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:
Merritt-Leaminton Trade:
The Merritt Centennials have traded defender Jaydon Fetter(’99) back to the Leamington Flyers of the GOJHL in exchange for future considerations. The Windsor, Ontario native spent the 2018-19 season with the Merritt Centennials, but will be going back to his home province to rejoin his former club in Leamington. With the Centennials Fetter picked up 22 assists in 52 games played during the regular season, and didn’t register a point in 3 playoff games. He returns to the GOJHL where he has 56 points in 95 games played – all with the Flyers. The Centennials would like to thank Jaydon for his time spent with the team, and wish him the best with his new club.
Bulldogs Release New Third Jersey:
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs unveiled their 3rd jersey design for the 2019-2020 season. The jersey features a realistic bulldog in front of a shield, while incorporating the team’s traditional black/red/white colour scheme. As in past seasons, all the 3rd jersey’s will be auctioned off towards the end of the season.
Nanaimo-Prince George Trade:
The Nanaimo Clippers secured Sean Donaldson for the upcoming season in a trade with Prince George Spruce Kings. Donaldson is coming to the Clippers with future consideration going to the Spruce Kings. Donaldson is a 18-year-old 2001 born player from Vancouver who played at the BWC most of his minor career. In his last year at BWC in 2017-2018, he accumulated 66 points in 34 games including 36 goals on a very competitive and stacked CSSHL Prep team. Donaldson is well known the owner, Wes Mussio and head coach/GM Darren Naylor due to their previous involvement in the BWC Hockey program. He’s a high skill offensive type player. Darren Naylor commented, “I had an opportunity to coach Sean back in BWC days and was impressed by his skill set. He is easily one of the best 2001 in British Columbia and when I heard he might be available from the Spruce Kings, I jumped on the opportunity to bring them into our fold. I’m very optimistic that he’s going to be a 30-40 point player for the Clippers this year before heading off to the NCAA in the fall of 2020.” Wes Mussio offered, “Sean is a great addition to the Clippers. He didn’t see a large role last year with the Spruce Kings but with more ice time, I’m optimistic he will be an offensive threat for us. Having been on a championship team and having learned what it takes to win, we have definitely added an excellent player to our roster.” With the addition of Donaldson to the lineup, there are now two forwards that are committed to the University of Connecticut for 2020-2021 with returning player, Thomas Samuelsen, being the other Clipper.
West Kelowna Warriors Financial Partner Sues, Ownership Responds:
A financial partner of the West Kelowna Warriors has filed a BC Supreme Court civil claim against the team’s owner, Kim Dobranski. According to the documents filed, Xiaorong Liang alleges breaches in the contract between her and Dobranski. She’s seeking financial restitution, including her $300,000 investment that was made in 2018, when Dobranski took up ownership of the BC Hockey League franchise. The breach of contracts centre around the employment of former head coach Geoff Grimwood as well as the provision of financial information related to KD Sports, Dobranski’s business that owns the Warriors, according to the claim “Dobranski refused to provide factual explanation as to Mr. Grimwood’s hiring and firing (and) refused to provide any financial information to (Liang),” the documents say. None of the allegations have yet to be proved in court. Dobranski had not yet filed a legal response to the claim, as of Aug. 3, according to to online court records. He did however release a statement on Saturday, calling the accusations a tactic to try and bully him. “It’s unfortunate that my partner has acted so trivial and petty,” said Dobranski. “And turned it into something to simply attack and demonize me when in fact all I’ve tried to do is be a positive organization in the community and support our players and staff.” Dobranski’s and Liang’s initial agreement—as stated in the court documents—said that Liang would have 50 per cent decision-making power over the team’s employment of a head coach as a result from the $300,000 investment into the franchise. Liang’s claim states that Dobranski’s actions did not allow Liang to exercise her 50 per cent decision making powers in resolving the head coach’s employment issues (Grimwood was ultimately fired in January 2019, which has resulted in a different lawsuit with the Warriors), and that that decision could cause turmoil with the BCHL that would directly affect Liang’s interests in the Warriors. In addition, Dobranski replied that Liang had failed to meet her end of their agreement. “My partner has also defaulted on her financial obligations to support this club as agreed, putting 100 [per cent] of the burden on me,” he said. “Her default triggers a forfeit of her ownership. This (lawsuit) is simply to muddy the waters to avoid having to meet her financial obligations and lose her ownership.” Dobranski said that this situation will not impact the upcoming Warriors season that debuts in September. According to the court documents, Dobranski has 21 days to file a legal response with the BC Supreme Court. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Alberni Valley-Lincoln Trade:
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are pleased to announce the acquisition of 1999-born forward Ryan Doolin from the United States Hockey League’s Lincoln Stars. Doolin is a six-foot-three right winger who joins the Bulldogs after splitting the 2018/19 campaign between the Stars and the Chicago Steel. He combined to score five goals and add six assists in 46 regular season games last season along with 48 penalty minutes. In 2017/18 he led the Mid-Fairfield Rangers U18 team with 18 goals and 39 points. “Ryan is a highly skilled, competitive player who also brings size and strength to our forward group,” says Bulldogs head coach Joe Martin. “He is coming to us after spending a year in the USHL and we’re expecting him to be a big part of our group on and off the ice. We’re very excited to have him join us.” “I chose to commit to the Bulldogs because of the organization’s great reputation and their track record of moving players on to the NCAA,” says Doolin, who describes himself as a playmaking forward who has the ability to finish around the net. “I’m looking forward to helping the Bulldogs win as many games as possible and compete to bring a BCHL championship to the Alberni Valley.” Doolin will join his new teammates when the Bulldogs’ 2019 Main Camp opens at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on Monday, August 19.
Next Generation: Salmon Arm Silverbacks
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 Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
The Silverbacks are coming off a year where they finished a game over .500 and ended up fifth in the ultra-competitive Interior Division. They ran into the eventual league-finalist Vernon Vipers in the first round of the BCHL Playoffs and were dispatched in five games. Despite the short length of the series, it was much closer than it seemed as four of the five games were decided by one goal and three of them in overtime, including the deciding Game 5 that the Vipers won in triple overtime. After two years on the job with the Silverbacks, head coach Scott Atkinson is starting to see his roster take shape in the mold that he envisioned. Most coaches will tell you it takes two to three years for them to really put their stamp on the makeup of a team’s roster and his situation is no different. They’ve implemented changes in how they recruit players and they are now starting to see the results. “The first year, you kind of inherit what you inherit and then you take a look at trying to make it better” said Atkinson. “We had an approach and we didn’t think it worked well enough, so we changed the approach when it came to scouting and recruitment. We took a look at that and we think we made it better. “We think we have a good roster, but not much experience at the junior level. We definitely think that the basics are there to compete at a higher level. We’re bigger, we’re stronger, we’re faster, we’re more skilled. We’re going to find out how well that translates into BCHL wins, but there’s no question that from a purely athletic and skill part of it, we’re much better.”
2019-20 commits
Kieran Ruscheinski (2001, D)
- Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
- Previous team: Calgary Northstars Midget AAA (AMHL)
- Drafted: 7th Round (206th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in 2019
After a solid midget season in Calgary where he put up seven goals and four assists in 33 games, Ruscheinski was selected by Montreal in the seventh round of June’s NHL Entry Draft.
Atkinson’s scouting report:
“He’s a kid that we watched at the Mac’s Tournament in Calgary. I know him and a few other Calgary kids because that’s where I’m from. We just thought that he’s a player with immense potential and that’s been backed up by the fact that the Canadiens drafted him. He’s very tall and long and skates extremely well, but most importantly he’s a super high-end character kid. He’s going to be a good hockey player but he’s an even better person.”
Antonio Andreozzi (2000, D)
- Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
- Previous team: The Rivers School (USHS-Prep)
- Commitment: Brown University (2020-21)
The 19-year-old spent the last four seasons at The Rivers School, totaling 86 points in 122 career games. His best year came in 2017-18 when he led his team in points by defencemen with 28.
Atkinson’s scouting report:
“One of the things that I’ve noticed in the two years I’ve been here is that some sources of players seem to be able to consistently make the jump into our league and Rivers School has had a lot of success with players on other franchises in the BCHL. He’s a very mobile, offensively talented defenceman who also plays hard. We’re looking forward to having him here.”
Dom Garozzo (2000, F)
- Hometown: Sewell, N.J.
- Previous team: Gloucester Catholic High (USHS-NJ)
- Commitment: St. Lawrence University
Garozzo was the captain of his high-school team last year and registered over two points a game, leading the way with 31 goals and 40 points in just 17 games.
Atkinson’s scouting report:
“At Gloucester High he broke Johnny Gaudreau’s goal-scoring record at that prep school. He’s extremely fast, extremely skilled and he can score goals, so it was an easy choice to add him.”
Daniel Rybarik (1999, F)
- Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
- Previous team: Calgary Mustangs (AJHL)
Rybarik led the Mustangs in goals with 29 last season and finished fifth in team scoring with 52 points in 57 games. Over his two-year AJHL career, the 20-year-old totaled 103 points in 114 games.
Atkinson’s scouting report:
“With the Mustangs on a hiatus and all their players available, we thought that he was the best of their team. In the last two years, he’s scored 29 and 27 goals, but more importantly, he’s scored 25 even-strength goals in both of those seasons. In the last two years, he actually leads the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in even-strength goal scoring. That’s why we think he’s going to be able to do those things in our league.”
Coalson Wolford (2001, F)
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
- Previous team: Notre Dame Hounds Midget AAA (SMHL)
The 18-year-old was his midget team’s second-leading scorer last year with 59 points in 41 games. He was also second in goals with 24.
Atkinson’s scouting report:
“He’s another guy that we saw at the Mac’s Tournament. He’s got a long body and he’s a high-scorer. He’s extremely fast and has good skill. He also produced well when he was in major midget in Saskatchewan.”
Acquired via trade
Noah Lugli (1999, D)
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.
- Previous team: Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)
Lugli is joining his fourth different league since the start of the 2017-18 season, having spent time in the North American Hockey League (NAHL), the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) and the AJHL prior to being acquired by Salmon Arm. He had 17 points in 57 games for Bonnyville last season.
Atkinson’s scouting report:
“He’s a right-handed defenceman and we needed one of those. He played in the AJHL and also played for St. Andrew’s College prep school in Toronto. He’s big, 6-foot-4, and he moves extremely well.”
Zach Russell (1999, F)
- Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
- Previous team: Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Russell had six points in 29 games for the Oil Kings last year, but put up 36 points in 43 games the year prior with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks.
Atkinson’s scouting report:
“He’s another player that I know well from Calgary. He’s a big body that skates well, moves well and can score. He had significant experience in Edmonton last year when they went on that playoff run. He’s a guy with Western League experience, so he’s someone we expect to come in here and provide leadership on and off the ice.”
Nanaimo-Selkirk Trade:
The Nanaimo Clippers have acquired 2000 born goaltender Zach Bennett from the Selkirk Steelers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in exchange for the playing rights of Hunor Torzsok and Future Considerations. Bennett, who competed in 31 games last season, stopping 923 shots and posting a sparkling .920 save percentage. Since entering the MJHL in the 2016-17 season, he has continued to maintain a save percentage over .900 while being one of the top goalies in the MJHL. “Bennett is a goaltender that gets talked about a lot here on the West Coast.” mentioned Darren Naylor, Head Coach of the Nanaimo Clippers “His numbers speak for themselves and we feel he will help take the Clippers to the next level. He caught my eye back at the Brick tournament at age 10 and he has excelled ever since.” Bennett is being brought in as a goaltender for the Clippers due to an off season injury issues with our projected two starting goalies. “We needed some more depth at the goaltending position as injuries really hurt us last season and we want to make sure we have solid net minding tandem from opening day forward.” Naylor said “Bennett will join Blake Wood and Jordan Naylor for the start of the season and we will asses the situation as time goes on.” The Nanaimo Clippers Main Camp kicks off Monday, August 19th at Cliff McNabb Arena.
2019-20 Penticton Vees Spotlight: Vincent Nardone
Making the journey from Quebec to Saskatchewan to play Junior hockey is a challenging one but a feat that Vincent Nardone took in stride and made for an outstanding rookie season which culminated in the Rosemere, Quebec native earning Sherwood Division Rookie of the Year honours while playing for the Flin Flon Bombers in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). The path to Junior ‘A’ began with the Nord Selects of the Quebec Bantam AAA League before shifting to two seasons at the Midget level while completing his final season of minor hockey with the Saint-Eustache Vikings in the Quebec Midget AAA League, “I had a chance to grow up and play with all of my friends, especially in my final year of Midget AAA,” Nardone said, “The hardest part about leaving Quebec to go to Flin Flon was leaving all of the friends I had grown up playing the game with and that we’re going off to the QMJHL.” For many players from La Belle Province, the aspiration is the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and not many take the path of college hockey. For Nardone, the decision was a simple one, “I’ve known for a long time that playing Junior ‘A’ and college hockey was the right choice for me,” Nardone mentioned, “I’ve never been the biggest player and when you go to the NCAA, you have four seasons to mature and fill into your body so for me, it was an opportunity to grow as a player so basically since my first year of Midget, if I had the chance to leave Quebec and earn a college scholarship, I would take advantage of that.” In a final season of Midget AAA that saw Nardone post 13 goals and 35 points in 40 games, he decided to make the move to Flin Flon to pursue his hockey career further, which was a big jump for the 18-year-old, “At the beginning of the year, I didn’t really know what to expect coming from a place like Montreal and going to a small town in Saskatchewan and I was a little bit scared because I didn’t know what was going to happen there,” said Nardone, “But the season ended up going very well for me, we had a really good team with a lot of 20-year-olds so it ended up being really good for me.” “The league I was coming from in Quebec was based on speed and skill with the SJHL being more of a physical league to play in so that added in to being a bit nervous going there to play,” Nardone continued, “There was a group of five players on the team that were from Quebec so I had a lot of good people helping me and making the transition that much easier.” A month into his season with the Bombers, the 5’10”, 160-pound forward made a commitment to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, something he had been looking forward to for quite some time, “I made my first visit to Omaha when I was 17 and when I arrived there, the facilities were incredible,” Nardone remarked, “It was like an NHL setup and it was amazing. The assistant coach with the Mavericks is from Quebec as well so that added a level of comfort for me so I thought it was a perfect match.” “I’m also wanting to study business and Nebraska-Omaha is known to have one of the best business schools in the United States,” Nardone continued, “That sealed it for me that it was the perfect fit and I said yes right after my visit there.” When it comes to the offseason, Nardone is very committed to getting into the best shape possible and jumping on the ice to hone his craft, “During the summertime, I’m pretty serious,” Nardone said, “I train five times per week and skate around three times during the week. On the weekend, I’m so exhausted from training that I sleep quite a bit but also find time to get out and spend some time with my friends.” Quick and skilled are some of the things that Nardone used to describe his game as he enters his first season with the Vees, “I’m really fast and I like to play offensively,” mentioned Nardone, “I think I’m a pretty good goal scorer and I like to be around the net and be there to grab some rebounds and score some goals.
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