BCHL Team-By-Team Report:

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BCHL Team-By-Team Report

December 01, 2011

Posted in BC Edition, Junior A

By Brent Mutis /

The BCHL held its Celebration Weekend Nov. 25 and 26 to recognize its 50th season. The league also revealed the top-50 players as voted by the fans. On the ice, tight doesn’t begin to describe the situation in the in the Coastal Conference standings as just five points separate second-place Surrey from sixth-place Victoria. In the Interior, the Penticton Vees are making a joke out of it with a 21-3-0-2 record and 143 goals for, 37 more than the next closest team.

COASTAL CONFERENCE

Alberni Valley Bulldogs

ustin Morello has advanced a great deal in his second BCHL season and recently notched his first hat trick in the league but the ‘Dogs have slumped to seventh place in the conference. It’s been a tough stretch of games for goalie Matt Larose lately after a good start with the team when he was traded from Trail.

Coquitlam Express

Coming off a nice three-win road trip, the Express had a clunker at home Nov. 25 and continue to be a better team away from Poirier Sports Centre. Cody Michelle has been playing with a full face-shield since coming back from a broken jaw and has provided a lift including four-point weekend during the team’s home-and-home set with Langley.

Cowichan Valley Capitals

What a turnaround in Duncan. The Caps were dead last in the Coastal Conference and missed the playoff last season but are currently leading the pack. QMJHL transfer Matt Brown leads the club with 19 goals while Jake Charles has been a revelation after a so-so year in Coquitlam. The acquisition of Brayden Sherbinin has bolstered a pretty good defence corps.

Langley Rivermen

Starved for goals this season, the Rivermen have brought in a number of new faces including Chris Tracy and Aidan Cavallini, son of former NHLer Gino. Darnell Dyck continues to lead the club in scoring while Mike Tebbutt has stepped up of late, potting a hat trick Nov. 25. Bo Pellah, the club’s 16-year-old player, has adjusted well and leads the defence with nine assists.

Nanaimo Clippers

The Clips hold down third spot in their conference and have received good goaltending from California native Billy Faust. Kyle Kramer has already exceeded his goal total from last season and leads the club with 19 tallies. Defenceman Graeme McCormack, an all-star last season, is second in team scoring with 32 points which makes him the highest-scoring blueliner in the league.

Powell River Kings

Evan Richardson looks to be rounding into form coming off the World Junior A Challenge but the club is still led in scoring by 6-5 defenceman Craig Dalrymple. Rookie goalie Jamie Phillips has provided excellent netminding and has actually posted better numbers than Sean Maguire, who shone at the WJAC and recently committed to Boston University.

Surrey Eagles

After Tyler Morley, Surrey doesn’t have ton of offensive weapons but Andrew Hunt has been super in net and the team is extremely difficult to beat on the Olympic-sized sheet of ice at South Surrey Arena posting a 9-2-0-2 record there.

Victoria Grizzlies

If the Grizz could defend, they’d be scary. Wade Murphy’s 23-game point streak was recently snapped but he, Wesley Myron, Jarryd Ten Vaanholt and Mike Moran are as dangerous as anyone. Victoria is one of just two teams with more than 100 goals for but they’ve also allowed 112.

INTERIOR CONFERENCE

Chilliwack Chiefs

The Chiefs are just outside the playoff picture at the moment but they have games in hand on everyone. USHL transfer David Bondra and Malcolm Gould pace the offence but Harvey Smyl’s team is best when defencemen Tyler Miller and David Thompson are shutting down the other team’s top line and when Mitch Gillam is sound in net.

Merritt Centennials

Merritt native Luke Pierce is leading a renaissance in the Nicola Valley this season with the long-suffering Cents in second place in the conference. The team doesn’t score a bunch but they’ve been getting enough from Regan Soquila, Chad Brears and Evan Stack. Billy Marshall and Brandon Pfeil have chipped in nicely from the blueline as well.

Penticton Vees

As if they didn’t have enough talent already, the Vees acquired sniper Bryce Gervais from Salmon Arm Nov. 11 in exchange for Myles McCauley, Garrett Hendrickson and Shane Hanna. Connor Reilly just overtook Wade Murphy for the league scoring lead and the Vees powerplay is operating at better than 30 per cent. Rookie import Mike Reilly (committed to Minnesota University) leads all BCHL defencemen in goals with 12.

Prince George Spruce Kings

Another one of the BCHL’s turnaround teams this season, the Spruce Kings continue to get nearly two points per game from Paul De Jersey. Recently acquired Stefan Bazar had nine points in his first six games while 6-foot-6 defenceman Ben Woodley has 20 points from the back end.

Salmon Arm SilverBacks

The ’Backs have never missed the playoffs in the 10-year history of the club but currently in seventh place, that possibility looms this season. The good news is the team has a winning record over its last 10 games. Offseason pickup Kody Dhaliwal will have to pick up some of the slack now that Bryce Gervais is gone to Penticton. Devin Muller and Morgan Zulinick still lead the offence.

Trail Smoke Eaters

When you’ve scored the fewest goals in the league and allowed the most, it’s a recipe for a long season and that’s what’s unfolding in Trail. New goalie Lyndon Stanwood, just added from the Junior B Kamloops Storm, hopefully can provide a backstop the team has been searching for all season. Clayton Chessa looks like the only threat to score with any regularity.

Vernon Vipers

The Snakes have been reeling ever since captain Patrick McGillis was lost to injury. Though the club released him when he got injured, they maintain his rights and he’ll be back with the team when he’s healthy. A shakeup came this week as Marcus Basara and Connor Hartley were sent to the Okotoks Oilers for forward Ben Gamache.

Westside Warriors

The Tribe snapped a nine-game skid Nov. 23 with a 3-2 overtime win over Merritt. By no means out of the playoff race, Westside hopes to have ended their goalie search by picking up Dwayne Rodrigue from the Grande Prairie Storm. The loss of Seb Lloyd to a broken collarbone has hurt the offence but Richard Vanderhoek has upped the ante with six goals in his last six games.