Royals prevailed.

In 1986-87, the Regals finally made it back to the Coy Cup final for the first time since the Canadian championship season of 1969-70. Facing the Kangaroos in Quesnel, a 7-3 third period lead in the deciding game was not enough as the Kangaroos stormed back to win the game, the series, and their sixth straight Coy Cup. The same two teams faced off for the title the following season, this time in Powell River. The home crowd wasn’t enough and the powerful Kangaroos took the series in two straight games. Quesnel’s seven-year hold on the Coy Cup ended in 1988-89 but it was the Abbotsford Blues who claimed the trophy by defeating the Regals in Powell River, handing the local team its third-straight finals defeat.