Well It’s official Vernon Vipers forward, Sahir Gill is leaving the BCHL Vernon Vipers for the USHL's Chicago Steel. Sahir Gill who's WHL rights were drafted by the Vancouver Giants and then later traded to the Kamloops Blazers played in 54 games last year as a rookie with the Vernon Vipers. Gill collected 18 goals & 21 assists for 39 pts playing on the Vipers top line with twins, Kellen & Connor Jones. In 17 BCHL Playoff games Gill picked up 8 goals & 9 assists good for 17 pts. In all 6 games at the Royal Bank Cup, Gill scored 2 goals, while collecting 3 assists, good for 5 pts. Gill was then drafted in May of this year by the USHL Chicago Steel, In the 5th round of the USHL Draft, with the 56th pick.It was in June when Gill's name come across the Chicago Steel website as being listed on the teams roster for the 2009-10 season. But no real word on if Gill was heading to Chicago or returning to Vernon. It wasnt until Sunday when the Vernon Morning Star Newspaper gave the bad news for Viper fans.
I have to ask this, why would a young 17 yr old kid from Terrace BC want to play in the windy city of Chicago after a great rookie season with the Vipers, winning the RBC Cup and now having a 2nd chance at playing on the Vipers top line with twins Kellen & Connor Jones trying to repeat as National Champs? But now is off to Chicago a team that finished second-to-last in the USHL’s Eastern Division at 31-37-2, missing the playoffs. Gill who was cut last summer by the BCHL Alberni Valley Bulldogs made the Vipers roster after showing his stuff after a strong training camp. Gill started the season, seeing most of his time in the stands as a healthy scratch. It wasnt until Mark Ferner and Jason Williamson put Gill up front on Vernon's top unit with Connor & Kellen Jones who were one of the top lines in the league this past season, collecting 151 points between the three young men. Gill scored the biggest goal of his career, in triple overtime in Game 4 of the BCHL League Finals vs Powell River, putting Vernon up three games to one wich eventually the Vipers would take the series and the League Championship in six games.
I just dont get the reasons as of why Sahir Gill would want to leave the Vipers and play in Chicago. Lets say Gill didnt want to go the college route and headed to the WHL (where his rights are owned by the Kamloops Blazers) thats fine, but obviously Gill is still looking at the college route. Gill can still collect a scholarship playing in the USHL, the Steel had 15 players from this past season with college commitments, where as the Vipers had 11 players who picked up scholarships. So here's a young man who can return to Vernon, play on the teams top line, try and repeat as National Champions & still collect his scholarship so why head to Chicago and play for a team that missed the playoffs last season? The Steel have their 22 man roster listed on the teams website, Gill & Jamie Oleksiak are the only two Canadians on the hockey club. I dont know much about the USHL or any of the teams but I do know that over the past several years the USHL has been raiding players from the BCHL, convincing them to play hockey in the US.
Does Gill think he has a better chance at being recruited by some of the College's by playing in the USHL, or maybe he thinks he will see more icetime and put up bigger and better numbers playing in Chicago over Vernon. I have heard rumors his parents are the ones behind everything. If Gill did return to the Vipers, "A" He's very close to home and playing in Canada, "B" He's playing for the defending RBC Cup Champions, "C" He will be playing on the teams top line, "D" The Vipers have a possible 14 players returning and with some hopeful strong recruiting should be a strong contender once again this coming season. In Chicago "A" Gill is just one of two Canadians on the Steel roster, "B" Is playing in a new league and new team who is coming off missing the playoffs last year, "C" Chicago has just 8 returning players from last years roster, "D" Family & Friends will now have a much more difficult time watching him play, having to listen to most of the games over the internet, "E" Chicago is no Terrace or Vernon, a very big city, with lots of violence and crime.
I just dont agree with Gill's decision on leaving the Vipers, what does the USHL have that the BCHL dosnt have? The Vipers & the BCHL always catch the attention of college's. Gill would be once again playing on the teams top line with the Jones Twins. So why leave? It will be interesting who the Vipers now put up front with Connor & Kellen Jones this season. All this does now is open up a roster spot for an up and coming rookie or maybe adding a veteran through trades. So far I have been impressed with the recruits the team has brought in, dont forget the Vipers have a strong core group of a possible 14 returning veterans from last years Championship team, with some minor tweaking to the roster, the Vipers will be just fine and once again compete in the Interior Division.
Heres a quick list of returning players from both teams. These players are ones that put up the most pts last season.
Vernon:
Connor Jones 60 pts
Braden Pimm 54 pts
Kellen Jones 52 pts
Mike Collins 50 pts
Cory Kane 42 pts
Bryce Kakoske 37 pts
Rob Short 34 pts
Chicago:
Mark Anthoine 28 pts
Alex Krushelnyski 18 pts
Greg Wolfe 27 pts
Maybe this is where Gill figures he will shine and be one of if not the teams top player. We also dont know what goes on behind closed doors. Maybe Gill wasnt a big fan of Mark Ferner or Jason Williamson? We just dont know what really happened or Gill's actual reasons for leaving.
I really enjoyed watching Sahir in a Vipers jersey this past season and was really looking forward to him returning. Like I said before If Gill returns the Jones-Gill line would have been one of the top lines in the BCHL this coming season. Id like to wish Sahir all the best in Chicago and thank him for some great memories this past season.
The one thing he can get in the USHL over the BCHL is more exposure to the NHL. This year alone the USHL had 16 players drafted to the NHL and 11 players that are coming into the league itself. The BCHL had 5. The USHL had four players in one round itself. The point totals are lower due to the fact it's a harder league. There is more depth on each team vs the BCHL. The OHL had an average of 1.6 players drafted to the NHL this year where the USHL had 1.5 per team. You factor in the fact that Team USA joined the league this coming year and those numbers are going to increase. The fact is this, Sahir left to try and get drafted to the NHL as high as he can. Chicago this year will have two or three players rated in the top two rounds in the NHL draft alone. Sahir is looking at what is best for him not the Jones boys or Vernon. I am sure he thanks Vernon for everything they did but the facts are the fact. The numbers speak for them self. In the eyes of the NHL the USHL is by far a much better league.
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