I found these press releases off team websites, other hockey blogs or online.
BCHL News & Trades:
Armour & McLean Commit To Smoke Eaters:
The Trail Smoke Eaters added two players to their new recruits. Committing to the Smokies for the 2015-16 season are 17-year-old Ross Armour and 17-year-old Spencer McLean. Both players skated with the junior B Beaver Valley NiteHawks in 2014-15, finishing second and third respectively in scoring. Armour had 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists) in 49 games and McLean notched 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists) in 51 games this season, which are impressive totals for 16-year-olds making their first foray into junior hockey. Amour played seven games as an affiliate player with the Smoke Eaters and McLean played five games as an AP with Trail, each posting two assists.
Hardy & Page Commit To Nanaimo:
The Nanaimo Clippers announced the commitment of two new players for the 2015-16 season. Heading to the Hub City are 16-year-old forward Owen Hardy and 19-year-old defenseman Louis-Philippe Page. Hardy is from Nanaimo and played this past season with the North Island Silvertips of the BC Major Midget League. He had 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 31 games with the Silvertips and no points in three games with the Clippers as an affiliate player. Hardy played for Team BC at last month's Canada Winter Games and had one assist. He was selected in the 2nd round, 42nd overall by the Vancouver Giants in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft. Page comes from the Deerfield Academy Varsity Boys high school team in Deerfield, MA. He's played three seasons with Deerfield and had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 26 games this season. Page was a 2nd round pick, 34th overall, by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft.
O’Brien Leaves Spruce Kings For Western Hockey League:
Prince George Cougars General Manager Todd Harkins is pleased to announce that 1997-born forward Brogan O’Brien (Prince George, B.C.) has signed a standard WHL player agreement with the Prince George Cougars. Brogan O’Brien (6’2”, 195 pounds) has spent each of the past two seasons with the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL. During the 2014-15 season, O’Brien scored 12 goals and added 17 assists for 29 points in 57 regular season games. He also added two goals and three assists in 10 playoff games. In January 2015, O’Brien represented Team West at the CJHL Top Prospect’s Game, which was held in Oakville, ON. His CHL rights were acquired by the Prince George Cougars in a trade with the Kelowna Rockets at the 2015 WHL trade deadline in exchange for Chance Braid. Brogan cracked NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary List of Players to Watch List with a ‘C’ rating back in September, 2014. “We are very pleased to welcome Brogan and the O’Brien family to the Prince George Cougars organization,” said Prince George Cougars General Manager, Todd Harkins. “We’ve been following his development closely over the past two seasons. He’s excelled at every level he’s played at, including the B.C. Major Midget League with the Cariboo Cougars, and the BCHL with the Prince George Spruce Kings. Brogan has professional hockey aspirations and the Prince George Cougars will provide the necessary development to help him get there.” Harkins adds, “He’s a very skilled, big-bodied forward that imposes his size and strength on opposing teams to create offense. He has a very high hockey IQ that allows him to make the players around him better. He will be a big part of our core group moving forward on a team that is already rich with 1997-born talent.” O’Brien was introduced to his new teammates today and joined them on the ice for practice this morning.
Ayre & Ginnetto Commit To Langley Rivermen:
The Langley Rivermen added two new players to the "New Recruits". The players added are 17-year-old forward Trevor Ayre and 16-year-old Cameron Ginnetti. Ayre is from Surrey and played 2014-15 with the Valley West Hawks of the BC Major Midget League. He was seventh in league scoring with 55 points (20 goals, 35 assists) in 40 games. Ayre also got into five BCHL games with the Rivermen as an affiliate player, but didn't register any points. Ginnetti played junior B hockey this past season with Grandview Steelers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. In 32 games with the Steelers, the Vancouver native picked up 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists). He also had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 12 playoff games for Grandview, which advanced to the Tom Shaw Conference Finals in the PJHL. Ginnetti played four games with Langley as an AP, scoring no points.
First Of Two Cents’ Spring Camps Begin:
There’s no shortage of young hockey players aspiring to play in the British Columbia Hockey League. Not according to the speed with which registrations came in for this weekend’s Merritt Centennials’ spring camp and where the players are coming from. A capacity 88 players, ranging in age from 16 to 19 and hailing from all parts of North America, are signed up to take part in the three-day Cents’ evaluation camp that runs from Friday to Sunday at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. A second camp is scheduled for Abbotsford on the June 12 to 14 weekend. Incoming players will be assigned to one of five teams that will take part in a series of scrimmages with each other, commencing at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and continuing through to 1:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Breaking down the numbers, a total of 10 goalies will be at the spring camp, along with 30 defencemen and 48 forwards. According to their year of birth, the largest contingent of players is 1997-born (34), followed by 1998 (31), 1999 (17), 1996 (5) and 1995 (1). Not surprisingly, given the time of year and the fact that schools are still in session, the largest group of participants in this weekend’s camp are from B.C. (71). Eight players are from Alberta and another nine from various parts of the United States, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington State. Of the 88 players registered to attend, 42 played some level of midget hockey this past season, from Tier 3 to major midget, while another 22 were involved in hockey academy programs such as Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna and OHA in Penticton. Sixteen players are coming to camp with at least one year of Junior B experience, and one having played Junior A. Two American-born players competed for their high school teams. Merritt and area is well-represented at the camp with six invitees. Goaltender Kritstian Stead spent this past season playing for the 100 Mile House Wranglers of the KIJHL, while fellow puckstopper Sam Suzuki toiled between the pipes for the local Jr. Centennials midget squad. Suzuki’s teammate Grady Musgrave is the lone defenceman at the Cents’ camp with ties to the Nicola Valley. The hometown forwards include Marcelo Bose and Logan Lake’s Eric Lalonde (both played for the Merritt midgets), Riley Barnes (Golden Rockets, KIJHL) and Sunil Sahota (Thompson Blazers, BCMML). Some of the players expected to be here this weekend have interesting connections to Centennials past and present. Current Cents’ forward Nick Fidanza will have his younger brother Michael at camp, skating with Jovin Kaila, a distant cousin of Centennials’ defenceman Malik Kaila. The Michigan trio of Hunter Kero, Mitchell Kalleward and Cale Markham are all related to former Merritt goalie Devin Kero, who played one season (2013-14) for the Cents before earning a scholarship to Michigan Tech. Brothers Rory and Hunter Garlasco, from Mahwah, New Jersey, came to the attention of Cents’ assistant coach Joe Martin through long-time friend Peter Goulet from Kingston, Ont. who coached Rory in Nepean (outside Ottawa) this past season. Martin is pleased with the talent that has signed up for this year’s first evaluation camp, especially considering all that’s going on still hockey-wise. “It’s actually not the best weekend,” Martin said. “The Cyclone Cup (provincial Jr. B championship) is taking place at the same time in Kimberley, as well as the B.C.-Alberta major midget finals involving the North East Chiefs from Vancouver. This past weekend, 16 teams were busy with the U.S. midget championships. It’s unlikely we’d see any of those players.” While on paper the Centennials have 14 players eligible to return next season, Martin is anticipating the number will be more like nine or 10, leaving plenty of spots open for new additions. Expected to return and contend for their place on the team are defencemen Malik Kaila, Tyrell Buckley, Cole Arcuri and Matt Foley, forwards Gavin Gould, Colin Grannary, Nick Fidanza, Brandon Duhaime and Zac Bowles, along with goaltender Anthony Pupplo. Question marks when it comes to returning to Merritt are forward Devin Oakes (expected to retire following season-ending shoulder surgery), forwards Cole Chorney and Stephan Seeger (both expected to try and return to major Junior), and forward James Neil (out with long-term concussion symptoms). Martin said that both he and head coach and GM Luke Pierce know exactly what they’re looking for going into the spring camps. “Stability and maturity both on and off the ice,” Martin said. “Character kids that can play in any situation, and are using their time at the rink every day to get better.” Martin said that he really likes the returning group of core players for next season, but the team is intent upon finding players who will push those returnees for ice time each and every day.
Former Silverbacks Head Coach Leaves Rockets:
The junior B Golden Rockets of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League are looking for a GM/Head Coach for the 2015-16 season. Ty Davidson tendered his resignation from the Rockets, effective at the end of this season. He's a former Head Coach of the Salmon Arm SilverBacks who also played in the BCHL for Nanaimo and Penticton and cited being closer to home and family as the reason for his resignation.
De Melo & Mitchell Commit To Salmon Arm:
A pair of Okanagan Rockets players have committed to the Salmon Arm SilverBacks for the 2015-16 season. Joining Salmon Arm are 17-year-old defenseman Sam De Melo and 16-year-old forward Marcus Mitchell. Both players are from Kelowna and although they both played for the Rockets in the BC Major Midget League in 2014-15, their seasons were markedly different. De Melo was injured after just one game and didn't play at all for the remainder of the season as he rehabbed the injury. He was listed as an affiliate player by the SilverBacks, but didn't get into a game with them. Mitchell was named the Rockets MVP after producing 46 points (22 goals, 24 assists) in 39 games. He played one game with Salmon Arm as an AP, but didn't register any points.
Express Name LaChimea Sales & Marketing Manager:
Please join us in welcoming Frankie LaChimea as the Express' new Sales & Marketing Manager! Frankie interned with the team over the last season and we are excited to have him join us full time in his new role.
Chilliwack-Trail Trade:
The Chiefs announced today that they have completed the January trade that saw Scott Davidson acquired from the Trail Smoke Eaters in exchange for Evan MacEachern and future considerations. To complete the trade, the Chiefs have sent forward Kurt Black to the Smoke Eaters. Black spent two seasons with the Chiefs, scoring 28 goals and adding 41 assists in 112 regular season games. He added two goals and three assists in ten playoff games this season as the Chiefs captured the Mainland Division championship. The Chiefs wish Kurt all the best and would like to thank him for all he did both on the ice and in the community of Chilliwack.
Spruce Kings Named Van Diemen New Head Coach-GM:
The Prince George Spruce Kings are very excited to announce the hiring of Chad van Diemen as the team’s new head coach. The 33-year-old van Diemen joins the Spruce Kings after having spent the last six seasons with the Powell River Kings, most in an associate head coach/general manager role. During his time in Powell River the team compiled an impressive 205 – 122 – 35 record for a .632 win percentage. Other achievements in Powell River include 2010-11 BCHL regular season championship with 46-11-3 record, 46-36 Playoff record for .561 win percentage, 2010-11 BCHL single season record for least GA (115 GA in 60 GP), three-time Coastal Conference champions. Chad played four seasons as a defenceman in the BCHL from 1998 to 2002 including stops in Nanaimo, Powell River and Quesnel. In 2001-02 he tallied 53 points in 56 games played for The Quesnel Millionaires. He then went on and played four seasons of NCAA hockey with Iona College and Manhattanville College, graduating from Manhattanville with a degree in business management. “I’m very excited that we are able to bring in a young, energetic coach like Chad,” said Spruce Kings General Manager Mike Hawes. “I have known Chad for a number of years and have always respected the way in which he helped build very good teams in Powell River and the way that he got the most out of his players. “There are many parallels between our organization and Powell River’s organization. I think this will help with the transition and will allow us to hit the ground running and work towards building next year’s team.” Chad is married to wife Laura and they have two young boys, Dallas (2) and Kyle (1). They are excited about the move to Prince George and look forward to becoming part of the Prince George community and culture.
Robillard Commits To Coquitlam:
Defenseman Troy Robillard has committed to join the Coquitlam Express for 2015-16. The 16-year-old had seven assists in 37 games this season for the BC Major Midget League's Vancouver NE Chiefs. He added one assist in four BCMML playoff games with the Chiefs. Robillard also played one game with the Express as an affiliate player, failing to register a point.
Powell River Kings Names Sawyer New Assistant Coach:
The Kings would like to thank, and wish good luck to outgoing Associate Head Coach and Assistant General Manager Chad Van Diemen, who has taken up the position of Head Coach for the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. The move ends a 6-year tenure with the Kings for Van Diemen. “Chad’s been a crucial part of our staff for a long time now” says Kings Head Coach and GM Kent Lewis. “He’s been excellent especially with the college aspect of the game, communicating with schools and ensuring our guys are getting a good look.” Van Diemen is spending the weekend looking over Spruce Kings prospects, and then will return to Powell River and begin the process of moving up to BC’s Northern capital. “We’re going to miss Chad, his wife Laura and their two sons Dallas and Kyle” says Lewis. “We as a team and I wish them nothing but the best up north.” In turn with van Diemen’s departure, the Kings have hired Brock Sawyer as a full-time Assistant Coach. Sawyer played with the club for 1 and a half seasons between 2007 and 2008 and joined the team as an Assistant Coach last season after a successful college career at Elmira University and pro-hockey afterwards.
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