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.
Merritt-Whitby Trade:
The Merritt Centennials have traded forward Evan Benwell (00) to the Whitby Fury of the OJHL in exchange for future considerations. The Ontario native returns to his home province for his last season of Junior A. With Merritt last season Benwell put up 9 goals and 9 assists in 28 games after being acquired from the Nanaimo Clippers. The Centennials organization would like to thank Evan and his family for their commitment to the team and Nicola Valley during their tenure, and wish Evan the best in the future.
Clippers Sign One-Year Lease Extension With Frank Crane Arena.
The Nanaimo Clippers Junior A Hockey Club is pleased to announce a one-year lease extension of their rink lease with the City of Nanaimo for Frank Crane Arena. Wes Mussio, the Nanaimo Clippers owner remarked; “The length of the extension is not what we had hoped for as we put forward a proposal for a five-year term with multiple personal investments into the arena to show our commitment and desire to keep junior A hockey in the City of Nanaimo. There was some speculation of the team leaving the city and with a long term contract, it would be clear to every person that we plan to invest into the community. Indeed, the sponsors and fans have shown a tremendous amount of support and proof of longevity of the franchise in Nanaimo was our goal. Mr. Mussio went on to comment ; “Unfortunately, and you can’t blame anyone, negotiations with the City of Nanaimo staff where at a time that COVID-19 hit and we all felt it was better just to solidify the existing deal and look for a long-term deal down the line. Our end goal is to get a multi-year deal with the City but for now, due to COVID-19, we both found a one-year extension was in the best interest of both parties.” Mussio, who bought the Clippers back in November of 2017, has made multiple investments into the club’s facility such as improving the dressing room, beer gardens, VIP areas and the office. Mr. Mussio added; “Our goal with this team is to make the City of Nanaimo residents proud of it, be proud to call the Clippers their team! Significant upcoming milestone is the 50th anniversary of the hockey team next season.” The Nanaimo Clippers are planning to kick off its Training Camp on September 8th, 2020 with an exhibition schedule to be released in the coming weeks.
A Night Out With The Coquitlam Express:
Nothing pairs better than a cold blustery winter evening in Anytown, BC, and a good old game of Canada’s national winter sport, hockey. This season, the BCHL will ice teams in 17 different markets in the province (and one in a state) varying in geographic location, team nicknames, conferences, and even countries. While many attend these games for the sport itself, a great game day experience is essential to keep the fans coming back for more. The Coquitlam Express calls the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex home. Often referred to as the Palace on Poirier, or the Pond on Poirier, depending on the season, the 190,000 square foot facility offers the local community several entertainment options.
The arena
Located at 633 Poirier Street in Coquitlam, the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex is a 10-year-old facility housing three ice arenas, three pool options, a fitness gym, and a great walking track. The Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame is located in the lobby and houses several great exhibits. Construction began on new dressing rooms for the third ice sheet (which formerly housed a curling rink) in February. The home rink of the Express is slightly smaller than a standard National Hockey League ice surface, measuring 195 feet by 85 feet. Seating for 1,800 surrounds the ice, with most sections being seven rows up from the playing surface, providing every fan with a great view of the action. A press box/media room is located on the penalty box side of the ice. Detrimental to the arena is a very busy parking lot due to the various activities in the facility. The press box and media room could be bigger and partitioned separately. Several disabled parking spots are available, but fill up fast on game day. Also, the arena is a lengthy bus ride away from any Skytrain station and suffers from poor access to Trans-Canada Highway. However, with all the housing in the area, the walk-up potential is very good.
Rating: 3/5
The game experience
Besides the action on the ice, a great game day experience is essential to success at the gate and ticket window. The Express has always had a very good core in terms of game night presentation. In terms of DJs and announcers, the team has been able to attract high-end talent. The team offers good, family-oriented intermission entertainment with the standardized mini-game and frisbee toss among others. Contests like “Sing for your Supper”, “Shiver for a Blizzard”, and “Name That Tune” are commonplace for the media time-outs. Anthem singers for Express games have also had plenty of talent over the years. Several have pursued opportunities with the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Giants, BC Lions, and many other teams in the Lower Mainland. Natasha Zimbaro has taken her act to Toronto, singing regularly for the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Football Club while pursuing her own successful solo career. The home of the Express offers two different concession areas in the arena itself, in addition to the Ice Water Cafe, which serves up burgers and more, along with a dedicated seated area and easy arena access. Beer can be purchased for in-arena consumption at either the cafe or the main concession at the far end of the arena. A smaller concession area near the main entrance sells popcorn, pop, and other treats. While the arena sound system has been upgraded and improved, it still is lacking compared to similar systems in the league. Some form of video board would also enhance the overall experience. Luckily the talented Express game night staff combat these shortcomings with great technical production utilizing available resources.
Rating: 4/5
Volunteers
Game day success does not happen in any league without the support of a great supporting cast, and for the BCHL and Express, it is usually in the form of volunteers. Whether they are selling tickets, stamping hands, restricting access, turning on a goal light, running the scoreboard, or fearlessly attending the penalty boxes, these people are true game night ambassadors. The BCHL and its member clubs recognize the ongoing efforts and tireless hours put in by volunteers, recognizing them for diligence and contribution to the game with the BCHL Volunteer Award. The Express are proud of the efforts of all of their volunteers but especially Carl and Debby Mah, the most recent winners of the BCHL Volunteer Award. Dedicated, hard-working volunteers are definitely a strength of game day presentation for the Express and should be praised for their efforts.
Rating: 5/5
Overall, the Express and Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex present a solid game experience in a decent arena with the help of great volunteers. In a perfect world, some minor changes could be made to the arena but for the needs of the Express and BCHL, it is more than adequate. When we are able to return to the arenas in the fall, consider all the moving parts in making your game day experience a great one.
BCHL Next Generation: Surrey Eagles
All summer we’ll be going team-by-team to profile new players coming in for the 2020-21 season with recaps of offseason commits and acquisitions. We will also have interviews and scouting reports from the coaches.
Next up is the Surrey Eagles.
Last year’s Surrey Eagles team was coming off a last-place finish in 2018-19 and looking to start fresh with a young team. They were also starting fresh with a new head coach when they brought in Cam Keith to take over behind the bench. When Keith took over last offseason, he and Eagles general manager Blaine Neufeld began rebuilding their roster with younger players with an eye on the 2020-21 season. Their plan resulted in the team gradually improving throughout the season and then surpassing all expectations at the most important time of year. “Building a younger team, we hoped that we’d be competitive by the end of the year,” said Keith. “How competitive? We weren’t sure. Our model was a two-year plan where we would have a large returning group and the kids would be competitive by playoffs. They definitely overachieved by how they finished with beating Chilliwack in the first round.” The group they brought in last year wasn’t the most star-studded collection of players, but they mostly all had one thing in common, which Keith feels was an important part of their development. “We wanted to make sure we recruited the right type of kids that were late-bloomers and not necessarily with Division I tags,” he said. “So they all came in with the same kind of goal of needing a couple of years in the league to earn scholarships and have that internal drive to get better.”
New recruits:
Cole Galata (2002, F)
- Hometown: Barrie, Ont.
- Previous team: St. Andrew’s College (CAHS)
- College commitment: Bentley University (2021-22)
Galata had an incredible year at St. Andrew’s in 2019-20, ending his campaign with 101 points in 54 games, which put him only behind his teammate Mark Hillier for second in the entire league. His 69 assists were tops on the team and in the league.
Keith’s scouting report:
“Cole is amazing. He’s a kid that was very highly-touted. He was one of the leading scorers in all of academy hockey in Eastern Canada. This kid is going to have an immediate impact in the BCHL. Our expectations are very high for him on the offensive end, but he also plays with an edge. He’s someone that likes to stir it up, but he’s also a gamebreaker. He’s going to replace [2019-20 Eagles leading scorer Christophe] Tellier with the way that he can make plays and contribute offensively.”
Holden Cardinal (2003, F)
- Hometown: Surrey, B.C.
- Previous team: Delta Hockey Academy (CSSHL)
Cardinal came up through the Delta Academy system, leading the team with 22 goals in his final year with them in 2019-20. As a 16-year-old, he played in four games with his hometown Eagles as affiliate last season.
Keith’s scouting report:
“Holden is a Johnny Gaudreau style of hockey player. What he lacks in size, he doesn’t lack in heart and competitiveness. He’s extremely fast. He plays with a ton of pace, heart and hockey sense. He’s a natural goal-scorer, but can also distribute the puck.”
Tio D’Addario (2002, F)
- Hometown: Montreal, Que.
- Previous team: Mount Academy Saints (CSSHLE)
The 17-year-old played last season at Mount Academy in Quebec, finishing second in team scoring with 43 points in 35 games.
Keith’s scouting report:
“Tio’s strength is that he’s good in all areas of the game. He’s an all-around centre. He’s a younger version of Hudson Schandor who was a leader for us last year. He’s a kid that’s extremely competitive, wants to win and pays attention to detail in the defensive area, but he can also contribute in the offensive end.”
Alec Saretzky (2002, F)
- Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask.
- Previous team: Saskatoon Blazers (SMAAAHL)
The 18-year-old played the past three seasons for the Saskatoon Blazers U18 program. He’s coming off his best season where he totaled 56 points in 44 games to lead his team.
Keith’s scouting report:
“He’s a heart-and-soul guy who likes to be around the net. On the power play, he’s very comfortable in front. He’s got skill. He’s kind of a late-bloomer who had a really big year last year because he came into his body. Our expectations are that he’s going to play a big role on the right side for us as a power forward, but also a kid that will be expected to score.”
Connor Gatto (2001, F)
- Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
- Previous team: Islanders Hockey Club (NCDC)
Gatto was a top-five scorer for the Islanders Hockey Club in Tyngsboro, Mass. last year with 40 points in 49 games.
Keith’s scouting report:
“He’s a Florida kid who has hockey sense and creativity. He’s an offensive-style of player who plays with heart and sees the ice very well.”
Matt Connor (2001, D)
- Hometown: Amherst, N.H.
- Previous team: Lawrence Academy (USHS-Prep)
Connor was a steady presence on the blueline for Lawrence Academy the past three seasons, finishing last season with a career-high 13 points in 27 games.
Keith’s scouting report:
“Matt is a prototypical big, strong defenceman who defends well and plays a blue-collar style of game. He has an offensive upside to him as well. He likes to jump up in the rush. He’s just a big kid who we’re hoping can play at both ends of the ice.”
Max Prazma (2002, G)
- Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
- Previous team: Pacific Coast Academy (CSSHL)
Prazma played in 22 games last season for Pacific Coast and finished the year with a .904 save percentage.
Keith’s scouting report:
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