Vanderveeken, Schaafsma Lose in Euro Finals
Jamie Vanderveeken playing for Cardiff
Sunday in England, Wallaceburg’s Jamie Vanderveeken, who plays for the Cardiff Devils of the English Elite Ice Hockey League, came up just short of a league title. His Cardiff Devils lost the championship game 2-0 to the defending champion Nottingham Panthers.
After being held goalless for the first half of his 31 regular season games with the Cardiff Devils this season, Vanderveeken exploded down the stretch using his booming shot from the point on the powerplay to finish the season with 7 goals and 24 assists, averaging a point per game.
In the playoffs, Vanderveeken had 4 assists in 4 games.
Schaafsma, annually one of the top scorers in Europe’s second division leagues, was again a force for HC Gherdeina in Italy’s Second Division, but he could not power his club by Hockey Milano Rossoblue. Milano ousted Gherdeina with a 2-1 overtime win in game 6 of their final series.
Schaafsma, who hails from Blenheim, had an assist in the loss and 31 points in 16 playoff games this spring.
He finished the regular season with 25 goals and 56 points in 37 games.
Schaafsma will now prepare to represent the Netherlands at the IIHF World Hockey Championships.