Mathis Preston’s start with the Vancouver Giants is turning heads, and not just around the WHL.
The Penticton native woke up Sunday morning sitting fourth in league scoring with 21 points and tied for third in goals with 11, a surge that has him looking very much like a player worth watching for Team Canada as the world juniors approach. Preston, a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks this summer, is coming off a one-goal, four-assist performance in Vancouver’s 6-1 win over the Victoria Royals on Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
That night, the Giants were already in control early, racing to a 4-0 lead by the 14:34 mark of the first period. Preston had a hand in every one of those goals, collecting an assist on each tally in a blistering opening frame.
The quick start sent people digging through the Giants’ record book. Vancouver’s single-game assist mark is five, set by Craig Cunningham in a 7-5 win at Kelowna on Oct. 20, 2010, and matched by James Henry in a 6-5 win over Everett on Sept.
28, 2011. The club’s points record in a game is seven, set by Brendan Gallagher with three goals and four assists in an 8-4 victory over Portland on Jan.
7, 2012.
Edmonton and Red Deer will host the world juniors this season, with the tournament starting on Boxing Day as usual.
Preston was not among the 18 forwards invited to Team Canada’s summer showcase in Windsor in late July, but he does have past international experience. He played for Canada at the Under-18 world championships last April in Slovakia, where he posted two goals and six points in five games. He was also part of Canada’s entry at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.
The Windsor camp included 32 players when defencemen and goalies were added, and eight of those players are eligible to return from last year’s team, which won bronze in Minnesota.
Preston had been viewed as a possible first-round pick last summer, with some projecting him as a fit for the Vancouver Canucks at No. 24.
Instead, he slid to No. 50 and landed with Anaheim. One concern around his game has been his work away from the puck, but Giants general manager and coach Michael Dyck says Preston has been showing a “solid, two-way game,” and Dyck has recently used him on the penalty kill.
The Giants host the Prince George Cougars, who are 3-7-0-2, this afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre, with the game on Pulse 107.7.
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For Flames fans, the part worth watching is how far Edmonton is willing to go in adding pieces that fit that identity. The Oilers have already made some recent moves and are still kicking around roster experiments, but there is a sense that the work is not finished yet, especially if they decide they need more help in the lineup and on the back end before the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
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Flames Fans Are About To Feel A Road Schedule Headache
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For a fan base that already lives and dies by late-night puck drops, the adjustment is going to be noticeable once the Pacific Division slate ramps up. The tricky part is not just the later starts on the calendar, but the way they bunch together during one of the busier stretches of the season, turning a normal road swing into a much longer evening than many Calgary viewers are used to. [Read more 🡒]