BCHL News & Trades:

I found these press releases off team websites, twitter accounts, blogs or online. All Vipers news-trades are posted on this blog as soon as released-announced.

BCHL News & Trades:

Penticton Vees Make Roster Moves:

The Penticton Vees finalized the acquisition of veteran defenceman Jordan Henderson Thursday as they get set for a big home-and-home series with the Vernon Vipers. The Vees and Vipers do battle Friday at 7 p.m. at the South Okanagan Events Centre and Saturday at 6 p.m. at Kal Tire Place. Henderson, who was able to practice with the Vees this week, is expected to suit up tonight, wearing jersey No. 5. The Vees acquired the 20-year-old’s BCHL rights from the Merritt Centennials for cash considerations. “We definitely needed another dependable, veteran presence on the blueline,” said Vees president, GM and head coach Fred Harbinson. “He’s got size, he moves well and has a lot of experience.” The Surrey native played three seasons in the Western Hockey League – the first two in Spokane before splitting the 2016-17 campaign with the Chiefs, Saskatoon and Medicine Hat. Over 158 regular-season games, Henderson logged seven goals, 36 points and 72 penalty minutes. Henderson, six-foot-one and 185 pounds, played early in the current season with the East Coast Hockey League’s Cincinnati Cyclones. “I got to meet him face-to-face this week and he’s an outstanding kid,” said Harbinson. “He looked great in practice and he’s really going to add to our group.” The Vees have a talented, but largely youthful group on the back end with 16-year-old Luke Reid, 17-year-old Jonny Tychonick and rookies Nicky Leivermann and Ryan O’Connell. Henderson and Joe Leahy are 20 and Kenny Johnson 19. Reid and forward Massimo Rizzo will miss the Vernon games as they are playing at the World Under-17 Challenge that wraps up this weekend in northern B.C. Harbinson said the Vees needed depth on the blueline, especially since the team anticipates being without as many as three of them for up to six games at the World Junior A Challenge in early-December in Truro, Nova Scotia. As for this weekend, the Vees will be playing with just 10 forwards after losing veterans Chris Klack and Jackson Keane to injuries, along with the absence of Rizzo. Klack, injured when he crashed into the boards at practice on Wednesday, was placed on long-term injured reserve and will be out until at least Christmas with an upper-body injury. “He is seeing a specialist today and we’ll know more after that,” said Harbinson. Keane suffered an upper-body injury in a home-ice loss to Powell River on Saturday, and will miss at least the weekend games, and possibly the home encounter versus the Surrey Eagles on Wednesday. The Vees (10-5-1-1) have lost three straight and play a red-hot Vernon team that is tied for the Interior Division lead with Trail with a 15-4-3-0 mark. Brett Stapley (14 goals, 32 points) and Jimmy Lambert (9 goals, 30 points) are first and fourth, respectively, in the BCHL scoring race “We’ve got to be better on our details than we have been in some of the recent games,” said Harbinson. “We make mental mistakes against a good team like Vernon … it’s not going to work. We’ve beaten them a lot in recent seasons and they’re going to be hungry to kick us while we’re down.” The Vees earned a win and a tie in the only other meetings with Vernon Oct. 6-7. Penticton has eliminated Vernon in three straight years in the playoffs. “We’ve got five games in hand on Vernon and four on Trail, so you want to stay close and take advantage later with those extra games,” said Harbinson. But the coach said he’s not putting a lot of emphasis on trying to win a seventh straight Interior pennant. “It’s way too early and a lot of things can happen,” said Harbinson. “The important thing is making sure you get home ice for the first round of the playoffs.” Harbinson said the main focus is for the team to be playing its best when it matters most. “If we can get all the ingredients for the dinner on the counter, we still firmly believe we’ve got a team that can cook going down the stretch and into the playoffs,” said Harbinson. Harbinson said the adversity will help make the players better and him as a coach better. As long as they keep plodding along in fifth place in the vaunted Interior, the Vees may also get the rare chance to fly under the radar. “Sometimes it’s more draining to be chased than it is to do the chasing,” said Harbinson. “I’m not looking at our situation as a bad thing whatsoever. I welcome the challenge. We just have to keep pushing and find our way through it.”

Express Make Roster Moves:

Head Coach and GM Barry Wolff has been busy this week, especially with his GM duties. He's made a number of moves to change the look of the Express roster. It started Monday when the Express traded veteran forward Mitch Newsome (97) to the Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) for goaltender Brock Hamm (97). Newsome was acquired by the Express on January 10, 2016 from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in exchange for future considerations. In parts of three seasons with the Express, the Surrey native dressed in 61 games scoring 11 goals and adding 25 assists for 36 points. He also had 1 goal and 1 assist in 3 playoff games with the Express in 2016. Hamm, a Saskatoon native comes to the Express where he played the previous three seasons with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. In 100 career WHL games Hamm has posted a record of 33-50-6-2 (wins-losses-overtime losses-shootout losses) with a 3.97 GAA and .886 save percentage. He also posted one shutout. In 2015-16 Hamm played a career high 56 games posted a record of 21-26-3-0. He began his junior career with the Humboldt Broncos in the 2014-15 season where he posted a 9-10-0 record in 21 games while posting one shutout with a 2.78 GAA and .918 save percentage. Wednesday, the Express traded the rights of forward Blake Hayward (98) to the Prince George Spruce Kings in exchange for forward Nic Holowko (97). Hayward dressed for 107 games for the Express over the previous three seasons with 15 goals and 28 assists for 43 points. He also represented the Express twice at the World Junior A challenge winning gold in 2015. He committed to Union University late last last season. This season he dressed for 6 games with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL where he didn't register a point and was a -2. Holowko comes to the Express with 208 career games of WHL experience with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Prince Albert Raiders and Kamloops Blazers. He has 21 goals and 32 assists for 53 points in his WHL career. He dressed for 7 games with Kamloops this season he has 3 goals and 1 assist. Nic is the nephew of TSN 1040 radio host and long time TV sportscaster Don Taylor. The final move the Express have made is adding defenseman Landon Fuller (99). The Express acquired his rights as future considerations in the January 2017 trade that sent Dominic Masellis to the Surrey Eagles. Fuller comes to the Express from the Tri City Americans of the WHL. He brings some size to the backend at 6'5, 235 lbs. He has 16 games of WHL experience over parts of 3 seasons with 1 assist. In 17-18 had his lone helper in 8 games. The Williams Lake native also split 44 games last season with Salmon Arm and Surrey with 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points.

Bulldogs Make Roster Moves:

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have completed a pair of transactions, acquiring 1998-born forward Tyler Vanuden from the Dryden Ice Dogs of the Superior International Junior Hockey League and trading 1998-born defenceman Graham Rutledge to the Truro Bearcats of the Maritimes Hockey League. Vanuden hails from Fort Frances, ON and began the season with the reigning Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Brooks Bandits, where he scored once in six regular season games. He spent the 2016/17 campaign with the VIJHL’s Victoria Cougars and finished seventh in league scoring before adding 20 points in 14 playoff contests to help his team advance to the league finals. “Tyler is a speedy, smart two-way forward who we feel can help our group at both ends of the ice,” says Bulldogs head coach Matt Hughes. “He’s also a hard worker who gives us some versatility playing up or down our line-up.” Meanwhile, Rutledge heads home to Nova Scotia to join the Bearcats after playing 13 regular season games with the Bulldogs. “Graham is a great kid who made a positive impact in our locker room and community,” says Hughes. “We’d like to thank him for his time in Port Alberni and wish him all the best in the future.” Vanuden skated with his new teammates for the first time on Thursday and will be available to make his Bulldogs debut when the team faces Victoria and Nanaimo on home ice this weekend.

Nanaimo Clippers Announce New Ownership:

We are pleased to announce that the Nanaimo Clippers Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club has been purchased by Wes Mussio of the Mussio Goodman law firm in Vancouver, B.C. Wes Mussio has an extensive background in hockey management and administration. He was the President and Vice President over a five-year period at the Burnaby Winter Club helping run the Hockey program during those years. He also sat on numerous committees at the PCAHA. He helped manage or coach several spring hockey programs including the Vancouver Selects Black, Toronto Pro Hockey and the Backroad Mapbook Eagles. Most recently, he owned the Delta Ice Hawks of the PJHL in 2015-2017 and sat on the Board of the PJHL. That successful franchise was sold for the sole purpose of purchasing a BCHL franchise as the PJHL rules preclude ownership in both leagues.
     
THE OWNERSHIP TEAM

Mr. Mussio is partnering with Dave Leneveu, current President and Alternative Governor of the Nanaimo Clippers. Mr. Leneveu will continue on as the Governor and President of the Nanaimo Clippers as a minority shareholder.

The corporate name operating the Nanaimo Clippers will be Clippers Hockey Limited Partnership. Wes Mussio is the principle owner and director of the Partnership.

LOCAL OWNERSHIP COMMITMENT

Mr. Leneveu, ex-Nanaimo Clipper and ex-NHLer, lives in Nanaimo and will continue to be the face of the franchise as President and Governor. He will oversee day-to-day operations including game day operations. Mr. Mussio is in the process of purchasing a home in Nanaimo as a part-time residence. He will be opening a branch law firm in Nanaimo for ICBC injury claims and estate litigation as part of the provincial strategy for Mussio Goodman. In fact, the law firm has been looking at an island presence for several years having already opened four offices spread around the province. Mr. Mussio will be one of the lawyers taking on files out of Nanaimo.

Warriors Make Roster Moves:

The West Kelowna Warriors Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club announced Sunday that the club has made multiple roster moves including a pair of trades. The Warriors have acquired defenseman Spencer Hora (’99) from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in exchange for future considerations. The 18-year-old rearguard is a veteran of 78 BCHL games where he has scored one goal and added 18 points to go along with 81 penalty minutes. The Kelowna, BC native has started the 2017/18 season off well in 21 games so far, the 5’10”, 180-pound defender has registered 10 assists and is very familiar with the Warriors roster, having played with forwards Lucas Cullen, Chase Stevenson, Jordan Todd, Matt Kowalski and goaltender Cole Demers during the 2015/16 season with the Okanagan Rockets of the BC Major Midget League. West Kelowna has also added goaltender Cody Porter (’97) to their current roster. The 20-year-old netminder played in 117 career Western Hockey League games with the Vancouver Giants and the Calgary Hitmen, posting a 52-42-5-4 record with a 3.30 GAA and a .887 career SV% along with 5 shutouts. Porter started the year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and got into two games with the St. John’s Sea Dogs before being released and available for the Warriors to add. The North Vancouver, BC native is no stranger to the Warriors organization as the 6’3”, 200-pound goaltender spent his 16-year-old season in West Kelowna getting into 16 games with an 8-4-1 record to go along with a 3.54 GAA and a .875 SV% and did get into action on Friday night as he came in on a relief appearance in a loss in Wenatchee. To make room on the roster for those additions, the Warriors have traded defenseman Nathan Reilly (’98) to the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in exchange for future considerations. The 19-year-old blue liner suited up in 17 games for the Warriors and added two assists to go along with 21 penalty minutes. The Warriors have also placed forward Bennett Norlin on injured reserve as of Friday after he was injured in the Warriors victory over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Wednesday night. The Farmington, MN native has collected four goals and nine points in 21 games to start the season.

Alberni Valley-Olds Trade:

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have completed a trade with the Olds Grizzlys of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, acquiring 1998-born forward James Orban in exchange for 1999-born forward Cayden Kraus. Orban hails from Calgary, AB and was playing in his second season with the Grizzlys. He scored twice and added 17 assists in 59 regular season games as a rookie during the 2016/17 campaign and had scored four times while totaling 11 points in 17 games so far this season. “James is a smart, hard working left winger who competes at a high level every night and contributes in all three zones,” says Bulldogs head coach Matt Hughes. “He’s began having some good success offensively this season and we look forward to the positive impact he’ll have with us on the ice and in the dressing room.” Meanwhile, Kraus is set to join the Grizzlys following two-plus seasons in the Alberni Valley. The Winnipeg, MB product leaves the Bulldogs after scoring 28 goals and collecting 48 points in 124 career BCHL games. “Cayden is a tremendous competitor and a very good person,” says Hughes. “As a third-year player we believe he deserves a chance to play important minutes in an offensive role and we wish him all the best with this new opportunity in Olds.” Orban is expected to join the Bulldogs on their upcoming three-game road trip, which begins Friday in Trail.

Anderson Commits To Trail For 2018-19 Season:

The Trail Smoke Eaters would like to announce the commitment of Bryce Anderson for the 2018-2019 season. Anderson, a forward, currently plays for the Yale Hockey Academy Prep team after spending last season with the Valley West Hawks of the BC Major Midget Hockey League. In 15 games this season, Anderson has registered 27 points for the Yale Prep team and has also tallied 2 goals in 3 games as an AP for the Smoke Eaters this year. The 5’9” Whitehorse native is a player that the Smoke Eaters know well. Assistant coach, Jessie Leung was Anderson’s coach for a full season with the Valley West Hawks in 2016-2017 and the young forward spent some time at the start of the season practicing with the team to get a feel for the organization. “Having the opportunity to practice with the team in Trail for a few weeks and see the town was an unbelievable experience. The facilities and fan base are amongst the best in the league. I am beyond excited to be suiting up for the Smoke Eaters next season and will continue to work hard to prepare myself to be a key part of the team next season.” “The entire organization is excited to add Bryce to the Smoke Eaters next season. He provides speed, skill, and character to our group. Our team and fans have already seen a brief glimpse of what Bryce will add to our lineup and we are very excited for the future with Bryce wearing a Smoke Eater uniform,” adds Craig Clare, Director of Hockey and Business Operations. The commitment of Anderson marks the first signing of a player from the Identification Camp held in Whitehorse this past spring, which is a positive sign of things to come for the future camps to be held in the area. The team is already preparing to return to Whitehorse next May to have another look at the players that are from that area in hopes identifying additional players. The entire Smoke Eaters organization would like to welcome Bryce and his family to our team. The team and fans alike look forward to following Bryce’s progress this season with Yale and anticipate his arrival in our community next season.

West Kelowna-Waywayseecappo Trade:

The West Kelowna Warriors Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club announced Thursday afternoon that the club has traded forward Peter Tomaras (’98) to the Waywayseecappo Wolverines of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) in exchange for future considerations. Tomaras, 19, played in 61 career games with the Warriors, registering 5 goals and 15 points to go along with 21 penalty minutes during a season and a half in West Kelowna. The 5’10”, 170-pound forward scored 3 goals and 5 points in addition to 6 penalty minutes in 16 games played this season. Prior to his time in West Kelowna, the Edmonton, Alberta native played three seasons in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) with the South Side Athletic Club (SSAC) Athletics where he collected 35 goals and 70 points in 101 games of Midget hockey. “Peter is a character kid and plays with his heart on his sleeve,” commented Warriors head coach and general manager Rylan Ferster, “We want to wish him all the best in Waywayseecappo.” The Warriors would like to thank Peter for his time with the Warriors and his contributions to the city of West Kelowna.

Salmon Arm-Coquitlam Trade:

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks have acquired the CJHL playing rights to Reid Cooper(98)(G) from the Coquitlam Express in exchange for future considerations

Surrey-Yarmouth Trade:

The Surrey Eagles have transferred the CJHL playing rights to Derrick Johnson(98)(D) to the Yarmouth Mariners of the MHL in exchange for future considerations

Cowichan-Waywayseecappo Trade:

The Cowichan Valley Capitals transfer the CJHL playing rights to Yann Dery(98)(G) to the Waywayseecappo Wolverines of the MJHL in exchange for the CJHL playing rights to Brandon Stanley(97)(F) and future considerations