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:
Victoria-Notre Dame Trade:
The Victoria Grizzlies continue to re-tool their roster for the 2020-21 season. On Monday the B.C. Hockey League club that was swept in the first round of the playoffs in March, swapped out some youth for some veteran experience on the blue line. The Grizzlies sent 18-year-old defenceman Chace Oliver to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Notre Dame Hounds for 19-year-old blue-liner Hardy Wagner. Wagner, who’ll turn 20 in December, spent the past two seasons with Notre Dame, playing 47 games this past season while scoring seven goals and adding 12 assists. The year before, the six-foot, 180-pound Regina native played 52 games while collecting three goals and 16 assists. “Wagner is an experienced right-handed defenceman who played top minutes for Notre Dame last season,” said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon. “He has good offensive ability and is solid in his own end.” Oliver played 43 games in his rookie year with the Grizzlies this past season, collecting three assists. Also Monday, the Grizzlies sent forward Kahlil Fontana to the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in exchange for future considerations. Fontana, who’ll turn 19 in August and hails from Duncan, dressed for 40 games with the Grizzlies last season, scoring five goals and six assists. “Fontana and Oliver are deals that were both tough to make as they are great, quality kids and tough competitors,” Didmon said. “But they will be in a situation where they can continue to develop their game.” The Grizzlies are tentatively set to open training camp on Sept. 1.
Top 10 Wenatchee Wild Goals of 2019-20
With 8 players reaching double-digits, the Wenatchee Wild utilized a full team effort to score goals in 2019-20 on the way to finishing in a tie for third place in the Interior.
The Chilliwack Chiefs Experience:
The Chilliwack Chiefs fan experience has changed significantly over the 30 years the team has been in the BCHL. The Chiefs played out of the Chilliwack Coliseum from 1990 to 2004. The original Coliseum was a very old building built in the 1950s. Its seats were wooden benches, there was no netting going around each end of the rink, and the opposite side from the benches was double boarded with glass on top. The Coliseum was one of the most intimidating arenas in the BCHL. Before the Chiefs moved into their new home in 1990 when the franchise relocated from Richmond, BC, the Coliseum had to undergo some renovations. The renovations were to remove the roofs on the player’s benches and penalty boxes, upgrade the sound system, and install a wheelchair lift. The seating capacity of the Coliseum was about 2,300, it was close to 2,500 with standing room. The visitor’s end of the ice was set up with the most seating right down to ice level, which made it very tough for visiting teams and goalies. The Chiefs dressing room was in the right corner of the home end with stairs leading down. The visitor’s room was attached to their bench, also accessed by stairs. At times if a player was kicked out of a game, they just jumped over the railing to get to the dressing room. The atmosphere for Chiefs games was always electric, whether a regular-season game or playoff game. It was exciting, loud, and ready to make any visiting team uncomfortable. That atmosphere is missing from the new Chilliwack Coliseum.
A different kind of atmosphere
The new Chilliwack Coliseum was built in 2004 and signed a naming agreement with Prospera Credit Union to call the building Prospera Centre. The Chiefs played two seasons in the new building before the WHL put an expansion team in Chilliwack. Originally, the Coliseum had no seats behind the visiting team’s end and it was the Rinkside Grill that is now up above the seats that were installed in 2006. Since the new arena was built, the atmosphere of the old barn, unfortunately, didn’t come with the team. With the crowd being farther away from the ice surface, it just doesn’t have the same feel. When the Chiefs returned with the relocation of the Quesnel Millionaires in 2011, a lot of people came back who were fans as kids during the first 20 years. The crowds are often dominated by an older population. While walking around the concourse, the ratio of people in their 20s and 30s vs. people who are 50-plus is almost two-to-one for the elders. There are a fair amount of young fans which is always the best thing to see, especially minor hockey players. While most arenas in the BCHL allow you to bang on the glass, have lots of notice makers, chat, and cheers, the Chiefs don’t. When kids and people bang on the glass they are told to stop by either security or ushers. If you bring a noisemaker like a drum, lots of people stare and frown at you and unless you have approval from the team, a volunteer or security tells you to stop. At the old Coliseum, it was encouraged and people would initiate the “Go Chiefs Go” chant when the mascot Chief Wannawin got it started and continue on well after he had stopped.
Cut back on the PA announcing
In my opinion, the public address announcing currently at the Chilliwack Coliseum is oversaturated. From when the scratches and lineups are announced to the three stars, at almost every stoppage in play the PA announcer is saying something about a sponsor, prize giveaway, pet of the game, and so on. At the old Coliseum, there would be lots of stoppages with just music while the teams get ready for the faceoff and not a bunch of announcing that most people don’t listen to anyway. I think most people only care about the goals, penalties, and 50/50 draw. The current sound system doesn’t help with all of the announcements either. The Chiefs upgraded their sound system about three years ago and it didn’t seem to make things better. The problem is the roof is metal and the floor is concrete, so the soundwaves bounce between the roof and floor with nothing to muffle the sound to make it clear for people to understand what the PA announcer is saying. I have sat in on the operations meeting before a game with the Chiefs, and everything they do is to the minute – which is good and bad. If the game carries on with no stoppages, their entire production is pushed back and ends up squished together so that on every whistle they have to do something. It takes away from the experience of being at a hockey game because fans focus on the extra stuff instead of the game because there is so much going on.
Arena set up and maintenance
Given that the Coliseum is getting up there in age at 15 years old, the maintenance of the arena needs work. With an average of 2,000 fans a game, the arena is usually at just under half capacity and the Chiefs end of the ice is tarped off like in Penticton. Most of the seats from when the WHL team was the tenants of the arena are still visible where it said Bruins. There are many seats that are broken from people stepping on them going up or down to their seats. The glass around the rink, especially at each end, isn’t the right height in places, which leaves a small hole between two panes of glass for the puck to squeeze through. The end netting has been in there since the building was built and hasn’t been replaced. There’s a hole they patched up with hockey tape that has moved along the netting each year they put it up. The arena has upgraded the lights hanging over the ice, the video screen above center ice, the sound system, and lots of cosmetic stuff like adding pictures of former players, the Chilliwack Sports Hall of Fame on the concourse, the player’s cards along with the sponsor signage on the wall to the second rink, and the team store.
Seating layout
The seating chart at the Chilliwack Coliseum is pretty generic and cookie-cutter of other new buildings with bowl seating. With the arena never being full for a Chiefs game, other than the 2018 RBC Cup Final, they could completely redo the seating area with a smaller capacity to make it more intimate for the Chiefs and more intimidating for a visiting team. First, they should move the seats up to board level and remove the first two rows of seats at ice level on both sides so people don’t have to look through 8 panes of glass to see the far corner on their sides. Cut the sections in half as most people sit up high to see the ice surface, which makes it hard to have a loud, intimidating crowd every home game. The Chiefs endzone needs something more exciting than black tarps. They should redesign the tarps to have a collage of players or uniforms from the past to give it that unique look like the Vancouver Whitecaps does with having their logo on their tarps at BC Place. The team itself does a fantastic job with marketing on social media and involvement in the community, but they need to work on the atmosphere of at the Coliseum and how they do things with their fans like in-game experiences and ticket prices. From going to a handful of road games in the old Mainland Division, the Chiefs have one of the highest ticket prices in the BCHL, starting at $14 for an adult and increasing by a dollar for the playoff rounds. Having that intimidating atmosphere helped the Chiefs to three BCHL championships and it’s something I think they need to get back to. There would likely be a new group of fans buying season tickets and going to games.
Penticton-Grande Prairie Trade:
The Penticton Vees Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club announced Tuesday the team has acquired goaltender Kaeden Lane (’01) from the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in exchange for goaltender Carl Stankowski (’00). Lane, 18, has played each of the last two seasons with the Storm after a stellar two seasons with the Burnaby Winter Club. The 5’11”, 170-pound netminder has posted a 3.22 goals against average along with an .897 save percentage in 74 career games with the Storm while registering 31 victories in that span, including four shutouts. The Medicine Hat, Alberta native played with the BWC Midget Prep team during the 2017/18 season, posting a 1.44 GAA and .946 SV% while suiting up in 16 games for the club. Stankowski, 20, came to the Vees in late October and played in 18 games for Penticton after making his way to the South Okanagan from the Western Hockey League. The Calgary, Alberta native posted a 14-3 record with a 2.08 GAA and a .915 SV% with the Vees during the 2019/20 season. The Vees would like to welcome Kaeden and his family to the South Okanagan while thanking Carl for his time and contributions to the club and the City of Penticton
Bucks At A Glance: Head Coach Ryan Donald:
As part of the ongoing preparations ahead of their inaugural season, the Cranbrook Bucks needed to name a head coach and general manager. The Bucks announced a virtual press conference to be held March 24 to reveal some team news. It was then that team president and majority owner Nathan Lieuwen introduced Ryan Donald as head coach and GM. Donald and the Bucks agreed on a four-year contract, covering the first four years of the franchise. Donald’s career path took him from playing AA minor hockey, to winning an East Coast Hockey League championship. He also had stops in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the American Hockey League. In between, Donald played four seasons of Division One University hockey in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. bSince retiring as a player, he has gained coaching experience at some of the same levels he played at, including junior A. Let’s take a closer look at Donald’s path from St. Albert, Alberta to Cranbrook, BC.
The long road to the pros
Donald was never a high-end hockey prospect, as he explains in a self-written essay about his journey. In fact, he never played higher than AA minor hockey before the age of 17. In his last year of minor hockey, he finally made the AAA team. This was with Edmonton’s Maple Leaf Athletic Club’s midget AAA team of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. Following his final season of minor hockey, Donald got a crack in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. His first taste of AJHL hockey came with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders. In 58 games for the Traders, he collected two goals and six assists. He also amassed 232 penalty-minutes. Donald spent the 2005-06 season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. In 48 games played that season, he registered seven goals and 16 assists, and 231 penalty-minutes. His two years of AJHL hockey led to a commitment to the Yale University Bulldogs. In four seasons with Yale, Donald tallied five goals and 19 assists in 123 games played. He won Ivy League championships with Yale in 2007, 2009, and 2010, and was named to the ECAC All-Academic team in 2008-09. He would be named team captain in his fourth and final season with Yale before going on to play professional hockey.
Professional playing career includes ECHL championship
After concluding his four seasons with Yale, Donald played professionally for three seasons. He skated for three AHL teams including the Springfield Falcons, Providence Bruins, and Charlotte Checkers. He recorded three assists in 20 games played in his AHL career. Donald also played for three ECHL franchises, including the Reading Royals, Florida Everblades, and Gwinnett Gladiators. He was an assistant captain for both the Everblades and the Gladiators. Donald won a Kelly Cup with the Everblades, as champions of the ECHL in 2011-12. In 157 regular season ECHL games, Donald produced 10 goals and 40 assists for 50 points. In his playoff career, he added two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 36 games. After completing his third professional season in 2012-13, Donald would retire from playing professional hockey.
Coaching leads Donald back to Yale
Donald’s initial taste of coaching came during stint as a volunteer coach with the Florida Jr. Everblades in 2011-12. While contemplating retirement after the 2012-13 season, Donald was recruited to be an assistant coach of the Woodstock Slammers in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. He would eventually become head coach and assistant general manager with the Slammers. In May 2015, Donald accepted an assistant coach and assistant general manager position with the Trail Smoke Eaters. In October of that same year, shortly after the season got underway in Trail, Donald had another coaching opportunity. He jumped at the chance to return to Yale University as an assistant coach. Donald spent the next five seasons in that role with Yale. His duties included player evaluation and recruitment, and he was referred to as an “innovative defensive and special teams strategist”. The Bulldogs accumulated 72 wins in the four seasons under the coaching staff that included Donald. By coming to terms on a contract with the Bucks in March, Donald agreed to finish his duties at Yale this season. Following the conclusion of his commitments with Yale, he would immediately assume the role of head coach and general manager with Cranbrook.
Donald becomes the Bucks first head coach and GM
On March 24, Ryan Donald was officially introduced as the head coach and general manager of the expansion Cranbrook Bucks. “I am thrilled to be able to lay the foundation for success here in Cranbrook. It is a rare opportunity to build a program from the ground up, and to do so in a place with a passion for hockey like Cranbrook is outstanding,” said Donald, in a news release announcing his hiring. “It was clear to me from the beginning that our partnership is passionate about this community and the success of our athletes both on and off the ice. As head coach and general manager, I will bring that same energy and passion as we build a culture of daily excellence.” ”Ryan is an incredible hire for our club and is absolutely the right person to build this franchise,” added Bucks president and majority owner Nathan Lieuwen. “Not only does he have quality experience coaching at high levels, but he also has great connections throughout the NCAA.” Donald is joined by his wife Carly, and their daughters Georgia and Patricia, as they transition to their new home in Cranbrook and his second foray as the person in charge of a junior A franchise.
Centennials Name Stuart & Purpur New Assistant Coaches:
The Merritt Centennials are pleased to announce two new additions to their bench staff: Levi Stuart and Jason Purpur. Stuart will join Head Coach and GM Derek Sweet-Coulter as an Assistant Coach. Stuart has worked primarily as a video coach since 2011 with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, the Vernon Vipers, and the Centennials last season. He has also been serving as an amateur scout for the Centennials. Coach Sweet-Coulter says that he’s excited to officially add Stuart to the staff. “In his role as video coach last season Levi Brought professionalism, passion, energy, and a tireless work ethic to our group. He works extremely hard day to day and invests in building relationships with our players. Our players know he is a genuine person who cares about them and wants to help them reach their goals. Levi has earned the opportunity to join our staff as our full time assistant coach and I look forward to working with him on a daily basis.” Purpur joins the staff as the teams new Athletic Therapist. The Kamloops native worked with his hometown Blazers during the 2019-20 season, but before that was the Assistant Athletic Therapist with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. Purpur also served as a Medical Liaison for the Winnipeg Jets during the NHL Heritage Classic in 2019. Director of Hockey Operations John Stuart says adding a person of Purpur’s caliber to the team will help improve player support across the board. “Jason came highly recommended from numerous professionals in the sports world. Once we had a chance to see his resume and meet him in person it was a no brainer. His experience, his character, and team first attitude fit right into what we are trying to accomplish with the Centennials organization. He has worked closely with the Kamloops Blazers organization which I am very familiar with. Speaking with their staff and players, including my son , the response was overwhelmingly what a great person and professional Jason is. The decision to hire Jason full time was simple and we are thankful to have Jason as an integral part of our organization.” In addition to the new hires, the Cents will also have Merritt locals Paul Barnes and Zach Wright return behind the bench for the 2020-21 season as Assistant Coaches.
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