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:
Balas Expected To Return To Silverbacks:
The Spokane Chiefs announced on Monday that goaltender Brett Balas has been reassigned. After being called up following the mid-season holiday break, Balas made one appearance, playing just under 59 minutes in relief at Seattle on Dec. 27. Starter Campbell Arnold left with a lower body injury under two minutes into regulation. Balas is expected to return to Salmon Arm of the BCHL.
Eagles Look To Add As Junior-Hockey Trade Deadline Approaches:
With the Canadian junior hockey trade deadline just days away, the Surrey Eagles are in a position they’ve found themselves in only a handful of times over the past half-dozen seasons: Looking to buy. The BC Hockey League team finds itself firmly in the middle of the standings as the post-holiday break schedule gets underway, and in a league in which all but one team qualifies for the playoffs, a return trip to the postseason seems likely. The team currently sits fourth in the five-team Mainland Division, and is 13 points clear of the league’s last-place team. “The only thing we’re looking to do is add to this group,” said Eagles general manager Blaine Neufeld of the Jan. 10 trade cutoff. The team – which sports a record of 14-17-2-4 (win-loss-overtime loss-shootout loss) as it heads into a three-game weekend schedule – certainly has room to add a veteran player or two, should Neufeld and head coach Cam Keith choose to do so. Currently, the Eagles have just one 20-year-old on the roster – forward JJ Fectau – and junior ‘A’ rules allow for a maximum of six. However, Neufeld said they’re happy enough with their group – especially considering how it shapes up for next season – that it’s unlikely they would make a transaction that would upset the current core of the team. “It’s a young, young group. In junior hockey, there’s always a lot of turnover, but we see that we have such a quality group, we want to keep it intact,” he said. “So you’re not going to see us make a bunch of ‘futures’ deals (where young players would be shipped out). Hopefully, there will be some opportunities where we can just add players to our group, with out having to delete anybody from it. “If we can add a little bit of maturity and leadership to our core group, then great. But if we can’t, we’re satisfied with what we already have in the room.” Neufeld acknowledged, however, that to make room for any potential new addition, a roster spot would need to be opened up, but added that “we would try to make those moves as minor as possible.” Last season, the Birds were in the spot in which no BCHL team wants to find itself – as the lone non-playoff squad – so this year requires a different mindset when roster building, Neufeld said. “Our focus is on catching (second-place) Chilliwack this year, versus (trying to stay out of the basement),” he said. Another difference between this year and last is the amount of roster turnover, or lack thereof. Last season, 43 different players suited up for the Eagles, including eight different goaltenders – not to mention three head coaches, dating back to just prior to training camp. This year, the team has made fewer roster moves, which Neufeld attributes to the team’s improvement over last season. He also heaps credit upon Keith who, as associate general manager in addition to head coach, has also played a significant role in building the roster, both in the summer and as the season has progressed. “Cam and I… see the same quite similarly, so it’s been very easy to work together and build a hockey team we both want,” Neufeld said. “Give him full credit – he’s been able to develop them and put together a good team in a short amount of time. He’s done a fabulous job. “We’ve also been a fairly stagnant group in terms of trades, and I think that’s helped the kids grow – because they know they’re going to be here.” That’s not to say the team hasn’t had any roster upheaval. In October, the team made one of the BCHL’s biggest trades of the season when they sent defenceman Cody Schiavon – their captain – to the Trail Smoke Eaters in exchange for Kieran O’Hearn and the rights to Liam Freeborn. A few weeks later, Freeborn was flipped, along with forward Jesse Carr, to the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Calgary Canucks in exchange for forward Hassan Akl. Surrey also added former defencemen Brendan Kim and Jordan Hendry from Vernon and Powell River, respectively, in exchange for future considerations. “We’ve felt that we’ve won on every trade that we’ve made so far, which is exciting for us,” Neufeld said. “There are different reasons for every trade, and you’re always nervous when you make a deal because you don’t want to take a step back, and we’ve taken steps back in the past. “But we’ve really done our homework and Cam’s done a great job of analyzing the players coming in – and a few of them he knew beforehand – so that’s helped.” One significant blow to the team was when veteran forward Holden Katzalay left the BCHL for the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants. Katzalay – who joined the Eagles midway through last season after being cut by the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds – had 33 points in 27 games with Surrey this season before leaving in late November. “It was a bit of a surprise to us that the Giants were courting him to come and play there, but at the same time, he’s a guy with (major-junior experience)… He’s ineligible for the NCAA, so we understood the decision. It made sense for him,” Neufeld said. Neufeld said that replacing Katzalay’s offence would be a priority over the next few days. “That’s our target – scoring. In the playoffs, you do need to score by committee, but it’s also nice to have game-changers who can get you a goal when you need it sometimes,” he said. “But coming back from the Christmas break, it sometimes feels like you’ve got half a new team because a lot of the guys take that next step – that happens a lot in junior hockey. That’s why we feel like, even if no moves are made, we can go on a good playoff run this year.”
Merritt-Spruce Grove Trade:
The Merritt Centennials are sending D Olson Werenka (99) to the Spruce Grove Saints of the AJHL for future considerations. Werenka, a Calgary native, is returning to his home province to conclude his Junior career. This season with the Cents he had 3 goals and 14 assists in 31 games played. He is joining a Spruce Grove team that are second place in the North division of the AJHL at 30-10-2 and are the 4th place team overall. Head Coach and GM Derek Sweet Coulter knows Werenka will be a good piece for a contender. “Olson has that fire and that fight you need to be effective in the playoffs. We wish him well with the Saints.” The Merritt Centennials would like to thank Olson for his contributions to the team and the community during his time with the club, and with him the best with Spruce Grove.
Warriors Expect To Be Busy At Deadline:
The West Kelowna Warriors expect to be busy prior to the Jan. 10 trade deadline. Junior teams at every level across the country have until Friday to make deals. Team president Chris Laurie has been working the phones this week as the club looks to make moves that will help in the short, and long term. The Warriors are somewhat restricted in that they have just two player cards at their disposal, meaning they can add only two players to the 23-player roster. However, the club can also designate certain players in other leagues as affiliated players. The Warriors have already been busy, turning over nearly a third of the roster over the past eight weeks. The club also has future considerations coming from Nanaimo as part of the Brandon Dent trade.
Goalie's 21st Birthday No Gift For Coquitlam Express:
The Coquitlam Express acquired rookie goalie Joe Howe from the Victoria Grizzlies on Tuesday. The trade for future considerations might seem a prudent move by Express general manager Jason Fortier to bolster the bench of the BC Hockey League’s top team in anticipation of a long post season. But it’s more like a birthday present. Coquitlam’s star goalie, Clay Stevenson, turns 21 on March 3. And an obscure NCAA rule means he likely won’t be available to the Express for those playoffs. The rule, that applies only to men’s hockey and skiing, means any competitive game Stevenson plays after his 21st birthday would cost him a year of athletic eligibility at a Div. 1 school next fall. Stevenson is committed to play in September for Dartmouth College, a Div. 1 Ivy League university in Hanover, N.H. that plays in hockey’s East Coast Athletic Conference. But if he plays for the Express after March 3, he’ll be left with only three years of eligibility to play for the school, short of the four years he would require to also earn a business degree there. Fortier said the team and Stevenson were aware of his situation heading into the season but both were hopeful some sort of accommodation or exception could be negotiated with Dartmouth. So far, Fortier said, that hasn’t happened despited prolonged negotiations. Even a built-in loophole to the rule — one that allows a 21-year-old Junior A player to retain their four years of NCAA athletic eligibility if they’re enrolled in a post-secondary institution without a varsity hockey program and then transfers to their new school — has proved problematic, Fortier said. A spokesperson for the BCHL said the league doesn’t deal with NCAA eligibility rules. “This is our teams’ job to ensure their players are eligible and they are ones working with NCAA coaches,” said Jesse Adamson, the league’s director of communications. Fortier said Stevenson’s situation is difficult, especially as his stellar play in goal has been a driving force in the Express’ ascent to the top of the BCHL standings. He’s also been an inspirational leader after he lost his mom, Holly, at the beginning of the season. But, Fortier added, he respects Stevenson’s desire to get the full value of his educational opportunity at Dartmouth. “We’re not going to stand in the way of that,” he said. “The rules aren’t meant to help us in this situation.” Fortier said he has been working the phones to Junior A managers across Canada to find another goalie. In the 19-year-old Howe he may have found a promising prospect out of Ontario who was forced into a starting role right at the start of his BCHL career when the Grizzlies’ veteran goalie, Liam Souliere, was injured in the preseason. After a shaky debut in which he allowed 14 goals in his first two games, Howe settled in to share netminding duties with another rookie, Blake Wood. Each has won eight games. But with Souliere healthy again, the Grizzlies found itself with a surplus of shotstoppers. Fortier said he hopes Stevenson can stick around even in a coaching or advisory role as the Express push for a league and national championship. “Our goal is to let him finish his Junior A career with us.”
Smoke Eaters Unveil World Championship Jerseys:
Friday, The Trail Smoke Eaters will dawn one of the most historic jerseys in Hockey Canada history to celebrate the World Championships of 1939 and 1961.
Cowichan Capitals Coach Vandekamp Anticipating Quiet Trade Deadline:
Mike Vandekamp doesn’t expect to be too busy leading up to the B.C. Hockey League trade deadline this Friday. The Cowichan Valley Capitals’ head coach and general manager hasn’t made many transactions this season, and he anticipates that will continue. “I don’t like making moves,” he explained. “The best seasons I’ve been involved in had minimal movement.” The Caps last appeared on the BCHL’s transaction wire when they made a couple of moves in late September, getting defenceman Nolan Barrett from the Prince George Spruce Kings for forward Kolton Cousins, and shipping Josh Kagan to the Merritt Centennials (Kagan is now with the Nanaimo Clippers) and Christophe Sauvageau to the Rockland Nationals of the Central Canada Hockey League, both in exchange for future considerations. They also added winger John Lundy in late November. Forward Kobe Verbicky and blueliner Cody Stockton were signed in the fall and both played a handful of games before their statuses were changed to AP. “We’ve stayed with the same bunch,” Vandekamp acknowledged. “The guys are working hard and coming together.” The Caps are in a good position to add bodies, with cards still available at the deadline, but it’s not that easy. Sixteen out of 17 teams make the playoffs, so few clubs are interested in offloading veterans, and there aren’t assets like draft picks or protected players that teams can trade away. “All those things come together to make making moves a little more challenging,” Vandekamp said. The Caps made some big moves at last year’s deadline, bringing on goalie Pierce Diamond, who turned into a playoff hero and centre Cruz Cote, who is now the team’s captain, as well as depth forward Lach Hadley, but that team was sitting near the bottom of the league standings, and this year’s edition is among the top clubs. Tinkering with the roster might not be worth it. “We do have needs,” Vandekamp said. “But there’s also the whole aspect of chemistry and loyalty to the guys who are already here. We’re not just making changes for the sake of making them.”
Powell River-Langley Trade:
The Powell River Kings have acquired ’99 F Devin Leduc from the Langley Rivermen in exchange for ’00 F Hunter McCoy, ahead of the CJHL’s January 10th Trade Deadline. Leduc, 20, scored 13 goals and 25 points through 40 games with the Rivermen this season. The Barrie, ON native is in his third and final year in the BCHL, where he has totaled 29 goals and 64 points in 125 career games. Kings Head Coach and GM Tyler Kuntz said he’s excited to add a 20-year-old forward to his group, which ranks the second youngest team in the BCHL with an average age of 18.19. “We like his size, he’s got a good reputation, he protects the puck, plays heavy and plays hard,” added Kuntz. “He brings a little bit more experience to the team. It’s nice to bring in an older guy to help mentor some of the younger guys, and play with some reliability.” Leduc said that he’s just looking to help the team win, and help mentor some of the younger players. “I came into the league when I was 18 and I had a lot of veteran players help me out,” stated Leduc. “I’m a good two-way forward who can help this team out defensively, and I like to shoot the puck.” McCoy, 19, accumulated nine goals and 20 points over 38 games with the Kings. The Newburyport, MA native played the previous two seasons in the NCDC with the Islanders Hockey Club, scoring 81 points (30G/51A) in 94 games. Leduc is expected to make his debut for the Kings on Friday, January 10th at 7:00 p.m., against the Wenatchee Wild.
West Kelowna-Coquitlam Trade:
A busy trade deadline week continues as the Express make another addition to the blueline acquiring 1999 born defenceman Wyatt Head from the West Kelowna Warriors in exchange for Addison Macey and future considerations. Head played parts of 3 seasons with the Warriors before beginning this season at Quinnipiac University, but did not appear in a game. He rejoined the Warriors in December and picked up 1 goal and 5 assists in 7 games. Last season, Head appeared in all 58 games for the Warriors and picked up 42 points. Head joins former Merritt Centennial Joey Berkopec as additions to the Express blueline as the playoffs draw nearer. The Express would also like to thank Addison Macey for his time in Coquitlam. We wish him the best of luck with the Warriors going forward!
Eagles Make Two Moves:
The Surrey Eagles made a pair of moves in the days leading up to the Canadian Junior Hockey League trade deadline. The Eagles have traded goaltender Cal Schell to the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey for future considerations. In a corresponding move, the Eagles have acquired the CJHL playing rights to former Swift Current Broncos’ goaltender Reece Klassen from the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in exchange for future considerations. Starting with who the Eagles are acquiring, the acquisition of Klassen is a big move for this young Surrey team moving forward. Reece is only the 2nd 20 year old player on the team, joining Eagles forward JJ Fecteau. Klassen will bring over 2 years of Western Hockey League experience to this young Eagles team, and is a veteran presence for the upcoming playoff run. Over his WHL career, the Cloverdale, BC native played 71 games, compiling a 24-23-7-6 record, with a 3.64 goals against average and an .890 save percentage. Cal Schell’s time with the Eagles had some ups and downs. Schell posted a 4-8-0-1 record in 13 games with the Eagles, and sported a 3.76 goals against average and an .892 save percentage. The 2001 goaltender was in his first season with the Eagles. The Eagles wish Cal nothing but the best in his hockey career moving forward, and are happy to welcome Reece to the flock!
Clippers Staying Put:
The BCHL Trade deadline is tomorrow for the BCHL but the Nanaimo Clippers are staying put with no trades.
Smoke Eaters Forward Ghirardosi Out For 15 days:
Trail placed forward Tyler Ghirardosi on the 15-day injured reserve, retroactive to Jan. 6. The 20-year-old is eligible to return to the Smokies line-up on Jan. 24 in Wenatchee. Ghiradosi has 18 goals and 14 assists in 38 games with Trail this season. He’s committed to attend Quinnipiac University this September.
West Kelowna-London Trade:
West Kelowna goalie Brock Baier has been acquired by the junior B London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, leaving the Warriors with Johnny Derrick as the lone goalie on the roster. Baier went 4-12-0 with a 4.04 GAA and a .889 SV% in 25 games with the Warriors this season. The 20-year-old went 12-9-0 in West Kelowna in 2018-19. Prior to coming to the BCHL, Baier played ten games in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires during the 2017-18 season.
Will It Be A Quiet Or Busy BCHL Trade Deadline Day For Chilliwack Chiefs?
Chilliwack Chiefs head coach and general manager Brian Maloney is in for a busy week. Friday is the BCHL’s trade deadline day and the last chance for Maloney to make a major move before the playoffs. His team sits second in the Mainland division and sixth in the overall BCHL standings. If you’re looking for a way to gauge what Maloney may be thinking about his team’s playoff chances, look no further than a pair of post Christmas games against Coquitlam two weekends ago. The Express are this year’s runaway train, 15 points ahead of any other BCHL club. The Chiefs took them to the shootout twice (Dec. 28 and 29) in an evenly played home-and-home that showed Chilliwack can stand toe-to-toe with Coquitlam. “We’re extremely close (to the Express), and those games were a great test for us,” Maloney said. “They’ve been playing like that all year and we haven’t been, but now we know what that feels like. Now we know we can play with these top teams.” Maloney has already made several additions that signal a belief in the roster he’s built. Adding 20 year old forwards Trevor Adams and Davis Murray and 19 year old center Tommy Lyons qualified as go-for-it moves. The team also gets Ethan Bowen back from a broken hand within the next week or two. “I truly believe we already have the right players here and the right mix of skill and grit,” Maloney said. “I don’t think we’ve gotten everything out of everyone yet, but we have the team to be the team. “It’s a matter of us (coaches) trusting the players and the players trusting themselves that we’re good enough. “Just adding someone doesn’t necessarily make you a better team. It just adds a body and the potential for confusion.” The one thing Maloney noted in his roster rundown was a shortness of experience. Adams, Murray and Brett Willits give them three 20 year olds. Coquitlam has five. Chilliwack has six 19 year olds while the Express have eight. The experience divide between the two teams is most obvious on defence. Coquitlam has one 20 year old, five 19 year olds and one 17 year old in their blueline crew. Nineteen year old Nathan Kelly is the grizzled vet on the Chiefs blueline, surrounded by three 18 year olds (Xavier Henry/Cooper Moore/ Jack Agnew), two 17 year olds (Brody Gagno/Garrett Valk) and one 16 year old (Hudson Thornton). If Maloney were to make one addition, would it be a Mitch Andres-style veteran defenceman, at the expense of one of his younger blueliners? “Some fans might not enjoy hearing this, but I’m development first, and winning the whole thing is the cherry on top of everything else,” Maloney said. “I get more satisfaction out getting young hockey players ready to move on to school or into pro. “There are teams in the past that have won, but their players have never gone anywhere.” The other thing to watch for will be reactionary moves, although Maloney said he won’t be the one making them. If Coquitlam adds to their already potent roster, will feel pressured to respond? “It happens a lot and it’s tough because you never know exactly what you’re getting either,” Maloney agreed. “You run that risk too. Does he play how we want him to play? Does he fit well into our culture and community? Will he put too much pressure on himself? “But other times it’s a great addition and we’ll entertain ideas. But there’s a not a lot that’s likely to come roll the table that’ll be better than what we already have.”
Vees Unveil 1955 World Championship Jerseys:
On January 10th & 11th, The Penticton Vees are paying homage to our 1955 World Championship team with a weekend against the Trail SmokeEaters!
Langley-Minnesota Trade:
The Langley Rivermen have acquired goaltender Jonathan Mor from the Minnesota Wilderness for future considerations. Mor has experience playing in the USHL and for the US National Development Team.
Coquitlam Express Record Winning Streak:
The BCHL’s Coquitlam Express are on quite a roll with a couple winning streaks. Dating back to last season, they’ve won 22 consecutive home games and as Jay Janower reports, they’ve picked up right where they left off.
Grizzlies Have Faith In Wood:
It isn’t often a so-far journeyman Junior A goaltender beats out a player committed to a big-name NCAA Div. 1 school. But that’s what has happened as the Victoria Grizzlies traded Cornell Big Red-bound Joe Howe to the Coquitlam Express for future considerations in a B.C. Hockey League trade Tuesday, ahead of Friday’s trade dealine. In doing so, the Grizzlies have put their faith in Blake Wood. The six-foot-three Harbour City product played for the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford and the hometown Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League and came to the Grizzlies after 14 games last season in the BCHL with the Cowichan Valley Capitals and one this season with the Nanaimo Clippers. A WHL bantam draft selection of the Kamloops Blazers, Wood has played in 20 games for Victoria this season, going 7-11 with a 3.60 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. The six-foot-two Howe came highly touted from Barrie, Ont., and Upper Canada College and appeared in 26 games for Victoria with an 8-14 record, 3.91 goals-against average and .898 save percentage. “Both are very good 18-year-old goalies and it was a tough decision,” said Grizzlies head coach and GM Craig Didmon. “Wood has shown a real competitive edge and commitment to the game. He has a high care factor and really wants to be here and has played good hockey down stretch for us. We also feel we moved Joe Howe into a good situation in Coquitlam with a goalie who will be aging out next season [Howe will not play at Cornell until the season after next].” The move became necessary with the return of Liam Souliere. The 20-year-old goaltender from Blainville, Que., headed in the fall to NCAA Div. 1 hockey with the Penn State Nittany Lions, missed the first half of the season to a lower-body injury before making his Grizzlies debut over the weekend. Souliere is the No. 1 now in the Grizzlies crease with backing from Wood. “Liam is headed to Penn State and the focus in our crease is on him,” said Didmon. With Wood the understudy hoping to inherit the starting mantle next season. Victoria hosts the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Friday on Tyler Bozak Night when the Stanley Cup-champion’s No. 11 Grizzlies jersey will be retired and raised to the rafters of The Q Centre. Then Victoria will welcome the Powell River Kings to town on Saturday night.
Smoke Eaters Looking To Make Moves Before Deadline:
With the January 10 trade deadline imminent, the Trail Smoke Eaters are looking at making moves, before this Friday’s Jan. 10th CJHL trade deadline, which requires all Canadian junior hockey teams to complete their roster moves by 3 p.m. Friday afternoon. The Smoke Eaters are six points back of the Penticton Vees for first place in the Interior Division and hockey and business director Craig Clare said that there will be more Smokies moves before the deadline is done. “There probably will have to be,” said Clare. “The only reason we could do it right now is because we have Ghirardosi on the IR, so at some point something will have to be done, we just don’t know what it is yet.”
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