The Chilliwack Chiefs called in the Calverley to try to put them over the top and seize their first victory of the new B.C. Hockey League season.
The Prince George Spruce Kings bent, but did not break, knowing they had Evan DeBrouwer to hold the fort.
Will Calverley, the 19-year-old Chiefs captain, did what he could to rock DeBrouwer's world, scoring three goals on the Kings' goalie and assisting on one other, but it wasn't enough to settle the score.
The teams skated to a 5-5 double-overtime tie Friday night in front of 1,024 witnesses at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
Patrick Cozzi scored twice to lead the Spruce Kings.
The Chiefs appeared to have the game cinched as a result of Ryan Elmer's power-play goal midway through the third period. But with just 48 seconds left in the period the Kings tied it on a power playoff their own with DeBrouwer on the bench. Liam Watson-Brawn rifled a snapshot in from the point to force overtime.
The 20-year-old DeBrouwer, in his first game since joining the Kings in an off-season trade from Nanaimo, did everything he could to give his team a chance to win.
He earned his team the point in the standings with two minutes left in the second overtime when he laid down prone in the crease to take away a sure-goal from a deking Tommy Lee. It was the best of 25 saves he made as the Kings outshot the Chiefs 39-30.
The new-look Spruce Kings, with just six returning players, gave their fans a taste of what they should come to expect this season - a young, fast and hungry hockey team that's prepared to overcome its lack of size and junior A experience with a deep supply of hustle and a refusal to back down from anybody.
The Chiefs provided a challenging litmus test, coming in with a veteran-laden crew that's getting set to host the RBC Cup national championship next May.
Both teams scored on their first shots on goal. Calverley picked off a clearing attempt deep in Spruce Kings territory and buried the puck just 34 seconds into the game. Then it was Cozzi's turn it light it up. The 19-year-old from Greenlawn, N.Y., corralled a goalmouth pass from linemate Ben Brar and lifted the puck in behind Chiefs' goalie Daniel Chenard - the first of Cozzi's BCHL career.
Calverley, an RIT recruit for 2018, gave the Chiefs the lead again with another unassisted goal 6:30 into the game.
The Chilliwack captain found himself in the clear when Spruce Kings defencemen Layton Ahac and Chays Ruddy took each other out at centre ice. Calverley's shot from the top of the circle beat DeBrouwer. The Kings outshot the Chiefs 17-7 and nailed two goalposts in the first period but trailed 2-1 heading into the break.
In the second period the Kings scored three unanswered goals, two of which came on power plays. Cozzi got his stick on Watson-Brawn's point shot and deflected it in past a screened Chenard.
Not long after that, four seconds into a Chiefs' penalty, Anhorn atoned for his earlier mistake, sniping his first BCHL goal with a low shot from the point.
The Kings gained control in the Chiefs end on another face-off win from Kyle Johnson and Jarod Hovde found the net to put the Kings up 4-2.
Chilliwack pointman Sean Thompson cut the lead in half late in the period on the Chiefs' first power play of the game, set up with a behind-the-net pass from Edmonton Oilers draft pick Skyler Brind'Amour, and Calverley tied it with his third of the game less than a minute later.
The same teams meet again tonight at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
Game time is 7 p.m.
