The Nanaimo Buccaneers qualified for the Vancouver Island Jr. Hockey League (VIJHL) playoffs for the first time in six years.
After a disappointing 2019-20 season, the Bucs returned to play in 2021 following the COVID-19 Pandemic and only managed seven wins in 144 games over the next three years. Now Nanaimo is set to have their best season in eight years, and the second-best finish in team history.
The transformation of the Buccaneers is widely credited with the addition of Bill Bestwick, the organization’s Head Coach and General Manager (GM), in 2024. He brought new energy and much-needed experience to the franchise.
“[Bestwick] has changed everything,” said Nanaimo Buccaneers’ owner Nicole Brandenburg. “He is an excellent recruiter. He knows a lot of people. He sees the qualities and the potential of each player that no one else does.”
“Our owners, coaches, and managers play a key role in making our organization better every day,” said Buccaneers’ alternate captain Davis Young. “Lots of the credit is forwarded to Bestwick.”
Bestwick managed the British Columbia Hockey League’s (BCHL) Nanaimo Clippers for 12 years and led the team to two BCHL Championships. He understands what playoff hockey means for the city.
“I certainly anticipated, with optimism, that we would make the playoffs this year,” said Bestwick, “but I would not have ever predicted that the team would be doing as well as it’s doing now.
Nanaimo’s rivalry with the Oceanside Generals in the division this season made fans watch the standings carefully. Much of the success can be credited to the revamped management and coaching teams.
“This year we’ve made a very significant upgrade in our coaching staff with Tyler Gow as our Head Coach and Brett Bestwick as our Associate Head Coach,” said Bestwick. “I attribute much of the team’s turnaround and success that we’re having on the ice to their contributions and dedication to the team.”
Management hopes to make the Buccaneers a top destination on Vancouver Island for up-and-coming hockey talent.
“The word is out that the Bucs [are] a well-run organization with fantastic ownership,” Bestwick said. “Our objective is to do as well as we can, naturally, but at the same time to continue to build our brand and the culture to be well-respected in the [VIJHL] and beyond.”
“We all know the history of the franchise and what’s at stake,” Young said. “To be involved in an organization that has to fight to regain momentum in the league and battle the outcomes of the past has been great, and it drives us to be better. It plays a huge role, in some words, to save the organization.
Making it back into the playoffs was an important step to move forward from the team’s recent failures. “I’m so proud,” Brandenburg said. “I’m so happy because I put a lot of effort, love, heart, [and] everything into the team, and I’m so glad that they’re so successful now. They deserve it.”
Support the Bucs by coming out for season games; tickets are available at the door or online.
