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:
Hectic Off-Season On And Off Ice For Vees:
Fred Harbinson is making the most of a rare lengthy off-season triggered by a stunning six-game series defeat to the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the first round of the BCHL playoffs. The Penticton Vees president, GM and head coach has made a series of signings and trades to help ensure Penticton’s junior-A hockey season continues deep into the spring as it did for the vast majority of Harbinson’s first 10 seasons at the helm. “We’re not going to sit around and cry about what happened,” said Harbinson, who lost in the first round for the first time in his coaching career. “You’re not going to win every year, but you want to contend … be in the hunt. Some things last year were out of our control, some things were in our control. We’ve been busy … as we should be, to make sure we take care (of the latter).” The Vees are in the process of finalizing a couple of key moves this week which would leave them essentially with a set roster for the start of training camp Monday, Aug. 19 in Penticton. “We’re pretty close considering it’s only the (first week of June),” said Harbinson. “I really like how we stack up at every position, and the fact we have a bit of everything with the speed, skill, size and grit.” GOALTENDING: The Vees lose graduating veteran standout Jack LaFontaine but are well stocked with second-year man Derek Krall and top recruit Yaniv Perets, who was the top goalie in the National Collegiate Development Conference and led the Boston Jr. Bruins to the league championship. DEFENCE: The Vees are in great shape on the blueline with returning veterans Conner Hutchison, Evan McIntyre, Jonathan Smart and Carson Kosobud, along with top recruits Scott Gilowski and 6’ 6” Cade Webber. The Vees are close to bringing in another top 20-year-old, 6’ 4” defenceman, Harbinson said. The return of the speedster Hutchison is pivotal after he was limited to 22 games due to injury in his rookie season. “I really like our blend of size, speed, skill and experience back there,” said Harbinson. FORWARD: Harbinson has been busy bolstering the forward ranks. He has quality returnees in David Silye, Lukas Sillinger, Jack Barnes and Jackson Niedermayer, and secured premier young recruits Tristan Amonte, Danny Weight and Liam Malmquist. Earlier this week, the Vees acquired proven scorer Alex DiPaolo from the Coquitlam Express for future considerations. On Wednesday, the Vees acquired the rights to 20-year-old centre Colton Kalezic from the Toronto Patriots of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (see separate story). The Vees are also hoping to land 1999-born centre Jay O’Brien, who was a 2018 first-round, 19th overall pick of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. The gritty, two-way pivot, who played at Providence College last season, met with the Vees earlier this week. “We should know fairly soon,” said Harbinson. “It would make us incredibly deep down the middle with four top centres (Silye, Kalezic and Weight the other three) all capable of playing wing if necessary.” The Vees are also waiting on a commitment from winger Will Dineen, the son of former NHL star Kevin Dineen. Dineen impressed at the Vees Spring Camp two weeks ago. Overall, the Vees are already at five 20-year-olds and may soon find themselves with seven – and some decisions to make – if O’Brien and the unnamed defenceman join the team. Krall, Smart, Kosobud, Silye and Kalezic are the 20-year-olds currently signed. “There is going to be some competition … we might have one more guy than we’re allowed to keep,” the coach said. The Vees are likely to part ways with two forwards - 20-year-old Cassidy Bowes and 17-year-old Cole Shepard. Kelowna product Bowes is coming off a tough, injury-plagued season and the Vees already anticipate having to do some juggling with the 20-year-olds. “We haven’t made a decision yet but we’ve been communicating with Cassidy and will try to do what’s best for him and the team,” said Harbinson. Shepard is looking at some different options, one being playing in the Western Hockey League. Harbinson said the Vees would likely trade his rights if he decides to return to the BCHL. One forward in flux in 19-year-old Drew Elser. He missed practically the entire year with injuries, ultimately succumbing to a concussion and broken jaw. “He’s a gritty kid and we sure could have used him at the end of last season,” said Harbinson. “He’s leaning towards giving it another shot but where we sit with our import spots plays into it, too.” BCHL teams are allowed six U.S. imports. The Vees are fortunate to have several players with dual citizenships. The Spring Camp May 25-26 in Penticton was another big success. “We identified a lot of good players and offered a lot of (affiliated player) spots for the coming season,” said Harbinson. LEADERSHIP: Harbinson plans to wait until closer to the regular season before naming a captain. “We’ll have a new leadership group,” said Harbinson. “We need a bit of a fresh start.” In the past two seasons, the Vees practice of naming a captain early backfired as first Grant Cruikshank and then last year Massimo Rizzo missed training camp and several games due to injuries. “We’ve got a good idea of the direction we want to go, but we’re going to wait a bit,” said Harbinson. STAFF CHANGES: Off the ice, it’s been a busy few months for the Vees as well. Assistant coach Jason Becker departed to become head coach of the midget prep team at St. George’s School in Vancouver, and was replaced by former Vees captain Patrick Sexton. Sexton led the Vees to a BCHL championship and to the RBC Cup semifinals in 2015. Matt Fraser returns as the other assistant coach. Assistant GM Steve Cocker left to accept the new position of executive director of the BCHL, with director of hockey operations Adam West taking on Cocker’s duties. “It’s an awesome opportunity for Steve,” said Harbinson. “He’s a smart hockey guy. Adam will do a terrific job with his new role.” Harbinson was delighted to bring Sexton back into the fold. “He knows what it takes to win here and he will bring a lot of energy to the program,” said Harbinson. “He’s a knowledgeable guy who grew up in an NHL family. He’s a young, intense guy who can relate to the players at this level.” Also, the league held its annual general meeting in Penticton last week. While there are no major rule changes in store for the 2019-20 season, Harbinson said there is “lots of exciting stuff” going on with the BCHL. “This league is in great hands now with Chris Hebb (in his second year) as commissioner,” said Harbinson. “Everything is run so professionally. He is doing a terrific job.” Harbinson said there are still some “tweaks” being done to the schedule, which should be released in the next week or so. The Vees did finalize their pre-season slate of games. Penticton visits West Kelowna on Aug. 21 and Merritt Aug. 23, then host Merritt Aug. 24 and West Kelowna Aug. 28. The Vees will welcome the RBC Cup national champion Brooks Bandits (from Alberta) to the South Okanagan Events Centre for exhibition games Aug. 30 and 31.
BCHL Next Generation: Coquitlam Express
All summer we’ll be going team-by-team to profile new players coming in for the 2019-20 season with recaps of offseason commits and acquisitions. We will also have interviews and scouting reports from the coaches.
Next up is the Coquitlam Express.
The Express have 11 new players committed for next season, but their biggest offseason moves came through trades, highlighted by acquiring former Penticton Vees captain and Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Massimo Rizzo. Last year, Coquitlam had 13 players committed to Division I NCAA programs and seven of those came in-season while they were playing for the Express. The team’s head coach Jason Fortier believes that the right mix of players with and without college commitments can go a long way to creating a winning atmosphere. “To play in the BCHL is a privilege,” he said. “We want to surround ourselves with the right ingredients and the right type of players. We want players that are going to appreciate the fact that we’ve given them an outstanding opportunity to put themselves in a position to grow, to be in a position to promote themselves and chase down a championship. I feel that you have a better opportunity to find that appreciation when you have a group of players that are not committed already. I think you need a mix and you want to have the right balance.” A lot of the new faces Fortier has brought in do not have commitments and that includes a large contingency of B.C.-born players. The coach said it wasn’t a conscious effort to recruit local talent, but he’s identified the importance of bringing in players from within the province. “We want to make sure we’re building our reputation amongst our local contingency” said Fortier. “We want to make sure we’re competitive and find the best players that will represent the organization. We’re looking for like-minded individuals that have the right mindset and that want to play within a structure and have enough accountability and desire to become successful, not just next year, but the years moving forward.”
Acquired via trade
Massimo Rizzo (2001, F)
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
- Previous team: Penticton Vees
- Commitment: University of North Dakota (2020-21)
- Drafted: 7th Round (216th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes
- Not a player new to the BCHL, but new to the Express, Rizzo brings two years of league experience and plenty of offence to Coquitlam. After a late start to the season last year due to injury, he finished at over a point per game with 40 in 37 contests and in June he was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Fortier’s scouting report:
“I think anytime your organization can acquire an asset as talented as Massimo it’s a huge thing. Coming off an injury, we’re very fortunate that Penticton was willing to work with us and work with the Rizzo family so he can get the treatment and stay local for the year so he can be around his therapist. He expressed interest that he was happy with the direction of our organization and we were all in once we knew we were a place he would be willing to come and play.”
Adam Trotman (2000, F)
Hometown: Concord, Ont.
Previous team: Newmarket Hurricanes (OJHL)
Trotman played parts of three seasons in Newmarket before being acquired by the Express this offseason. He had his best offensive output last year when he had 51 points in 50 games.
Fortier’s scouting report:
“He’s a big guy who plays a very honest game and is an extremely good character kid who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing before. I think he’s going to have a big impact in our lineup.”
Tyler Schleppe (2001, F)
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
- Previous team: Prince George Spruce Kings
- Another player coming to the Express from within the BCHL, Schleppe comes with a championship pedigree having won a Fred Page Cup title with Prince George last year. He had nine points in 51 regular-season games with the Spruce Kings and added one assist in nine playoff contests.
Fortier’s scouting report:
“He’s got a big body and a lot of upside. We’re hoping that this year is going to be a big year for him. He’s coming from a Prince George team that was extremely well-coached and played with a lot of structure. When we were able to acquire Tyler, it was a big addition to get a guy with that experience. I’m sure he has a burning desire to play a little bit more of a role.”
Jack Watson (2000, G)
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.
- Previous team: St. Michael’s Buzzards (OJHL)
- Watson played the last two seasons with the Buzzards and posted impressive numbers, finishing with a .919 and a .921 save percentage in consecutive years. He will compete with returning Express goalie Clay Stevenson for time in the crease.
2019-20 commits
Christian MacDougall (2001, F)
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.
- Previous team: St. Andrew’s College (CAHA)
- Commitment: Canisius College
- MacDougall had 66 points in 52 games for St. Andrew’s last year and was named the team’s playoff MVP.
Fortier’s scouting report:
“He’s a kid I coached when he was younger in Toronto. He’s a sparkplug with a lot of energy. He plays very physical, smart, two-way hockey and brings the puck into the dirty areas. He’s the type of guy that helps you win championships. He does so many little things and has so much intensity, courage and compete.”
Nicholas Carabin (2000, D)
Hometown: Mahwah, N.J.
- Previous team: North Jersey Avalanche (T1EHL U18)
- Commitment: Princeton University
- Fortier’s scouting report:
“He comes from a well-run organization. Their coach does a great job of instilling structure, work ethic, commitment and accountability – some of the things we preach. There are some similarities in the way we play. We’re expecting a guy that can play both ways and contribute.”
Dante Ballarin (2001, F)
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
James Bohn (2002, D)
Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C.
- Previous team: Vancouver NE Chiefs (BCMML)
- Another member of the Chiefs major midget squad, Bohn led all defencemen on his team with 40 points in 40 games. He also played three games with Coquitlam last season.
Joe Borthwick (2000, D)
Hometown: Northville, Mich.
- Previous team: Detroit Catholic Central (USHS-MI)
- Last year with his high-school team, Borthwick tied for the lead in goals by a defenceman with six and points from the blueline with 27.
Luke Burke (2000, F)
Hometown: Dexter, Mich.
- Previous team: Belle Tire U18 (TIEHL U18)
Burke had 28 points in 28 games last season for Belle Tire U18.
Noah de la Durantaye (2000, D)
Hometown: Beaconsfield, Que.
- Previous team: Deerfield Academy (USHS-Prep)
- The Quebec native moved to Massachusetts in 2017 to play for Deerfield Academy where he played for two seasons. He had 28 points in 52 games from the backend over his two years there.
Logan Kurki (2001, F)
Hometown: Maple Ridge, B.C.
Ryan Tattle (2001, F)
Hometown: Port Moody, B.C.
- Previous team: Vancouver NE Chiefs (BCMML)
- The fourth and final player on our list to come from the Vancouver NE Chiefs major midget team, Tattle led them in points with 48 and goals with 24. He also played two games for Coquitlam last year.
Thomas Wardle (2002, G)
Hometown: West Vancouver, B.C.
Casey Whintors (2000, F)
Hometown: Langley, B.C.
- Previous team: Langley Trappers (PIJHL)
- The sixth player on our list of newly-committed players to come from B.C., Whintors has spent the last three seasons playing at the Junior B level. Last season he led Langley in scoring with 51 points in 36 games.
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