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:
Spruce Kings Welsh Captain:
The Prince George Spruce Kings are proud to announce the leadership group for the 2019-2020 season. CAPTAIN | #17 Nolan Welsh – Welsh enters his 3rd year with the Spruce Kings. Welsh finished with 20 points in 43 games and had 16 points in 17 playoff games. The new captain also scored two goals in the Doyle Cup last season. ASSISTANT CAPTAIN | #19 Chong Min Lee – Lee also enters his 3rd full season with the Spruce Kings. Lee had 6 goals and 12 assists in 55 games before putting up 3 goals and 10 assists in 17 playoff games, including the game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Doyle Cup. ASSISTANT CAPTAIN | #24 Nick Poisson – Poisson enters his 2nd full year with the Spruce Kings. The 18 year old finished with 14 goals and 16 assists in 58 games, while notching 4 goals and 5 assists in 17 playoff games. Poisson also scored in each game of the National Jr. A Championship.
Budy Returns To Rivermen:
The Rivermen are pleased to announce that former captain Brendan Budy has elected to return to the BCHL and join the team for the upcoming season. He is currently committed to play for the University of North Dakota next fall. The 2000-born forward spent the first half of last season at the University of Denver, then played with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL in the latter half where he recorded 11 goals and 20 assists in 31 games. As captain of the Rivermen in 2017/18, Budy netted 22 goals and 34 assists in 49 games and was a force in the offensive corps.
Silverbacks Sign Poirier:
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are excited to announce the commitment of 1999-born forward William Poirier for the 2019-20 BCHL season. The 6-foot-1, 212 lb. forward brings with him 255 games of major junior experience over the past four seasons, split between the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In 2018-19, he had a career year with the Sea Dogs, posting 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 62 games, while also serving as an assistant captain. “Will is a guy that brings a lot of experience at a high junior level. He’ll be able to show our young guys what it takes to be a good professional day in and day out,” Silverbacks assistant coach and assistant general manager Tanner Cochrane said. “We think on the ice that he will be able to produce offensively and he has a strong 200-foot game. He fits the mold of what we’re looking for and we’re excited to have him be a part of our team.” Over the course of his four seasons in the QMJHL, Poirier recorded 34 goals and 49 assists for 83 points. His 13.9 shooting percentage last season was the highest of his career, as were his 115 shots on goal and five power play goals. The 19-year-old was drafted by the Voltigeurs in the first round of the 2015 QMJHL Draft, 18th overall.
Eagles Name Katzalay & Cristophe Assistant Captains:
With the season opener a day away, the Surrey Eagles are proud to announce Holden Katzalay and Cristophe Tellier will round out the leadership group as assistant captains for this year’s team. These two forwards will join the captain Cody Schiavon, and assistant captain Hudson Schandor in leading this young Eagles team, and helping the rookies grow and develop their games in order to battle for the Fred Page Cup. Holden Katzalay is one of only 3 returning players from last season, while Cristophe Tellier was acquired this off-season in a trade from the Wenatchee Wild. With Schiavon and Schandor being vocal leaders on and off the ice, Holden and Cristophe will look to lead with their actions on the ice. Both admitted in interviews with SurreyEagles.ca that while the ‘A’ is an honour to have, it’s not going to change how they go about their business. Tellier: “I mean, I’m going to show the guys what to do on the ice, day in and day out. I’m not normally a vocal guy, but if I have to say something I’ll do it to show something to the younger kids.” Katzalay: “I’m not a super vocal guy, so I’ll usually lead on the ice. However, there are times where you’re going to have to say something in the room to tell someone to pick it up a bit. In the end, if I have to speak up in the room, I’m going to do it. While the honour is normally a coach’s decision, Cam Keith and the Eagles coaching staff let the team choose the last 2 assistant captains by holding a vote. We asked both players what it felt like to be hand picked by their teammates to help lead the team this upcoming season. Tellier: “It’s nice for the guys to vote for me, and it means a lot. In the end it’s not going to change a lot for me. I’m going to try and be a leader all year long, and try to help the younger guys have a real good year.” Katzalay: “It’s a cool feeling to know your teammates respect you enough to vote for you, but everyone is going to be a leader on this team and I’m going to go out and do what I always do.” The Eagles want to congratulate this year’s leadership group! Cody Schiavon on the captaincy, and Hudson Schandor, Holden Katzalay, and Cristophe Tellier on being named assistant captains for the 2019-20 season.
Wild Name Name Leadership Group:
The Wenatchee Wild, proud members of the BCHL, have announced their captains and leadership group for the upcoming season. The announcement was made by Wild Head Coach / GM Bliss Littler during the Season Ticket Member Launch Party on Tuesday night. After sharing the process of deciding on captains, and discussing the importance of the leadership role, Littler revealed the captain of the team will be returning forward Brian Adams. Wearing an “A” on their jerseys (which stands for either assistant or alternate depending on your history) will be third year forward and Wenatchee native Matt Dorsey and second year defenseman Trevor Griebel, joined by BCHL veteran forward Dallas Farrell. Two additional players were named as part of the Wild leadership group, goalie Daniel Chenard and forward Tyler Young.
New League Rule Changes:
The BCHL regular season begins on Friday, Sept. 6 with a slate of six games that will kick off this year’s action around the league. With new events and initiatives from the league, the upcoming season is sure to engage hockey fans across the province. “The main pillars of the BCHL are player safety and speed and skill, but we also want to emphasize community involvement and education,” said BCHL Commissioner Chris Hebb. “With things like player safety initiatives and our emphasis on education and college commitments, we think that this season will reinforce those pillars and give us something to build on in the years to come.”
BCHL Events
In July, the league unveiled two new events on the calendar for the 2019-20 season. The first is the relaunch of the BCHL Showcase Festival presented by Bauer from Oct. 2 to 5, which now includes a second venue in Penticton who will host the event along with longtime host Chilliwack. The event will also include a Hockey Festival in Penticton with a Kids Zone, activities for BCHL parents and a Showcase Panel featuring NHL legends Scott Niedermayer, Mike Richter and Doug Weight alongside BCHL Commissioner Chris Hebb. Matt Sekeres and Blake Price from TSN 1040 radio will also broadcast live from the event on Thursday, Oct. 3 in Chilliwack and Friday, Oct. 4 in Penticton. The second new event on the schedule is the LNG Canada BCHL Road Show where the defending-champion Prince George Spruce Kings will take on their division-rivals the Langley Rivermen in two regular-season games played in Kitimat, B.C. on Feb. 15 and 16. On top of the two games, other festivities will include community activities involving the two BCHL teams as well as Vancouver Canucks alumni players.
Rule Changes
The BCHL is continuing to align with the NHL by changing the rules for faceoffs following a penalty or an icing call. The attacking team will now have the choice of what side of the ice they want to take the draw in the offensive zone. The idea behind the change is to give the attacking team another strategic advantage in the offensive zone. The BCHL is the first and only Junior A league in Canada to adopt this rule so far.
Player Safety Initiatives
The league has made a commitment to strengthen their stance on player safety by expanding the criteria for supplemental discipline. “No matter the outcome, if there is a dangerous play in a BCHL game, we want to make sure it is properly addressed,” said Steven Cocker, BCHL Executive Director of Competition & Events. “The league has made a commitment to player safety and this is another step forward in our mission to protect our players.” In another effort to emphasize player safety, the league has also renewed its partnership with Head Check Health, which is an app is designed to allow doctors to access the concussion history of a specific player and help create a return-to-play plan with the team. Non-medial team staff can also use the app to document suspected concussions, identify red flags and collect key symptom information that can be instantly transferred to a medical professional.
Salmon Arm-Melville Trade:
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks have traded 2001-born forward Jonathan Krahn to the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in exchange for future considerations. Krahn played in 50 games last season for the Backs, recording four goals and four assists, while also scoring one goal in five playoff games. In 2017-18, the Chilliwack, B.C. native AP’d in seven games. “First off, Johnathan is a first-class player on and off the ice. We just felt with how well recruiting went that we weren’t going to be able to give [him] the ice time that he needed to keep developing as a player,” Silverbacks assistant coach and assistant general manager Tanner Cochrane said. “He’s going to a place where he’s familiar with the coach in Kyle Adams. We’re sad to see him go, but we hope he’s able to continue his career and we appreciate all his hard work and the effort he put in to the community.” The Silverbacks would like to thank Krahn for his dedication to the Silverbacks and wish him well with his new organization.
Langley-Melfort Trade:
The Langley Rivermen have transferred the CJHL playing rights to Ryley Lanthier(99)(F) to the Melfort Mustangs of the SJHL in exchange for future considerations
Alberni Valley-Surrey Trade:
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have acquired the CJHL playing rights to Caige Sterzer(00)(F) from the Surrey Eagles in exchange for future considerations
West Kelowna-Grande Prairie Trade:
The West Kelowna Warriors have acquired the CJHL playing rights to Spencer Hora(99)(D) from the Grande Prairie Storm of the AJHL in exchange for future considerations
Chiefs Coach Brian Maloney Embraces History With Renamed Arena:
In an era where every sports arena in North America has a corporate name attached to it, Brian Maloney likes that Chilliwack is going against the grain. No Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio), KFC Yum! Centre (Louisville, Kentucky) or Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium (Grand Chute Wisconsin). And no more Prospera Centre. We’re going back to the past with a retro-rebranding, and the rebirth of the Chilliwack Coliseum. “I think the people of Chilliwack have a lot of fond memories of the old coliseum and the atmosphere that came along with it,” said Maloney, who captained the Chiefs in 1998-99 and appreciated the experience enough to have the captain’s dressing room stall from the old arena installed in his current office. “I had the pleasure of playing in that arena and that’s where it all started for me before I went off to school. “We have a lot of the same fans around from when I played, and we’re hoping people jump on board with the renaming.” Early reaction to the name change has been positive, but Maloney expects there will be some longtime fans who shake their fists at the new Coliseum and say, ‘There can only be one!’ “We brought that up a lot during these discussions, but when it comes down to it, we think of this as a tribute to the old Coliseum,” Maloney said. “When people come to the arena now, we want them to remember the old building, and we have plans to hopefully put pictures of the old Coliseum up around the place.” Maloney, in fact, wants to go beyond pics of the former arena. “I’ve got a huge soft spot for this community and I think there’s a lot of other great things going on Chilliwack outside of hockey,” he said. “If we can add pictures of our mountains and lakes and rivers and farmer fields — if we can get that Chilliwack vibe, that’s the idea and vision that I have and I think City Council is on board with that as well. “Chilliwack is growing but it still has that small-town feel to it, and the new and old Coliseums are a huge part of that.” Maloney’s primary day-to-day task is coaching a bunch of 16 to 20 year olds who have no concept about what the original Chilliwack Coliseum was. The name change isn’t likely to resonate with his Chiefs, but that doesn’t mean there’s an opportunity for education. “I do have current players asking about the old stall in my office and the pictures of the old Coliseum that I have on my walls, and I do tell stories,” he said. “I probably over-exaggerate on a lot of them, but I like reminding these young players about how hockey was played in Chilliwack. “Maybe I’ll have to invite former Chief Chad Nelson, the father of our current Chief Clark Nelson, down to tell the boys some of his stories.”
Silverbacks Name Hirose Captain:
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are thrilled to announce that defenceman Akito Hirose has been named team captain for the 2019-20 BCHL season. Hirose enters his fourth season in Salmon Arm and has already accumulated 72 points in 151 career games thus far. He is the only defenceman in the BCHL this year who is coming off two straight seasons of 30 or more points. In 2017-18, the Calgary, Alta. native recorded 32 points in 55 games and last season he recorded 30 points in 52 games. "We just think that he is emblematic of what we're about here," Silverbacks head coach and general manager Scott Atkinson said. "He's certainly one of the most skilled players in the league and he's a real leader in our dressing room so I think it makes it a fairly easy decision." "The guys have immense respect for him in the room and when he speaks, it carries a lot of weight," Atkinson added. "That's how I think he's going to be: leading by example and when he does say something, it's going to be poignant and guys are going to be paying attention." This will be Hirose's final year of junior hockey, as next season he will head to Minnesota State University of Mankato to play NCAA Div. I hockey.
Clippers Name Scardina Captain:
The Nanaimo Clippers have announced that White Rock native, Ethan Scardina, has been named Captain for the 2019-2020 Season. Scardina, who is entering into his second season with the Clippers, has been a leader in the dressing room since he arrived last season according to Clippers Head Coach Darren Naylor “When we traded for Scar [Scardina] the minute he arrived I knew he was a born leader. He leads on and off the ice with all his teammates and is an incredibly skilled hockey player that we are very lucky to have playing for us.” Last season, Scardina lead the Clippers with the most points averaging over one point per game. In his BCHL career, he has played in a total of 102 games, tallying a total of 82 points. Clippers Owner, Wes Mussio, agreed with Coach Naylor’s comments “I have been impressed watching Scardina develop over the last year since he joined us from the Cowichan Valley Capitals. With the number of key returning players from last year, it was a hard decision but Ethan stood out as being a great choice to lead the player management group. Ethan is a leader by example player and with the effort he puts in on and off the ice, we are expecting him to push the other players all season.” The Nanaimo Clippers will announce the Alternate Captains in the coming days.
West Kelowna-Fort McMurray Trade:
The West Kelowna Warriors have transferred the CJHL playing rights to Evan Fradette(01)(G) to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the AJHL in exchange for future considerations
Spruce Kings Sign Orr:
The Prince George Spruce Kings are excited to announce that they have added defenceman Evan Orr to the team’s roster. Orr, a Detroit native, spent last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights of the NAHL, where Orr had 16 points in 48 games. “We’re excited to add Evan to our program. He is a very mature young man who plays the game hard and plays it the right way. He will fit in well with our group and with what we are trying to do here “, says GM Mike Hawes. The ’01 born defenceman is also committed to Michigan Tech of the NCAA for the 2020-21 season. Welcome to Prince George, Evan!
Bulldogs Announce Leadership Group:
Ahead of Saturday’s home opener, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs announced their leadership group for the 2019-2020. 20-year old Mitch Deelstra was named the club’s captain. Deelstra, in his 2nd season with the Bulldogs, scored 20 goals for the Bulldogs last season. Joining Deelstra on the leadership group will be assistant captains, Jackson Doucet, Jackson Munro, and Stephen Castagna. Doucet is in his 3rd season with the Bulldogs, while Castagna is beginning his 2nd season with the club. Jackson Munro is in his 3rd BCHL season, however, it’s his first in a Bulldogs uniform after joining the club this summer in a trade with the Merritt Centennials. Munro, of course, played under Bulldogs head coach & general manager Joe Martin for the past two seasons. “We really like the mix of experience our group brings our dressing,” said head coach & general manager Joe Martin. “We have high expectations for our group and the leadership core is the conduit between the staff and the players. It’s not always easy to wear a letter for a hockey team, it comes with a lot of responsibility, but we’re confident in our players to handle it.”
On The Bench With Trevor Miller:
This week, we chat with Vees forward and Assistant Captain Jay O'Brien
Merritt-Brooks Trade:
The Merritt Centennials announced today that they have acquired goaltender Tanner Marshall (00) from the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL in exchange for future considerations. With both goalies who served last season for the Centennials departing the organization, Austin Roden graduating to the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Vincent Duplessis traded to the Swan Valley Stampeders, goaltending has been a question mark heading into the season. Head Coach and General Manager Barry Wolff has aimed to address that by bringing in Marshall from the Bandits. Marshall, a Kelowna native, posted a 12-0 record last season with the Brooks Bandits while putting up a 1.33 GAA and a .925 SV%. He also has spent time with the Trail Smoke Eaters in 2017 and 2018 putting up a 9-6 record with a 3.87 GAA and a .879 SV%. Marshall won the AJHL Championship with the Bandits as well as the National Junior A Championship. He also put up the AJHL’s best goals against average during 2018-19. Coach Wolff says that Marshall will bring in experience and a championship pedigree. “We are excited to add Tanner to our roster, he is a National Jr A Champion, and will bring that winning attitude to our locker room. His experience in the BCHL and his work ethic in net will be a much needed asset.”
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