BCHL News & Trades:
Vees Sign Camploi:
The Penticton Vees are pleased to announce the signing of 1998-born defenceman Michael Campoli. He spent the last year and a half at Boston College, appearing in 12 games for the Eagles while registering one assist. Campoli, a dual citizen but originally from Montreal, went to Boston College from the United States National Under-18 Program, playing 55 games during the 2015-16 season recording one assist. He has also represented the United States on the International stage, winning a silver medal at the Under-17 Hockey Championships in the 2014-15 season. Prior to his freshman year at Boston College, Campoli was invited to Buffalo Sabres prospects camp. “Michael Campoli is a great skating defenceman that is known for his defensive game,” said Vees head coach and general manager Fred Harbinson. “We’ve seen how players such as Scott Conway and Nick Jones in the past that have come back from the NCAA and had a positive impact on our program. We feel Michael will add the same to our defence core.” The 6’3’’ defender will come to Penticton in the new year and will join the team in 2018.
Naylor Named New Clippers Head Coach/GM:
Sadly, Mike Vandekamp has been replaced as GM and Head Coach of the Nanaimo Clippers with Darren Naylor assuming the roles effectively immediately. Wesley Mussio, owner of the Clippers, agonized over the decision but ultimately decided to make the mid-season move because of irreconcilable differences between Mike and Wes in regards to the direction of the team for next year. In particular, the Clippers owner had a different view of recruiting players for the 2018-19 season and beyond. Mike has done an excellent job at the Clippers organization and will continue to be an excellent coach in future years. Darren has 25 years of coaching experience and has been recently awarded the 2016-17 PJHL Coach of The Year. He successfully led the Delta Ice Hawks, the youngest team in the league, to the PJHL final series this past season. This year, the Delta Ice Hawks hold the best record in Junior B hockey in B.C., currently at 26-2-1for the 2017-18 season. Darren began his Junior hockey career with the WHL’s Victoria Cougars for 3 seasons. He returned for his overage year as a member of Vernon Lakers where he won a Canadian Junior A Championship (Royal Bank Cup). Darren then embarked on a 5-year minor pro player career. Upon retirement, he immediately began coaching and has been GM/Head Coach in the BCHL, PIJHL, KIJHL as well as a WHL scout.
Mohagen Commits To Surrey Eagles For Next Season:
The Surrey Eagles are proud to announce that forward Max Mohagen has committed to the team for the 2018-19 BCHL season. The 17-year-old Surrey native currently has 7 goals and 27 assists in 22 games for the Valley West Hawks of the BCMML. Mohagen previously was a product of the Cloverdale Minor Hockey system, and spent two years with the Delta Hockey Academy. This is the first major commitment of the year for the Eagles, with many more to follow. “Max has had a tremendous season so far with the Hawks and we have been really impressed with his development,” said Eagles head coach Brandon West when asked about Mohagen. “Max is a power forward who can play a 200-foot game. We are thrilled to have Max join the Eagles family for next season.” Mohagen, listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, has been part of an electric Valley West offence this season – which is on a record breaking pace. They are closing in on the all-time BCMML team scoring record, which stands at 246, on a team that included first overall NHL pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Welcome to the team, Max!
Championship Rings Stolen From West Kelowna Warriors' Head Coach:
A year and a half ago, Rylan Ferster coached the West Kelowna Warriors to its first-ever RBC Cup, emblematic of the Canadian junior A hockey championship. Nearly three decades earlier, he was a key member of the Vernon Lakers team that won the same national title, then called the Centennial Cup. As is often the case in sports, both victories were commemorated with irreplaceable and sentimental championship rings. On Saturday, those rings were stolen when Ferster’s truck was broken into outside of his house near Kelowna General Hospital (KGH). “It’s not common practice for me to leave them (in the truck), of course, that’s what everyone’s probably thinking,” Ferster told KelownaNow. “I was showing them to a friend and I had forgotten them in there. They weren’t in sight, they were in the console.” When his girlfriend first told Ferster about the break-in, he wasn’t too concerned about losing a couple of pairs of sunglasses, some change and other small stuff. It hit him later in the day that he had left the rings in the truck and when he rushed out to check the truck, he realized they were gone. Ferster says he already looked into a few ways to replace the 2016 Warriors ring, which may be possible, but that will prove a lot more difficult with the 1990 championship ring. “I won it as a player in 1990 and that’s the one that’s really special because that’s the one that’s going to be really hard to replace,” said Ferster. “The tough thing is that I promised one each to my daughters, I have twin daughters who are 12-years old and they both have picked one already that they get, so that’s the tough thing.” It’s been a tough few days for Ferster, but he says the response from the community has been amazing and overwhelming. He wanted to give a shout out to Global’s Klaudia Van Emmerik, who convinced a reluctant Ferster to go public with the story, as well as his very good friend Troy Mick whose post about the theft has been shared over a hundred times on Facebook. If you have any information on the whereabouts of the ring or if you saw anything suspicious on Francis street near KGH on Saturday night, call the Kelowna RCMP. Ferster says he's been too busy with the Warriors this week to think of an exact reward, but if anyone can help him get the rings back they will surely be compensated.
Bowen On Chilliwack Chiefs Radar:
The BCHL’s trade deadline looms Jan. 10. With nearly every team still in the playoff hunt, Chilliwack Chiefs head coach/general manager Tatarnic doesn’t expect to make a deal, but that doesn’t mean he can’t improve his roster. Chilliwack native Ryan Bowen may soon be available for free. The 19 year old was traded by the Lethbridge Hurricanes to another Western Hockey League club, but refused to report to his new team, and he’s since been suspended by the Hurricanes. “From what I know he wants to finish the year off here (in Chilliwack),” Tatarnic said. “So it’s in the hands of the WHL and Lethbridge and we’ll see what transpires. “I don’t know all the technicalities behind it or what the whole process behind it is. I know he’s been placed on a 30 day suspension, but I don’t know whether it has to be the full 30 days or if it can be less.” Tatarnic seems confident Bowen will eventually land in Chilliwack, where he last played in 2014-15. Bowen suited up in 53 regular season and 12 playoff games that year, posting 10 goals, 20 assists and 35 penalty minutes. “Obviously if we can add a local kid like Ryan to our lineup we will,” Tatarnic said. “We just have to be patient.”
Cents Looking To Add Skill Ahead Of Deadline:
The Merritt Centennials traveled to Coquitlam on Wednesday, intent upon exacting a little payback against a suddenly red-hot Express team that beat the Cents 5-2 at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena on Dec. 29. After recording only three wins in the first three months of the season, and replacing head coach Barry Wolfe with Jason Fortier behind the bench in early December, Coquitlam has gone 5-4-0-0 in its last nine games. During that stretch, the Express have picked up wins over the league-leading Vernon Vipers, the Powell River Kings, the Victoria Grizzlies, the Langley Rivermen and the Centennials. The first scheduled Merritt-Coquitlam contest almost didn’t happen, as the Express were delayed several hours by terrible road conditions in the Fraser Valley and on the Coquihalla Highway. The Express did not make it to town until almost 8:30 p.m. After an abbreviated warm-up, the game finally got underway at 9:20 p.m., and didn’t end until 11:30 p.m. “We were talking to [Coquitlam] from about two o’clock on,” said Merritt head coach and GM Joe Martin. “They were stuck around Hope for about four hours.” The Centennials peppered their travel-weary opponents in the first period, outshooting them 14-6, but were unable to beat Express rookie netminder Clay Stevenson. Martin went as far as to say his team dominated the whole game, but just couldn’t buy enough goals. “In all honesty, I can think of one sustained Coquitlam shift in the entire 60 minutes,” he said. “Everything went in our favour except what matters most – on the scoreboard.” It was actually Coquitlam who got on the board first, scoring a pair of powerplay goals two minutes and 20 seconds apart to begin the second period. Express marksmen were Joshua Bruce and Joshua Wildauer. Against the flow of play, Coquitlam extended its lead to 3-0 when Colby Pederson buried his first of two on the night at 9:25 of the middle stanza. With three goals allowed on just 12 shots, Merritt made a change between the pipes, with Austin Roden replacing starting goaltender Jake Berger. The change seemed to have the desired effect, as less than 90 seconds later, Ashton Stockie’s sixth goal of the season beat Stevenson and narrowed the gap to 3-1. Once again, against the flow, the Express re-established their three-goal lead at the nine-minute mark of the third period, Pederson beating Rodin with a seemingly harmless point shot that found its way through a mass of bodies and past a screened Rodin. The Cents replied again, with captain Tyrell Buckley notching his sixth of the year on the powerplay at the 10:46 mark. Unfortunately, that’s as close as Merritt would get. With Rodin pulled for an extra attacker, Coquitlam’s Eric Linell would close out the scoring with an empty-netter a minute and fifteen seconds from the final buzzer. The Centennials outshot the Express 35-23 on the night. The homeside went one-for-four with the man advantage, the visitors two-for-three. Wednesday’s game in Coquitlam kicks off a very busy month of January for the Centennials. In total they play 12 games in a span of 29 days, including eight on the road. All but two of the dozen games are against teams in their division, highlighted by a weekend doubleheader versus the Wild in Wenatchee on Jan. 26 and 27. “There are two spots ahead of us in the standings that are realistically within reach,” said Martin. “That’s why this next batch of games is so important.” Martin’s other goal has been a season-long one – to see his team play solid, 60-minute games, from the goaltenders out. “I just want to see us be harder to play against. It’s getting there, but we’re not there yet.” With less than a week until the CJHL trade deadline of Jan. 10, Martin said he is definitely working the phones. “There are teams out there making trades, and bringing in bigger pieces. I’m talking to lots of people. Like everyone else, we’d love to land a big defenceman, or a high-scoring forward, but that could be wishful thinking.” The Centennials have the luxury of one open roster spot, and Martin might concentrate on just filling that rather than trading away any of his current players. “A player with some skill, a lot of determination, and a great attitude would fit the bill,” he said. Martin hasn’t ruled out trying to sign either Fraser Dodd or Joel Patsey to the available roster position. Both affiliate players from the Junior B 100 Mile Wranglers impressed the Cents’ coaching staff in the team’s 5-3 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters back on Dec. 12. “They’re good hockey players, both of them,” said Martin. “We just have to consider what’s best for them.” The Centennials’ next home game is Jan. 6 when they host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. With the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena closed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the Centennials practised outdoors on Monday at the outdoor facility located in Central Park. Martin said the ice was a little rough in patches, but that his team made the best of the situation.
Penticton-Salmon Arm Trade:
The Penticton Vees are excited to announce the acquisition of 98-born forward Marcus Mitchell from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in exchange for defenceman Joe Leahy. Mitchell, from Kelowna, has spent the last three seasons with the Silverbacks scoring 27 goals with 34 assists in 122 career games. Prior to his BCHL career, Mitchell played the 2014-15 season with the Okanagan Rockets, finishing second in team scoring with 46 points in 39 games. “This is a hockey trade out of necessity,” said Vees head coach and general manager Fred Harbinson. “With all the long-term injuries to our forward group, we felt the need to add an experienced forward. Marcus is a powerful winger that can add offence.” This season Mitchell played in 19 games with Salmon Arm scoring eight goals with four assists. Leahy, a 97-born defenceman from Waterloo, Ontario, had been with the Vees since the beginning of last season suiting up for a combined 101 regular season and playoff games, scoring six goals with 27 assists. He played a key role in the Vees Fred Page Cup championship last season. “It was extremely difficult to move a defenceman of Joe’s calibre,” Harbinson continued. “He helped us win a championship last April, but the addition of Michael Campoli in the new year will help fill the void.” Mitchell will wear jersey number 25, has joined his new teammates and will make his Vees debut Friday when the team travels to Wenatchee to play the Wild for two games this weekend.
Fischer Commits To Victoria Grizzlies For 2018-19 Season:
The Victoria Grizzlies are pleased to announce a signing for next season – California native Ryan Fischer. Fischer is a 2000 born right handed defenseman who hails from Anaheim Hills. Fischer played this season for the the Anahiem Jr. Ducks 18U, where he currently leads his league (Tier 1 Elite Hockey League) in Defenseman scoring. The smooth skating right handed defenseman had his reasons for joining the Grizzlies. “I am very excited and look forward to playing with the Victoria Grizzlies next season. I had a few different teams that I was looking at and I chose Victoria because of the creative and skilled system they play, which fits my style of play,” commented Fischer. “Ryan is a very skilled offensive minded defenseman,” added GM/HC Craig Didmon. “In my talks with his current coach, August Aitkens, we found out that Ryan works extremely hard on and off the ice and is dedicated to being a professional athlete. We are very happy that he has chosen to play out his Junior career with the Grizzlies.”
Record Year For Vees:
The Penticton Vees' calendar year has been highlighted by a Cinderella run to become B.C. Hockey League champions, hosting the Western Canada Cup and advancing to the semifinal of the RBC Cup. Penticton won the BCHL's Interior division for a sixth consecutive season in 2016-17, which meant a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Vees' playoff run was almost spoiled early by the surprising Merritt Centennials, who took them to Game 7 in the second round before a convincing win by Penticton to end the series. A classic divisional final featured the Vees and the Vernon Vipers followed. Penticton bested their rival in seven games to advance to the BCHL final. Like the previous two playoffs series, the finals against another powerhouse, the Chilliwack Chiefs, needed seven games. In overtime of a scoreless Game 7, forward Duncan Campbell scored the goal of his life at the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack to give the Vees their fourth league banner in 10 years. "To win three game sevens in a row to win a championship, it's never easy," Vees head coach and general manager Fred Harbinson said. "For the organization, to win four times in the past 10 years and be in the finals five times, its been a nice run." Penticton was guaranteed a spot in the Western Canada Cup as the host team, but they went in through the front door and had an impressive tournament. The Vees won the second-place game in front of their fans to punch their ticket to the RBC Cup. They were once again the Chiefs' kryptonite, beating Chilliwack in what was a rematch of the BCHL final. In Cobourg, Ont. for the RBC Cup, the Vees fell just short, losing to the host team — the Ontario Junior Hockey League's Cobourg Cougars — in the semifinal. The Cougars went on to win the national title game in overtime. "It's always that balance, trying to build that team that can win a seven-game series, then you have to have that team that can win in a tournament style," Harbinson said. "You have to give Cobourg credit for getting hot at the right time." While the season was largely a story-book one for the team, it was a year of accomplishments for alumni. Former Vees captain Tyson Jost was signed in March by the Colorado Avalanche, the team that drafted him 10th overall in 2016. His pro deal came exactly a year after he last suited up for Penticton. Five days later, on Mar. 31, Jost made his NHL debut. He scored his first career NHL goal in his fourth game, on Apr. 6. "Real exciting for Tyson, for the organization, for everybody involved, the family... It's pretty special," Harbinson said. Four months prior to Jost's pro debut, he and another former Vee, Dante Fabbro, represented Team Canada at the World Juniors — the biggest international stage for junior-aged players. "They both played pretty big roles on that team... Obviously gold is what they wanted, but to lose in the shootout of the championship game is something I'm sure they'll never forget," Harbinson said. Fabbro is once again at the tournament playing for Canada as an assistant captain on this year's squad. On the international stage, Vees Jonny Tychonick and Ryan O'Connell brought home gold from the World Junior A Challenge in Truro, Nova Scotia earlier this month, having represented Team Canada West. As for this season's Vees, the results have been impressive in the 2017 portion of their schedule. Penticton was undefeated for nine games to begin the season, and later had a 12-game win streak which was snapped earlier this month. The team has dealt with decimating injuries; the team confirmed that co-captain Grant Cruikshank is likely done for the season after breaking his ankle. Chris Klack and Cassidy Bowes are both sitting out with long-term injuries, as is O'Connell who broke his arm at the WJAC. "For our standards, everybody expects us to win every night, and we don't want to make any excuses. Everybody has injuries nowadays but its been a funny year," Harbinson said. "Not one week type stuff, its all been six-to-eight week type deals. And losing Cruikshank for the year has obviously been tough to fill. "But we're going to keep fighting hard here as a staff and as a team, and I think at the end of the year we're going to be a team people aren't going to want to play against." The Vees will begin the second half of the season with a 22-7-2-2 record in 33 games, good for third in the league. The Wenatchee Wild are one point ahead of the Vees and have played two more games, while the Vernon Vipers are seven points up on Penticton with four more games played. Penticton's second half begins with games in Wenatchee on back-to-back nights on Dec. 29 and 30. "One of the fastest teams in the league, one of the toughest buildings to play in. It'll be a great test," Harbinson said.
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