Fans that packed South Surrey Arena Friday night for the Surrey Eagles’ annual Teddy Bear Toss game didn’t have to hold onto their stuffed toys long, before raining them down upon the ice.
In fact, they bear-ly had to wait at all, as John Wesley scored the first goal of the game just 27 seconds into the first period.
And Wesley – who leads the BC Hockey League in goals with 29 – was far from the only Eagle to bulge the twine Friday, as the home team rolled to an 8-4 victory over the visiting Powell River Kings in front of an announced crowd of nearly 1,300 people.
Just 27 seconds after Wesley’s goal, Connor Sundquist scored his fourth of the year to double the Eagles’ lead. The teams traded goals the rest of the period, with Powell River getting a pair from Callum Volpe, sandwiched on either side of Surrey’s third of the game, from Desi Burgart.
In the second, Aaron White and Burgart, with his second, extended the lead to 5-2, before Kings’ Hunter Findlater bridged the gap to two goals before the second intermission.
The Eagles poured on the offence in the final 20 minutes, however, with Ryan Brushett scoring twice and White adding another, all in the first 8:28 of the period. At the midway point of the frame, Powell River’s Carmine Buono scored to make it 8-4.
Wesley, meanwhile, finished the game with what’s become known as the ‘Gordie Howe hat trick’ – a goal, an assist and a fight. He added two helpers after his game-opening goal, and fought Kings’ Mitchel Williams with 3:47 left in the third period, causing both to be tossed from the game.
In fact, only one-third of the Eagles’ top line – Ty Westgard – finished the game, after Burgart was ejected in the second period after receiving a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for a blow to the head of a Powell River player.
And not to be overshadowed by the eight-goal outburst at the other end of the ice, Eagles goaltender Daniel Davidson was sharp between the home team pipes, stopping 43 shots.
