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:
Warriors Fire Grimwood:
Turmoil surrounding the BC Hockey League's West Kelowna Warriors continues. The latest, the firing of interim head coach and general manager Geoff Grimwood, just days before the start of the regular season. Grimwood was given the news Monday night by new team owner Kim Dobranski. He says he was, and wasn't, surprised by the decision. "No, because I know the situation right now seems unstable. But, I was surprised in the sense that I didn't think they would pull the rug out on you going into the first week of the season," Grimwood said Tuesday. "I thought I would have a chance to get out of the gate and see how we did. "I respect that's the owner's choice and he has to make decisions he thinks are right. I happen to disagree with that because I think the players needed stability, and right now, it's just not being provided." Grimwood's firing comes just two weeks after he was installed as interim coach following the resignation of Rylan Ferster just prior to the start of training camp. He was hired in the summer to serve as assistant coach under Ferster. Assistant coach Matt Miller also left the organization Monday. The new bench boss, the third in 17 days, is Jason Beckett, who most recently coached at the Pursuit of Excellence. "I really enjoyed my two weeks here. It's a good group of kids, and I thought we were building towards a good start to the season," added Grimwood, who said he will take a few days to consider his next moves. However, he acknowledged there are not a lot of job openings with hockey season just days away. The club is also looking for a new trainer after longtime athletic therapist Mike Bois stepped down effective the end of the pre-season. In protest, players left the ice partway through practice Tuesday. The Warriors are scheduled to open the regular season Friday night in Trail. Their home opener, against the same Smoke Eaters, is slated for Saturday at Royal LePage Place. Calls to the BC Hockey League for comment have not yet been returned.
CJHL To Reduce Number Of 20-Year Olds:
The Canadian Junior Hockey League’s (CJHL) Board of Governors announced today an initiative to reduce the number of 20-year-old players allowed to compete, commencing with the approaching 2018-19 regular season. These steps will be implemented over the course of a three-year plan, which has been formalized by the CJHL Board of Governors. Currently each of the 10 leagues and 133 teams that comprise the CJHL is permitted to register, and have on their active roster, nine players, in their last year of junior eligibility. Beginning with the 2018-19 campaign, CJHL clubs will begin to reduce the number of 20-year-olds that will be permitted to register with any one team by one, until the maximum number allowed reaches six, by the commencement of the 2020-21 season. The BCHL already meets this requirement as they have only allowed a maximum of six 20-year-olds for several years. These roster changes will not prohibit additional 20-year-olds from signing with member clubs as affiliate players. However, at no time, can the number of 20-year-old players participating in any game exceed the total number allowable for that season. In discussing the reasoning of this soon-to-be implemented regulation, CJHL Chairman of the Board Kevin Abrams offered these thoughts. “The CJHL recognizes the importance of player development and advancement to higher levels of play,” stated Abrams. For his part, CJHL President Brent Ladds echoed the sentiments of Abrams in discussing the implementation of the upcoming changes regarding the number of 20-year-olds on active rosters. “Providing more on-ice opportunity for players in their prime development-age period, will certainly bode well for their futures and hopefully assist them along the path to their destination,” offered Ladds.
CJHL Tribute For Humboldt Broncos:
The Canadian Junior Hockey League, in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the other nine Jr. A leagues that comprise the CJHL, announced Saturday details of a special banner that will be presented and unveiled at upcoming regular season home games for each if its 133 member clubs for the 2018-19 season, in tribute of the Humboldt Broncos. The banner, designed by Mr. Tyler Hutchinson of Moose Jaw, Sask., is in honour and remembrance of all those involved in the tragic events of April 6, 2018. These ceremonies will be held at prior to upcoming home contests for each of the CJHL’s 133-member clubs. It will also be included as part of the pre-game tribute for the Broncos prior to the SJHL’s initial regular season contest vs. the Nipawin Hawks at Elgar Peterson Arena in Humboldt. This match-up will be broadcast live across Canada on TSN as well as on CTV Saskatchewan, Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET. “On behalf of the CJHL, we are indebted to Tyler Hutchinson, for his generous gift, which will help maintain the memory of so many, embedded in our hearts, each time we visit our venues,” offered CJHL President Brent Ladds. In designing his tribute, Hutchinson gave his thoughts on what moved him to create the artwork. “Like everybody across the world, I was shocked and saddened by the news of the tragic accident involving the Humboldt Broncos,” stated Hutchinson. “It hit very close to home, as I currently have cousins playing in both the SJHL and WHL,” he added. “It got me thinking and I decided to try and come up with something that the entire CJHL could use, not only to commemorate the tragic events, but also help with the healing process. Hopefully the design does this.” Of note, the banner will also be reflected through the use of decals, which will be worn on the helmets of all players within the CJHL this season.
BCHL Takes Over Warriors-Grimwood Back As Head Coach:
With the regular season set to open with seven games on Friday night, the BCHL has taken over operation of the West Kelowna Warriors, a source familiar with the situation told Taking Note on Wednesday night. At this point, it isn’t known how long this will be in place, but Warriors majority owner Kim Dobranski isn’t pulling the strings, at least for now, As well, Geoff Grimwood, who was dismissed as the general manager and head coach on Monday night, will be behind the bench when the Warriors open against the Smoke Eaters in Trail on Friday. Taking Note was told that a new contract for Grimwood was being drawn up on Wednesday. This is the first real test for Chris Hebb, who is in his first season as the BCHL commissioner after taking over from the retiring John Grisdale. Hebb’s past includes a stint (2006-13) as the senior vice-president of content and communications with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Prior to that, he spent 11 years with Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Vancouver Canucks. He was heavily involved in media in both stops, so will have known the importance of acting quickly in this situation. You can bet that that he and the board of governors also were aware that player agents already were calling other BCHL teams as they prepared to start requesting trades for clients on the Warriors’ roster. It would appear that the BCHL also imposed a gag rule on the Warriors’ players. One player contacted on Wednesday told Taking Note: “I cannot comment on this matter at this time. . . . Thank you.” All of this may explain why Dobranski didn’t introduce Jason Beckett as his new head coach on Wednesday. Grimwood was named the interim general manager and head coach in a news release from the team on Aug. 21, which is when Rylan Ferster, the GM/head coach for the previous six seasons, left the organization. Under Ferster’s guidance, the Warriors won the national junior A championship in 2016. It became known on Tuesday that Beckett, who had been coaching at the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna, was to take over as head coach. However, an announcement never was made. On the ice, the Warriors players left the ice during Tuesday’s practice and didn’t return in protesting Grimwood’s dismissal. The players didn’t skate on Wednesday, instead going on a hike, which is where the photo that appears in the above tweet was taken. Cavin Tilsley, who tweeted that photo, is a 20-year-old forward from Delta, B.C., who was an alternate captain with the team last season. Dobranski also dropped a Facebook post sometime on Wednesday in which he was critical of Wayne Moore, a former public address announcer with the Warriors who works for castanet.net. Moore wrote a story about the situation on Tuesday in which he revealed that Beckett was to be the new head coach. (As of Wednesday evening, Moore’s story had received more than 12,900 views, by far the most of any recent sports story on the site.) The Facebook post disappeared sometime on Wednesday, but, as often happens, it lives somewhere on social media.
Excitement Building For Eagles As New Season Draws Near:
With 2018-19 training camp in full swing, the Surrey Eagles will be forced to make some challenging roster decisions soon. The team has jumped out to a 2-1-0-0 record in the pre-season thus far, with only two games remaining against the Coquitlam Express before the season begins in earnest on September 7th – a game in which they also play the Express. There are 30 players left in camp, which means there is still some work to be done to reduce the roster to the max size of 23 players before the season begins. According to Eagles head coach Brandon West, the competition for the final spots has been incredibly intense. “We still have some jobs up for grabs. We’re going to see some guys compete for spots. Overall we’ve been impressed with the conditioning and the dedication that the returning guys have put in. It’s a competitive roster right now, and we’re continuing to push our guys to showcase their talents.” The Eagles roster will feature as many as seven returnees from last season, but took significant losses to their forward group in the summer. Five of the top six point producers from last season’s squad have moved on – including Desi Burgart, Jeff Stewart, and Owen Norton who all received NCAA division I scholarships. John Wesley, who was tied for the league lead in goal scoring last season with 37, aged out and will play this upcoming season with the University of Windsor. The five top scorers from last season that are moving on accounted for 104 total goals. Replacing that offense weighed heavily on the mind of the coaching staff this offseason. “I think we’ve gained some really talented players like Chase Stevenson and Eric Linell, first and foremost. Those guys add a lot of speed to our lineup. That was something we wanted to focus on, being a little bit quicker. They also add veteran leadership and a ton of skill.” There is excitement surrounding the goaltending duo of Seth Eisele and Daniel Davidson heading into the 2018-19 season. The Eagles acquired Eisele, who is fresh off a Fred Page Cup BCHL championship season with Wenatchee, for future considerations during the offseason. Davidson is coming off the best season of his BCHL career, after posting a .901 save percentage in 32 games. Having both goaltenders gives the team stability between the pipes with two veterans. Davidson picked up the 6-3 win for Surrey on Thursday night in Langley, and Eisele stopped 25 of 28 in a 3-2 loss in his pre-season debut on Saturday night. “We’ve had a competitive camp in goal,” West commented. “Seth and Danny have both had tremendous camps. We talked as a staff and we feel it’s important to get these guys into full games, not the half-game stuff that you see some teams doing.” One other pleasant note from camp has been the play of Brendan Winslow. The sophomore defenceman has made quite the impression during inter-squad games and drills, showing a more composed and physical presence on the ice. Winslow, from Richland, Washington, appeared in 46 regular season games and 13 post-season games as a rookie – amassing one goal and six assists. “[Winslow] was rock solid for us in the playoffs last season. His entire second half was good, but I feel like he took his game to another level in the playoffs. We’re really happy where he’s at. We put everyone on notice that there are 23 jobs up for grabs, and he’s a guy that we’ve been really impressed with. We need guys to step up, and he’s taken it upon himself to show up and have a great training camp.” The Eagles have two pre-season tune-ups left, one at home and one on the road. You can catch the final home exhibition on Friday, August 31st vs the Coquitlam Express. Admission will be free for all that would like to attend! The season officially kicks off on September 7th at home against the Coquitlam Express. Season tickets and special 5-game ticket packs are available now!
Nanaimo-Salmon Arm Trade:
The Nanaimo Clippers have traded 20-year-old forward Sam MacBean to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for 20-year-old goalie Kyle Dumba. The 6’0″, 198-lb. Dumba played the 2015-2016 season with WHL Calgary Hitmen and the AJHL Calgary Mustangs. The 2016-2017 season saw Kyle playing 28 regular season and one playoff game for the Calgary Hitmen. For the 2017-2018 season Kyle played for three WHL teams and played 30 regular season and thee playoff games for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. In regular season play with the Silverbacks he recorded a 4.00 goals against average with a save percentage of .892. In the playoffs he had a 2.30 GAA and a save percentage of .947. The Nanaimo Clippers would like to thank Sam MacBean for his time with the Clippers and wish him well in the future.
West Kelowna Warriors Owner Reinstates Fired Head Coach:
Three days after firing interim head coach Geoff Grimwood, West Kelowna Warriors owner and president Kim Dobranski said he made a mistake. Grimwood was hired back as the team’s full-time head coach and general manager Dobranski, reading a prepared statement outside the team’s home rink at Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna Thursday morning, said he failed to consider what was best for the players in firing Grimwood after just 17 days on the job. “I failed as a partner in (the B.C. Hockey League) and as a leader of this organization, to consider the emotional turmoil this could cause for these young men,” he said. The players protested the firing Tuesday by leaving practice early and refused show up for practice on Wednesday. Then they launched a social media protest titled #Grimmergate. Dobranski, who with a number of silent partners bought the team from former owner Mark Cheyne earlier this year, read his statement and refused to take questions, including any about whether the league had ordered him to reinstate Grimwood. Following the news conference BCHL commissioner Chris Hebb said the league office heard from many people, including the players, about the firing. He said as a result the league discussed it with Dobranski and “suggested” he reverse the decision. Hebb also said the league will be “overseeing” the operation of the team as the new ownership group gets on its feet. “We won’t be running it, but it’s fair to say we will be overseeing operations,” said Hebb. He praised Dobranski for admitting he made a mistake in firing Grimwood. Related: West Kelowna Warriors fire coach after just 17 days In his statement, Dobranski said in it was apparent Grimwood, in his short time with the team, had a “profound” impact on the players. “In my search to fill the big shoes of (former head coach Rylan) Ferster, I neglected to realize Mr. Ferster, in his final act before leaving, not only …assembled an incredible group of young men, he placed the best person for the job right in front of me,” said Dobranski. Grimwood was originally hired by the team as an assistant to Ferster, who led the team to the national junior A hockey championship in 2016. Dobranski praised the players for standing up for their coach when Grimwood was let go Monday. The team opens the BCHL season Friday in Trail and plays its home opener at Royal LePage Place Saturday in a return game with the Smoke Eaters. Grimwood also spoke at the new conference Thursday and said the team has been in a period of transition from an ownership and coaching perspective and, as the new head coach and general manager, he wants to move on from the events of the last few days. “Sometimes when that happens it’s really important on get on the same page. I think what we’ve done here with Kim, myself and the B.C. Hockey League, we just made sure everyone is on the same page going forward,” he said. “What I want for the players and the team is the same as what Mr. Dobranski wants for the players and the team. So we’re going to really work hard for the players.” Following Grimwood’s firing Monday, Jason Beckett of the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna was tapped to be the next head coach of the Warriors but no formal announcement of his appointment was made. Dobranski said Beckett recognized what was the right thing to do for the players and “willingly and without hesitation stepped aside to allow me to do the right thing.” He said he just wants to move on from the turmoil that has engulfed the team, which has seen several high-profile staff members leave in recent days, including an assistant coach and the team’s long-time physical therapist. In addition to Grimwood returning, assistant coach Matt Miller, goalie coach Chad Carder and head scout Lance Morey will also return to the team said the BCHL in a news release. The team has also hired a new director of entertainment and game day operations, Mike Schell and a new director of marketing and public relations Kristi Hennesy. The BCHL issued the following statement on the West Kelonwa Warriors situation: In light of recent staffing changes in the West Kelowna Warriors organization, the BCHL is taking steps to stabilize the club leading into the 2018-19 season. BCHL commissioner Chris Hebb is personally monitoring the remaining part of the Warriors preparations for the start of the season. Warriors owner Kim Dobranski, who assumed majority control of the club in August from previous owner Mark Cheyne, is cooperating with the BCHL to ensure the Warriors players have a supportive environment for the start of the season. “I first off want to apologize to the players and their families for any uncertainty caused by the coaching changes that occurred,” said Dobranski. “In the early going here as owner, I made some decisions that, upon reflection, were not in the best interest of the players. With support from the BCHL, I’ve reconsidered those decisions and am confident now that we’ve made a place for our players to develop in a competitive setting.” Warriors head coach Geoff Grimwood, who stepped in Aug. 21 to replace former coach Rylan Ferster, has been brought back to run the Warriors’ bench after it was announced on Sept. 3 that Grimwood had been relieved of duty by the team. Also rejoining the staff effective immediately are assistant coach Matt Miller, goalie coach Chad Carder and head scout Lance Morey. The BCHL will work alongside Dobranski and his management staff, directing them in the near term and the league will remain in a supporting role as the season progresses. “There has been a steep learning curve with a new owner here but we are putting our efforts behind the West Kelowna Warriors and will support and advise them as they request this season,” said Hebb. “This club won a national championship in 2016 and have another outstanding recruiting class this season. I fully expect them to again be a strong team in the Interior Division.” West Kelowna had eight players on their roster committed to NCAA Div. I programs last season. It is expected two of those players will be back with the team this year as well as three other college-committed players so far.
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