Sunday, October 20, 2019

BCHL News & Trades:

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:

Alberni Valley-Wenatchee-Flin Flon Trade:

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs announced on Monday that they have dealt 20-year old forward Ryan Moon to the Wenatchee Wild for Future Considerations.  The Wild then moved Moon to the Flin Flon Bombers of the SJHL. Moon was recovering from off-season knee surgery and had yet to make his 2019-2020 debut. Moon was acquired last season from the Cowichan Valley Capitals in exchange for Spencer Hora.  In 15 games with the Bulldogs, Moon contributed 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points. The Bulldogs wish Moon all of the best with his new club.

Eagles Sign Fitzgerald:

The Surrey Eagles organization is pleased to announce the team has signed Coquitlam native Christian Fitzgerald! Fitzgerald isn’t a complete newcomer to the team, as the 17 year old forward has already played 5 games as an affiliate player with this season. Fitzgerald was a member of the Delta Hockey Academy Prep team last season with the Canadian School Sport Hockey League, and scored his first BCHL goal in the Eagles 5-3 win over the Langley Rivermen on September 22nd. Fitzgerald will look to continue his growth as a young player with the Eagles, as he earned a spot on the team through his tenacious play and willingness to fight in the dirty areas. It’s not all grit for Christian though, as he put up 16 goals and 33 points in 36 games. Fitzgerald’s entire skill set was on display when he scored his first goal, and you can check it out below. Christian told surreyeagles.ca about what he’s going to bring to the team now that he’s been signed to the main roster. “I’d say I’m a hardworking, two way forward and that one of my better attributes is my skating ability. Hopefully, I’ll be able to hop up in the rush while also playing strong down low in our own end with my teammates.”  It hasn’t been a seamless transition for the young forward, but he’s confident in his ability to keep up with the faster pace of play the BCHL provides. “You know, it’s been a bit of a bigger transition than I expected. Now though, I’ve got my feet in the water and the pace of play hasn’t been an issue for me to keep up with.” For head coach Cam Keith, he gets a player he’s had his eyes on for a little while, and is happy to finally bring Fitzgerald on full time. “We’re extremely excited, and we feel very fortunate he fell into our lap… It’s nice to see him come in and earn a spot on our hockey team.” On top of finally bringing him on board, Cam admitted Christian, while young, brings a little bit of everything to this Eagles roster, including some much needed versatility which Cam values greatly. “Yeah, he brings a little bit of everything to the table. He’s got speed, size, he’s good defensively, and understands where he should be on the ice. He doesn’t show signs of his age, and he’s already gotten accustomed to the league. Finally, he’s got some offensive creativity to his game. He sees the ice really well, he can distribute, doesn’t mind shooting the puck and gets himself into the dirty areas.” You can catch Christian Fitzgerald wearing number 24 on the ice.

Grizzlies To Retire Bozak's Jersey #11

The past was in mind Saturday with the Victoria Grizzlies announcing they will retire Stanley Cup champion Tyler Bozak’s old No. 11 jersey on a date to be announced. But it’s the present of concern today as the Grizzlies (3-7) look to turn their early fortunes against the Powell River Kings in a B.C. Hockey League game at 1 p.m. in The Q Centre. The Kings were 7-4 heading into a late-finishing game Saturday night in Nanaimo against the Clippers. This is the third time in the last four games that Victoria has faced Powell River, with the Kings winning both earlier contests. “The teams are getting to know each other pretty well — the tendencies are becoming clearer — and our guys are looking forward [to getting another crack at the Kings],” Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon said. “We feel we’ve had some tough luck in the past few games and will continue to work hard. The players were very engaged during practice. We have belief and are sticking to our systems. We are optimistic that our team will be very good.” The retiring of Bozak’s jersey sends a powerful message, Didmon said. “It helps our program when you can point to a guy who played here three seasons and developed,” he said. “It shows what the B.C. Hockey League can do for players. It helps our program and breeds confidence, especially in recruiting.” The ceremony will take place in the next month or two, said Grizzlies president Lance Black. Bozak, a forward with the St. Louis Blues, can’t make it back to the Island for the event. He will be interviewed live on the The Q Centre video screen via streaming and will watch his jersey rise to the rafters. Bozak began his junior career when the Victoria team was known as the Salsa. The Regina native had 15 goals and 31 points in his rookie season with the Salsa in 2004-05 and 31 goals and 69 points the following season. He exploded for 45 goals and 128 points when the franchise switched its name to the Grizzlies in 2006-07. Undrafted out of the University of Denver, Bozak has gone on to score 149 goals and accumulate 403 points in 667 regular-season games heading into Saturday, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Blues, winning the Stanley Cup with St. Louis last spring. The last two former Grizzlies players to have jerseys retired before Bozak — numbers 16 and 8 — were NHL-playing siblings Jamie and Jordie Benn in 2018.

Centennial Cup Decision Coming Soon:

The Penticton Vees successfully co-hosted the BCHL Showcase Festival this past weekend. While the Vees would like to host the entire Showcase at some point in the near future, they are hoping it won’t be in 2020-21. And with good reason. The Vees are expected to find out within the next 10 days if their bid to host the Centennial Cup national Junior-A hockey championship for the first time ever - in May of 2021 - is successful. “Obviously we wouldn’t be able to host both events,” said Vees president, GM and head coach Fred Harbinson. “A lot will hinge on whether we’re hosting the (Centennial) Cup next season.” Harbinson said Hockey Canada – the national governing body for hockey in the country – has promised the Vees and the other club(s) bidding to host the event an answer by next week. Without knowing who else is in the running, the Vees and the city have to like their chances. Penticton is arguably the flagship Junior-A franchise in Canada playing in one of the best facilities in the country in the South Okanagan Events Centre, which has a capacity of around 4,700 for hockey. There is also the adjoining OHS Training Centre rink and venerable old Memorial Arena across the parking lot to accommodate any kind of requirements for additional games and ice times. And, aside from the climate, the sheer beauty of the city and all it has to offer residents and visitors alike, there is another factor. Next year will be the 60th anniversary of junior hockey in Penticton, with the Penticton Junior Vees having entered the Okanagan Junior Hockey League in 1961-62 and then joining the B.C. (Junior) Hockey League as the Penticton Broncos in 1966/67. “We feel we’ve done a lot of good things as a franchise and we’ve got an amazing city and fan base here,” said Harbinson. The Penticton team was known as the Junior Vees from 1961 to 1963 and the Broncos from 1964 to 1975. The team won the BCJHL championship in that first year in the league in 1966/67. The team was known as the Penticton Vees again from 1975 to 1979, before becoming the Penticton Knights from 1979 to 1990. The Knights enjoyed remarkable success, winning five league championships and capturing Penticton’s first Centennial Cup in 1986, after losing in the final a year earlier. The team was called the Penticton Panthers from 1990 to 2004 before becoming the Vees again from 2004 to present. The Vees, of course, won the national championship (then known as the RBC Cup) in 2012. They’ve also been to the national championship in 2014-15 and 2016-17. But they’ve never hosted one. Hopefully that’s about to change. SHOWCASE FESTIVAL: If the success of the Showcase Festival is any indication, the Vees are more than well equipped to host the Centennial Cup. Eight games involving nine BCHL teams were played over two days at the SOEC. “It was a lot of work but our staff did its usual professional job of working alongside BCHL staff to put on a great event that went off without a hitch,” said Harbinson. Harbinson said attendance was solid and there were some close and exciting games that showcased players on all teams well. “That’s what it’s all about, and we had a lot of scouts in the building the whole weekend to see players from all the participating teams,” said Harbinson. “All the events both on and off the ice for fans and players were a big success.”

Wild Make Roster Moves:

The Wenatchee Wild, proud members of the BCHL, have announced roster moves as they look to fine tune their lineup ten games into the season. Wenatchee has acquired US-born defenseman Luke Gallagher from the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. From Mead, WA, Gallagher has played in 68 games for the Chiefs over the last three plus seasons, and also appeared in 15 games for the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters last season. He’s a right-handed shot who checks in at 5’10, 165 lbs. Departing the Wild will be forward Dallas Farrell, who was acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Surrey Eagles. He has been traded to the Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in exchange for future considerations. The Wild welcome Luke to the Wenatchee Valley, and thank Dallas for his time and wish him success in the SJHL.

30 Years Of Chiefs Hockey-Part 2

In 1998-99, the Chilliwack Chiefs went in a different direction when it came to their appearance. After starting with a more traditional red, white, and blue Winnipeg Jets/New York Rangers style jersey, the team would go to a more intimidating black, yellow, and white. As well as a brand new style of jersey not seen before in the BCHL, it would become the team’s most famous jersey. It’s known as the era of the “Rage”. In the first season with the new colors and the addition of top scorer Travis Banga, 16-year-old Kevin Estrada and future NHLer Wade Dubielewicz, the Chiefs finished the year with a 38-20-2 record, second in the Mainland Division behind the two-time back-to-back champion South Surrey Eagles. In the Playoffs, they started against Cowichan, beating the Capitals 3-0 in the Divisional Quarter-Finals. In the Divisional Semi-Finals, the Chiefs faced a tough test with the Victoria Salsa coming out on top 3-2, setting up for a third year in a row against the South Surrey Eagles. Chilliwack went on to beat the Eagles 4-3 on an overtime goal in game 7 by Jeff Yopyk at the South Surrey Arena. They played Vernon in their second appearance in the league finals, but fell to the soon-to-be national champions 4-1, setting up a five year rivalry with the North Okanagan club. In 1999-00 the Chiefs were motivated to get back to the Fred Page Cup again with the return of top scorers Banga (who would captain the team that year), Estrada, and local star Nathan Martz. The roster was also buoyed by solid stay at home defensemen Brad McFaul and Shawn Landry, along with the addition of 15-year-old California-born centre Gabe Gauthier , Whistler forward Matt Gibbons and 15-year-old goaltender Ryan Cyr. The club also had a group of tough guys to protect the stars in Jeff Barlow, Bobby Henderson, Ashlee Langdone, Garrett Stroshein and Tyson Terry. The team finished second in the Mainland Division with a 38-20-5 record and was the highest-scoring team with 307 goals. Chilliwack featured three players with 90-plus points, including 51-goal-scorer Jeremy Jackson. In the first round of the playoffs, the Chiefs once again played the Cowichan Valley Capitals and swept them 4-0, which set up a date with the Nanaimo Clippers. After losing Banga to a knee injury, the Chiefs still won the series 4-2. After beating the Clippers, they played the division champion Langley Hornets. Chilliwack won the series 4-2 which meant a rematch with the defending Fred Page Cup, Doyle Cup, and Royal Bank Cup Champion Vernon Vipers. The Chiefs wanted revenge for the year before and they got it, beating the Vipers 4-1 and sending them to the Doyle Cup series against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Chilliwack lost the Doyle Cup 4-1, but due to the Oil Barons hosting the national championship, the Chiefs got an automatic spot in the Royal Bank Cup. At the Royal Bank Cup in Fort Mac, the Chiefs faced off against three teams they had never seen before. The Ontario powerhouse Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats, the Battlefords North Stars and the Cornwall Colts. Chilliwack opened the tournament with a barn burner game that went to double-overtime, but fell 8-7 to the Sabrecats. The Chiefs bounced back with a win over Cornwall 3-2 in their second game. Next up was the sixth game in 14 days between the Oil Barons and Chiefs, and Fort McMurray took the win 4-3. The Chiefs beat Battlefords 5-2 and finished the round robin in third place, which put them into the first Semi-final against the Sabrecats. Chilliwack lost 3-2 and its hopes for a Royal Bank Cup were dashed. The Chiefs played in the first and last bronze medal game in Royal Bank Cup history and beat Battlefords 3-2 in double overtime. 2000-01 saw the Chiefs rebuild their core of players after their first appearance at the Royal Bank Cup. They did, however, return Gauthier, Estrada, Cyr, Henderson, Terry, Gibbons, Barlow, and McFaul from the previous season. They added a lot of firepower to their ranks, with Jeff Tambellini, David Van Der Gulik, Micah Sanford, and Kaleb Betts, as well as defensemen Mark Woywitka and Brandon Janes, and solid back up goalie Marc Narduzzi. They finished the regular season with a 34-22-0-4 record to finish second in the Mainland Division and setting themselves up for another title run. In the playoffs, the Chiefs were upset in the first round by the South Surrey Eagles 4-1. 2001-02 wound up as a record-setting year for the Chiefs. After the disappointing end to the previous season, Chilliwack added a couple more players to make a run at another championship. With the additions of Adam Powell, Dan Mahe, Jeff Royston, Ralph Vos and Shawn Germain on defense, and veteran goalie Steve Vallee to back up Narduzzi. The team acquired Matt Bickley from Burnaby mid-season to round out the bottom six forwards. They finished with a 42-10-0-4 record, good enough for for first in the Mainland Division and the BCHL. In the playoffs, Chilliwack knocked out Coquitlam 4-1, Surrey 3-0, and Nanaimo 4-1 and put the Chiefs in the Fred Page Cup finals for the third time in four years against the Vernon Vipers. The Chiefs took the series in six games for their third BCHL championship. Chilliwack played against the Drayton Valley Thunder in the Doyle Cup. The Chiefs won their first Doyle Cup in six games on an overtime winner at the Chilliwack Coliseum by Van Der Gulik and advanced to their second Royal Bank Cup in franchise history. At the 2002 Royal Bank Cup in Halifax, Chilliwack came in as one of the favorites to win the national championship. The Chiefs opened the tournament against the host Halifax Oland Exports and lost 4-3 in overtime. After the loss, Chilliwack went on a tear through the rest of the round robin. They came up against an old foe in the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats and pushed them aside 9-2. Then came the OCN Blizzard from the MJHL and Chilliwack won 8-5. They finished the round robin with a 5-2 win over the  Ottawa Jr. Senators. The Chiefs finished the round robin with 25 goals, eight more than the next team, and Tambellini was named Top Scorer and tournament MVP. In the Semi-finals, the Chiefs lost 4-3 to OCN and ended hopes for what would have been the greatest finish in team history. In 2002-03, the Chiefs faced another rebuild with some key players leaving the team. Returning players included Henderson, Germain, Terry, Royston and Powell. The team added a new goaltending tandem in Curtis Darling and Derek Janzen, along with forwards Tyler Burton, Darin Olver and Kevin Broad, as well as defensemen Sheldon Lee, Zach Tarkir and Blake Cosgrove. The team finished first in the Mainland Division with a 36-17-1-6 record. In the playoffs, the Chiefs played the Coquitlam Express in the first round and won 4-3, they beat the Powell River Kings 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and the Surrey Eagles 4-1 in the semi-finals. It set up the final chapter in the half-decade rivalry with the Vernon Vipers. Chilliwack was swept by the Vipers in the Fred Page Cup final final after a pretty impressive season despite the mass turnover from the year before. 2003-04 was the end of an era for the Chiefs and the City of Chilliwack as they were set to close the legendary Chilliwack Coliseum – the “Old Barn” – and open Prospera Centre in the fall of 2004. The Chiefs finished the year with a 36-20-0-4 record and in the final regular-season game at the Coliseum, Powell, who was team captain, closed the building by kissing center ice and skating off to the dressing room. In the playoffs, the Chiefs beat the Coquitlam Express in seven games in the first round, but officially closed the Coliseum with a four game loss to Nanaimo in the quarterfinals. The Chiefs started 2004-05 with the opening of the brand new Prospera Centre. They also had brand new jerseys featuring a more traditional look with Boston Bruins-inspired striping. Long time mascot Chief Wannawin flew down from the rafters to center ice, minor hockey players brought over all of the championship banners from the Coliseum to Prospera Centre, and finally, all-time Chiefs penalty minute leader and former captain Bobby Henderson addressed the crowd. The Chiefs finished the season second in the Mainland Division with a 37-21-0-2 record and looked forward a first-round match-up once again with the Coquitlam Express. They Chiefs beat their Mainland rivals for the fourth straight year, winning the series in seven games. Chilliwack ended their first season in Prospera Centre with a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Surrey Eagles in the quarterfinals. 2005-06 was the final season for the Chiefs in Chilliwack after the city was awarded an expansion franchise in the Western Hockey League. The Chiefs finished the year atop of the Mainland Division with a 36-16-3-5 record. In the playoffs, Chilliwack beat the Powell River Kings 4-1 and set up another series with the Express this time in Burnaby. Chilliwack lost in five games to Kyle Turris and the eventual Royal Bank Cup champions. The loss ended 16 years of BCHL hockey in Chilliwack as the Chiefs packed their bags to move west to Langley after the Hornets relocated to West Kelowna. Stay tuned for the final part of the series – “The Move to Langley and the Return to The ‘Wack”.

Cornwall Will Host 2020 World Junior A Challenge:

Hockey Canada has announced the 15th edition of the World Junior A Challenge will be headed back to Ontario in 2020, with Cornwall set to host the international Junior A showcase from Dec. 13-19. This marks the second time, and first since Cobourg and Whitby co-hosted in 2015, that Ontario will welcome the event. The 2020 World Junior A Challenge represents a partnership between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) and the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), as well as the local host committee and NHL Central Scouting. Fans from across the country will have a chance to cheer on the best players from two Canadian teams – Team Canada East and Team Canada West – as they compete for a gold medal at 4,800-seat Ed Lumley Arena at the Cornwall Civic Complex, home of the CCHL’s Cornwall Colts. “It is an exciting time for the city and fans of Cornwall, and we know the local host committee is already hard at work to ensure it delivers a world-class event for all participants and fans,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “We look forward to returning to Ontario for the World Junior A Challenge and leaving behind a legacy to support the growth and development of minor hockey in the region.” The World Junior A Challenge has historically had an economic impact of over $3 million to host communities. “The City of Cornwall is proud to host the World Junior A Challenge. I am confident our world-class facilities and hockey super-fans will make our community an ideal location for this entertaining and competitive tournament,” said Mayor Bernadette Clement. Since the event’s inception in 2006, more than 300 NHL draft picks have played in the tournament, including 42 first-round selections (Beau Bennett, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Brock Boeser, Alexander Burmistrov, Dennis Cholowski, Joe Colborne, Kyle Connor, Grigori Denisenko, Nikolaj Ehlers, Dante Fabbro, Nikita Filatov, Mikhail Grigorenko, Denis Guryanov, Ryan Johnson, Tyson Jost, Dmitri Kulikov, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Elias Lindholm, Hampus Lindholm, John Moore, Vladislav Namestnikov, Riley Nash, Alex Newhook, Valeri Nichushkin, Dylan Olsen, David Pastrnak, Vasily Podkolzin, German Rubtsov, Ilya Samsonov, Jordan Schmaltz, Nick Schmaltz, Jaden Schwartz, Brendan Smith, Andrei Svechnikov, Evgeny Svechnikov, Vladimir Tarasenko, Kyle Turris, Alexander Wennberg, Andrei Vasilevski, Jakub Vrana, Nail Yakupov and Jakub Zboril). “The City of Cornwall, along with the Colts hockey club and the CCHL, have been tremendously supportive of CJHL events in recent years, including the National Junior A Championship and CJHL Prospects Game,” said CJHL president Brent Ladds. “We have no doubt that the 2020 World Junior A Challenge will be a success in Cornwall, given the large Junior A fan base that is present in that part of the country.” Of the 13 gold medal games at the World Junior A Challenge, 10 have featured at least one Canadian team. Team Canada West has captured gold five times (2006, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017), silver three times (2008, 2009, 2012) and bronze twice (2013, 2018). Team Canada East has five silver medals (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 2016) and one bronze (2008).

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