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:
Powell River Kings Name Berard Captain:
The Powell River Kings have unveiled their leadership group for the 2018/2019 season. Third year forward Ben Berard will captain the team after serving as an alternate last year. Berard will be joined by fourth year defenceman Jack Long, third year forward Josh Coblenz, and second year defenceman Ben Raffler, all of whom will wear “A’s” on their jerseys this year. GM and Head Coach Tyler Kuntz also named three honourary captains. Mitch Adamyk, Kyle Kawamura and Neal Samanski will all be tasked with supporting the leadership group through the season.
Smoke Eaters Name Miller New Broadcaster:
The Trail Smoke Eaters Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club are excited to announce the hiring of Trevor Miller as the team’s new play-by-play broadcaster ahead of the 2018-19 season. Miller, 24, spent the last two seasons working with the West Kelowna Warriors, broadcasting the team’s 58 regular season games as well as the playoffs while also handling the team’s social media accounts. Prior to his time in West Kelowna, Miller spent three seasons with the Penticton Vees as the team’s colour commentator as well as providing content for the team’s social media while also being the play-by-play broadcaster for the Okanagan Rockets in the BC Major Midget League. The Mission, BC native will be entering his 6th season in the BCHL, “It’s an incredible opportunity for me to have a chance to join such a prestigious and historic organization like the Smoke Eaters,” commented Miller, “I’d like to thank Rich and Annie Murphy as well as Craig Clare for bringing me on board and giving me this honour. I can’t wait to get things started and be involved in the community of Trail.” “The Trail Smoke Eaters are excited to add Trevor Miller to our organization,” said Director of Hockey & Business Operations, Craig Clare. “Trevor has been behind the microphone for many iconic calls in the BC Major Midget League and the BCHL and brings a wide array of skills to our organization. We look forward to his voice bringing the excitement from the rink to our Smoke Eaters fans far and wide.” Former Smoke Eaters Play-by-Play Announcer, Wylie Henderson can still be heard calling games in the East Kootenay, where he relocated this past spring to become the News Director for 102.9FM, The Drive. The entire Smoke Eaters organization thank Wylie for his years of service with the team and wish him the very best in his career.
Warriors Name Schell New Director Of Entertainment & Game Day Operations:
The West Kelowna Warriors Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club is pleased to announce the hiring of Mike Schell as the team’s Director of Entertainment & Game Day Operations ahead of the 2018/19 season. Mike has been in the entertainment industry for the past 15 years, seven years as a concert promoter, music producer, artist management and touring musician. Mike has called West Kelowna home for the past 18 years and has been strong supporter and fan of the Warriors since their move here in 2006. “I am extremely excited for the honour to be a part of the warriors organization,” commented Schell, “I want to thank Kim Dobranski for the opportunity to bring my energy and passion to my hometown team. Being able to work for such a strong community oriented organization with a drive for success is a dream come true.” “I am very pleased to welcome Mike to our Warriors family,” commented Warriors owner and president Kim Dobranski. “Mike brings high energy and drive and is committed to give West Kelowna the best entertainment and fan experience possible. Mike is very community driven and will be a great asset to our organization.”
Salmon Arm Silverbacks Name Seibel Captain:
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are excited to announce that Sol Seibel has been named as the captain for the 2018-2019 BCHL season. This is Sol’s third season in the BCHL, and first full year with the Silverbacks. His rookie season was spent in Vernon, and last year he was traded to the Silverbacks midway through the season. The Kamloops defenceman has played in 92 regular season BCHL games scoring two goals and adding 18 assists for 20 points. Come join Sol and see who the named alternate captains are Friday night as the team opens their season against the Merritt Centennials in the Shaw Centre. Doors open at 6pm, and tickets are available for sale through the season.
Doucet Impressed During Bulldogs Rookie Year:
If we didn’t tell you it was Jackson Doucet’s rookie year last season many wouldn’t have known as he impressed many with his play. In 57 games last season Doucet earned himself 35 points, 13 goals and 22 assists while contributing as a team player on and off the ice. Doucet, who notably mentioned how physical the BCHL is, made it his big goal in the off season “It was a big off season for me, I wanted to come into this year a lot stronger and I feel like I have.” Doucet also went onto say “I want to become a better leader, to help our younger players coming into the team. Showcasing how hard you have to work every day to be successful in this league.” Doucet’s energy and hardworking attitude was the key to his success last season according to Head Coach Matt Hughes and he expects him to be a bigger threat to other teams this season.
Surrey Names Westgard Captain:
The Surrey Eagles have announced their leadership group for the upcoming 2018-19 BCHL season. Entering his sixth season with the team, Ty Westgard has been named captain. His assistant captains are as follows: Eric Linell, Chase Stevenson, Aaron White, and Cody Schiavon. White and Schiavon will split their duties as assistant captain for home and away games. Westgard, 20, is a White Rock native and a longtime leader on the team. Coming into this season, he has played 134 games and has scored 125 points. He finished last season with 55 assists and 70 points – good enough for second in league scoring. Linell and Stevenson are both newcomers to the team, but bring a vast amount of BCHL experience with them. Linell has earned a commitment to the University of Connecticut, and Stevenson is set to head to the University of New Hampshire next season. White and Schiavon are both returning players, and leaders by example. White was a mid-season acquisition during the 2017-18 season and helped spark the offense, while Schiavon logs heavy minutes on the back end for the Eagles on defence
Alberni Valley-West Kelowna Trade:
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have announced a pair of trades leading up to opening of the 2018/19 British Columbia Hockey League season on Friday, acquiring 1999-born goaltender Cole Demers from the West Kelowna Warriors while dealing 1998-born forward Paul Selleck to the Cowichan Valley Capitals. Demers joins the Bulldogs following two seasons in West Kelowna, where he compiled a record of 17 wins and 27 losses with a 3.60 goals-against average and .897 save-percentage. The Kelowna product previously starred with the B.C. Major Midget League’s Okanagan Rockets, leading all BCMML goaltenders with 18 wins during the 2015/16 campaign. “Cole is an experienced BCHL netminder who will be able to compete with and support John Hawthorne and give us a very good tandem in goal,” says Bulldogs head coach Matt Hughes. “Cole has also been described to us as a hard worker and a great teammate, so we’re happy to have him on board.”
West Kelowna Warriors Name Johnston New Broadcaster:
The West Kelowna Warriors Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club is pleased to announce the hiring of Chase Johnston as the team’s new play-by-play broadcaster ahead of the 2018/19 season. Johnston, 28, has spent the past two seasons as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds in the BC Major Midget League, including being a part of the team’s 2018 BCMML Championship run. Johnston also spent last season as the in-game host for the Penticton Vees while also working for the city’s local SUN FM and EZ Rock radio stations. A graduate of the BCIT Radio, Arts and Entertainment Program in 2017, Johnston is ready to bring his passion to West Kelowna, “I’ve set a goal to reach the BCHL and to be able to do it here in the Okanagan is a dream come true,” stated Johnston, “I’d like to thank Kim Dobranski and the Warriors organization for this opportunity and can’t wait to get the season started.” “We’re excited to have Chase join our team and bring his play-by-play skills to West Kelowna,” commented Warriors owner and president Kim Dobranski, “Fans will be pleased with what they hear from Chase and we’re glad to have him apart of our staff.” Johnston will be providing the play-by-play for each of the Warriors regular season games which can be heard on mixlr.com/bchlwarriors as well as viewed on HockeyTV.com. The Warriors next preseason game takes place on Wednesday night as they head south to face-off against the Penticton Vees. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with then game broadcasted on the Warriors Internet Network and HockeyTV.com. Season tickets are now on sale for the upcoming 2018/19 season, which is set to begin Friday, September 7th before heading to Royal LePage Place to host the Trail Smoke Eaters in their home opener on Saturday, September 8th. Head to the Warriors newly renovated office to check in on ticket details.
Mastrodonato Expected To Produce For Alberni Valley Bulldogs:
Keaton Mastrodonato who led the Alberni Valley Bulldogs last season as top scorer with 42 points in 58 games is expected to produce those types of numbers again for the upcoming season. Mastrodonato along with the entire Bulldogs nation didn’t like the way the season ended but think it’s a lesson to be learned “It was a tough pill to swallow being up 3-0 to then losing in Game 7, however for myself and other returning players it’s a lesson and we learn from it. It’s a mistake we can’t make again and we need to be educating the younger players the expectations and what it takes to win in this league.” He went onto mention how competitive Main Camp has been and that this season has the potential to be a championship team “We’ve got the skill, we got the right pieces to the puzzle to be a really competitive team this season. We need to focus game by game, but our goal is to firstly win our division and move on from there so we can be hoisting a championship up in Port Alberni.” Mastrodonato next season has committed to play for Canisius College and knows he’s got a few more things to work on before then “I want to continue to be an offensive force, while also developing my defensive side of the game and transitioning myself into a leadership role.”
West Kelowna Warriors Name Hennessy New Director Of Marketing & Public Relations:
The West Kelowna Warriors Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club is pleased to announce the hiring of Kristi Hennessy as the team’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations ahead of the 2018/19 season. Hennessy has a wealth of experience working in the hockey industry, beginning her career in sports in the Lower Mainland with the Vancouver Canadians, a short-season Single A baseball team, as well as the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants. In 2008, Hennessy accepted a position with the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers as a Digital Media associate before spending six seasons in the NHL, working with the Calgary Flames and shifting to the Winnipeg Jets as the Coordinator of Digital Media until 2013. A 5 year resident of West Kelowna, BC, Hennessy has wanted to get back into the hockey world, specifically in Junior hockey, for her hometown team after spending the past five years away from the game, “I am so honored and humbled to be joining the West Kelowna Warriors family.” commented Hennessy, “I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to work with a team with a desire for success, and a loyal commitment to our community.” “We’re excited to have someone with the wealth of experience and passion for the game of hockey that Kristi has be able to join our organization,” commented Warriors Owner and President Kim Dobranski, “She will be a great addition to our organization as well as working in the community with our local businesses and fanbase.”
Chapman Set To Carry Load For Grizzlies:
It was supposed to be the most heated battle of the Victoria Grizzlies training camp and preseason. With two No. 1 goaltenders set to return to the B.C. Hockey League club, who would win the starting job: 20-year-old Kurtis Chapman, who had a strong finish to last season and has Western Hockey League experience, or 19-year-old Zack Rose, committed to Bowling Green of the NCAA and who led Team Canada West to a gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge in Dawson Creek last December? Sometimes the best laid plans go astray. A shoulder injury to Rose during off-season training forced the Paradise, N.L., product to have surgery, putting him on the shelf until mid-December. Over to you, Chapman. “It’s really unfortunate what happened to Zack, but his rehab is progressing as expected, which is good news,” said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon, whose club continues the preseason tonight with a game in Duncan against the Cowichan Valley Capitals. “And we’re moving forward with Kurtis as our No. 1 and he’s looking forward to having a great season in his last year of junior hockey so we expect big things out of him.” Chapman was at home near Calgary this summer when he got the call from Rose. “Zack phoned me as soon as it happened and told me he would be out a while so I was a little shocked to hear that and you feel bad for him,” said Chapman, who came to the Grizzlies last December from the Calgary Mustangs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and got in 20 regular-season games with a goals-against average of 2.75, and another nine in the playoffs, where he recorded a GAA of 2.17. “So it’ll be a busy first half, for sure.” Those 29 games with the Grizzlies last season was the most Chapman has appeared in since he started his Junior A career in 2015 with the Olds Grizzlies of the AJHL. He also played sporadically for the Regina Pats and Kootenay Ice of the WHL. “Back in Olds I got in more than 30 games. So it might take some getting used to, but I had a good summer of training, working on conditioning and flexibility, and I think I’m ready for a heavier work load.” To help spell Chapman off every now and then, Didmon has gone to a familiar face. Keenan Rancier, who just turned 18, is from Victoria but played midget at Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton last season. And he looks ready to start his Junior A career. “Keenan has spent the last few seasons with OHA but he’s from Victoria and we’ve kept a close eye on him the last little while and like the way he has progressed and feel he’s ready for the next level,” Didmon said. Rancier played 22 regular season games last season, posting a 2.29 GAA and picked up a BCHL preseason win last weekend. "They move the puck a lot quicker up here and make decisions quicker, so my whole game has to be better,” said Rancier, who attended Spencer Middle School in Langford before heading to the Okanagan. Rancier said he was excited when his hometown team came calling. “I had been to a few of the Grizzlies rookie camps and it’s a great organization on and off the ice so I’m really excited to be here.” Even if it might only be for half a season. “All I can do is focus on how I play and control the things I can control and not worry about the things I can’t control. I’m going to play my best when called upon and keep helping the team win. And when a decision has to be made, it’ll be made.” No matter who plays in net, Chapman is confident the Grizzlies have what it takes to make a serious run at a BCHL title. “Keenan has looked great in camp and in the games, and we have a ton of skill at forward and some good, experienced guys returning, so I think we’re in for a real good year,” said Chapman, who already has some offers from U Sports schools in Alberta for next season. The Grizzlies and Capitals will wrap up the preseason on Saturday with a 2 p.m. game at SEAPARK Arena in Sooke. The Grizzlies open the regular season Sept. 8 in Powell River against the Kings.
Campbell Stepds Down Bulldogs Director Of Business Operations:
Alberni Valley Bulldogs Director of Business Operations Tali Campbell has tendered his resignation effective October 1, 2018. The Bulldogs Organization would like to thank Tali for his dedication to the hockey club over the past year. ‘Tali has served both this team and our community with all his heart and we appreciate the enthusiasm and energy that he brought to the table’ says PAJHS President Ron Paulson. ‘In the time he worked for the Dogs he became a fan favorite and will be missed by many. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to wish Tali the very best going forward. We know that his talent and ambition will ensure his success in whatever role he chooses in the future.’ ‘I appreciate that over the last thirteen months I have been given the opportunity to improve my professional development and can say that I have totally enjoyed my tenure.” says Tali. ‘I would further say that I feel honored to have been a part of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Team.’ The Alberni Valley Bulldogs will begin the search for a new Director of Business Operations immediately and we thank Tali for his assistance and guidance in the transition
Warriors Name Mitchell New Public Address Announcer:
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