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:
2019-20 Penticton Vees Spotlight: Derek Krall
The Vees will have a familiar face competing for the crease this season as Derek Krall returns for his second year in Penticton. Coming into the organization, Krall knew exactly what to expect, “Coming in, you hear about the Vees and what it takes to play in that organization,” Krall stated, “When you get there, you really get the sense of the community and brotherhood that is there and I believe it was the right spot for me. I’m so thankful I landed in Penticton.” Prior to making his way to the South Okanagan, the Nanaimo, BC native stayed local through his minor hockey and Junior ‘B’ career, beginning with two seasons playing for the North Island Silvertips of the BC Major Midget League before heading to Shawnigan Lake of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League for his final year of midget hockey. “I was lucky enough to get right into Major Midget and join the Silvertips when I was 15,” Krall said, “It was a great league and there was a lot of elite talent there and since then, I’ve been working really hard in pushing myself and have had great shooters against me and the development since then has skyrocketed and I’ve never really looked back on what I’ve wanted to do with my future.” Krall broke into his Junior hockey career with his hometown Junior ‘B’ team in the Nanaimo Buccaneers as he posted a 2.76 GAA and a .921 SV% in 27 games played, which was good enough to earn him VIJHL Goaltender of the Year honours, something which Krall could not have anticipated, “We had an abundance of Junior ‘A’ guys who came back for their 20-year-old seasons,” Krall mentioned, “They really helped by adding a calming influence on and off the ice and it gave me confidence having those guys play in front of me.” “I can’t thank the Bucs enough for what they did for me and my development,” continued Krall, “Being in my hometown and having all of my family and friends in the stands every night really helped me feel at home and prepare me for the next level.” The 6’0″, 170-pound netminder played in three playoff games with the Powell River Kings as an affiliate player after the 2017/18 season and is an experience that helped with the transition to Junior ‘A’ and eventually the Vees, “I felt like, getting those playoff games, it really matured me to the point where I didn’t feel like it wasn’t too much of a leap, going into a full season of Junior ‘A'” said Krall, “Obviously, playing in the playoffs is something that you strive for and that experience really helped me throughout the course of last season.” Goalie partners and their relationships are an intrical part of a team to have success and Krall was part of a strong duo in the crease in Penticton last year that included 20-year-old goaltender Jack LaFontaine. “Jack was awesome,” Krall recalled, “Coming into the season, I knew there was a great veteran guy coming in who had a lot of experience and been to NHL camps and everything so I was super excited to be able to work with him and just being at practice every day, observing his technique and work ethic towards every rep. It really helped push me to be my best in practice.” With the strong relationship of his goaltending duo a season ago, Krall is hoping to keep that going into a new season with a new partner in Yaniv Perets, “I’ve only heard great things about Yaniv,” Krall said, “Being a 20-year-old this season, I’m looking to take on a leadership role and have a voice in the dressing room. I really want to make sure we are committed to playing Vees hockey and that we’re all on the same page with what we are trying to accomplish.” There’s plenty of excitement for the Nanaimo, BC native to come back and play his second season with the Vees, “To be able to play for the Penticton Vees is something pretty special,” said Krall, ” There’s a lot to look forward to and I’m excited to see all the guys again and I made a lot of friends last year so I’m just looking forward to seeing them again. Meeting my new billets, I’ve got Darryl Moog this year and I’m pretty excited to have that opportunity to stay with that family and get settled in for a long season.”
Warriors Owner Goes On Record:
Dear Editor:
Re: Partner sues owner
In my efforts to save the team and keep it in West Kelowna, I brought in a partner in August of 2018 to help financially support this club. This is a frivolous lawsuit which was triggered because of my refusal to roster her 15-year-old son to our team and play him for this fall. My partner is a wealthy foreign individual who does not understand that money does not buy your way onto this or any team. This is not how the BCHL or any club in this league operates. We are a high- caliber league and only players who deserve to be here earn a spot. When we made a deal, the agreement was we would support and assist him in his development as a player (she also has a 2006 born player) until such time he was ready to legitimately play in the league. I was never under any obligation to play her son until the club deems he is at the level needed to be in impact player. After her unsuccessful attempts of finding an academy for her son to play at, she demanded on numerous occasions I add her son to the team. I refused simply because he was nowhere near at the calibre, and far too young at 15. My partner has also defaulted on her financial obligations to support this club as agreed, putting 100% of the burden on me. Her default triggers a forfeit of her ownership. This action is simply to muddy the waters to avoid having to meet her financial obligations and lose her ownership. The challenging part of this sport is the activities are very public, and unfortunately there are people who take advantage of this and try and bully owners who may fear the public backlash and just pay to make it go away, regardless of who is right or wrong. What they fail to recognize is I don’t work that way. I have always acted honestly and truthfully, have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. I will trust the public can see through the dishonesty of self-interested people. It would not be fair to put a 15-year old player on the team that is nowhere near the level needed. It’s not fair to other players who are working hard to claim a spot in a very challenging division, who would be bumped because of a wealthy owner. It’s not fair to the fans to have to watch a player play who is clearly added to the team because of his parent. It’s not fair to ask the coach to manage the political situation he will be faced with having a player on the team that is far below the required level. No player should be in this league unless they legitimately belong here. Being a partner in this team, or any team, throughout our league does not guarantee any spot for any player including that of owners and it’s unfortunate that my partner has acted so trivial and petty and turned it into something to simply attack and demonize me when, in fact, all I’ve tried to do is be a positive organization in the community and support our players and staff. I want to assure all the fans and sponsors that this action is completely unfounded and nothing but a tactic to try and bully me. It will be clearly proven so in due course. The previous ownership had suffered such severe losses, the desire to keep going was no longer there. Many interested individuals stepped forward, but all declined after seeing how much debt existed and the challenges faced to put people in the seats. In hindsight, maybe the best option would have been to let it fold. I took this team over because I love the sport and I wanted to see the team succeed in West Kelowna. I believed it could work and made deals to prevent the club from collapsing. I believe in my heart these teams are a huge asset to a community and it would have been a tragedy to see it disappear. I knew I was going to have challenges, and I was ready to face them, and this is just another bump on the road to success for this organization. Thank you to all our fans and sponsors for your continued support. Our head coach, Brandon West, has done an amazing job recruiting this year and I am very excited that the product we will have on the ice this fall. We have a great season planned and I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the fast-paced game we offer, support your community and be a part of the success story of this club.
Kim Dobranski
Owner/President
West Kelowna Warriors Jr ‘A’ hockey club
California Camp Proves To Be A Succces For Grizzlies:
For the first time, the Victoria Grizzlies held a prospect camp south of the border. Elite prospects from all over North America took to the ice in Irvine, California in efforts to impress Junior teams in attendance. Along with the Grizzlies, 10 other junior hockey teams across the United States and Canada sent scouts, coaches, and GM ‘s. The camp was well attended with teams from the BCHL, NAHL, AJHL, SJHL, WSHL & the VIJHL. In total, 136 prospects laced up their skates for the Grizzlies inaugural California prospects camp. Throughout the weekend, prospects participated in an educational meeting, fitness sessions, as well as on ice practices run by the Grizzlies coaching staff. Head Coach Craig Didmon ran drills accompanied by NAHL Minnesota Wilderness Head Coach Jon Vaillaincourt, Grizzlies Assistant/Goalie Coach Jason Reimer, and current Grizzlies Forward & California local Henri Schreifels. The goal of this camp is to establish a pipeline of prospects throughout the West Coast, expanding the pool of talent, while providing an opportunity for prospects to make the team rightout of camp. President of the Grizzlies, Lance Black spoke further on the opportunity he wants to provide with this camp. “We had a camp game plan to have 8 Teams comprised of Elite Talent from the west coast & throughout North America attend the Grizzlies California Camp. We wanted every player attending the camp to compete for a spot on our team.” The camp had a successful first installment with the Grizzlies announcing the signing of Anaheim Jr. Ducks Forward Benjamin Biester. Coach Craig Didmon touched on how the Biester was able to stand out from the crowd. “Biester was very consistent with his play. He showed a lot of offensive awareness and good hockey IQ. His speed and shot were tops among forwards at the camp. During the All Star game, Biester really stood out and showed us that he was ready for the BCHL now.” The newest Victoria Grizzlie spoke about his experience at camp and the excitement of joining the team. ”I enjoyed my time at the camp. It was fun to see kids I’d played with and against last season. I wanted an opportunity to be seen by Junior A teams.” Said Biester adding; “I had multiple offers coming out the Grizzlies camp and it was a hard decision for me.This camp was an excellent opportunity to work on my offensive game, helping me translate my play into next year’s regular season. I am very excited to be a member of the Victoria Grizzlies.” The Grizzlies were not the only team taking home new acquisitions. Westshore Wolves’ GMClay Carson had a great camp walking away with 3 new players. He spoke about the opportunity the camp provided his team.” I was very fortunate to be included in the Grizzlies trip to Irvine for the Summer ID Camp. It was a great experience for me to be able to learn from a top notch BCHL organization on how to make things as professional as possible. I was very impressed with the quality of Players at the camp. The players we picked up in Alex Villa, Cory Mater & Isaac Schuster all come from a high-end program, the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and will come in as impact players to our team next season.” Forward Alex Villa expressed his excitement to be joining the VIJHL’s Westshore Wolves. He spoke about his experience at camp, and how he capitalized on the opportunity.“The experience this camp provided me was amazing. This camp provided myself and others to be looked at by not just one team from one league, but many teams in different leagues throughout the US and Canada, and gave myself a chance at being seen which is hard coming from California. I am extremely excited that I will be able to play with the Westshore Wolves next season and have a chance to move on and pursue my dreams and goals in hockey. I cannot wait to get started next season.” Alex Villa’s parents, Angela & Mark commented on what it means for their son to be taking the next step in his hockey journey. “Alex’s goal in hockey is to play and compete at the highest level possible, whether it’s Junior A or college D3/1. After Alex spoke to Clay, the GM of the Westshore Wolves,he knew he was excited for this opportunity to develop as an individual and as a team player.” Minnesota Wilderness Head Coach Jon Valliancourt was at ice level and was able to get a first-hand view of the skill. “The talent level of the players was outstanding,” said Jon, Adding, “California youth & AAA programs are developing extraordinary skilled players and this showcase provided our organization an opportunity to scout and recruit those young athletes that we would have otherwise not have been exposed to.” Overall, the talent displayed on the ice impressed many in attendance.Ron Walchuk, Owner of the Victoria Grizzlies was very pleased with the outcome of the camp. “the overall talent exceeded our expectations. So much so, that we committed to a few players overall the next couple of years. The U14, U16 and U18 organizations in that area run some very good programs. We received a ton of very good feedback from players & their families saying it was one of the best run camps that they have ever attended.” The Anaheim Jr. Ducks had a great camp with 4 of their own players moving on to play in Victoria.The Director of Player Development for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks, Alex Kim, commented on the impression the camp had on his players. “The players thought the camp was great and it was professionally run. The talent level was solid and there were quite a number of younger prospects that have a lot of potential. I am very happy to hear Ben Biester signed out of the camp as he is well deserving of this. He is a great young man and has a great work ethic. We wish him the best of luck in his new venture with the Victoria Grizzlies this upcoming season.” Grizzlies forward Ben Biester’s former coach August Aiken shared his thoughts on the camp and the Grizzlies’ new pick up. “It was a great camp & it was good for the Grizzlies staff to see our young players in person. The talent was great, players displayed the speed and skill of California hockey. I feel there will be players that will have the opportunity to play for Victoria and other teams in the league, it’s a great opportunity for Ben Biester as he is a great player & kid.” With the success of the inaugural Victoria Grizzlies Camp, it is clear that this will be an ongoing program for years to come. This seasons camp produced 4 to 6 players that have been signed by various Junior teams. The Grizzlies also identified a very strong 2003 & 2004 birth year group & will be looking to sign future Grizzlies based off established relationships with these players & their families that were formulated at this camp. The team plans on making the trip to Southern California for years to come.
Chilliwack Chiefs 2019-20 New Recruits:
The Chilliwack Chiefs are coming into the 2019-20 season with a revamped roster from the ground up. Right now the Chiefs only have eight players returning from the roster that was the BCHL’s best team in the regular season and was bounced in the second round by the eventual Fred Page Cup and Doyle Cup champion Prince George Spruce Kings. So far this off-season, the Chiefs have added a goalie, five defencemen, and six forwards. Starting with the last line of defence – the goaltenders. The Chiefs acquired Kolby Thornton this off-season after sending veteran Daniel Chenard to the Wenatchee Wild for future considerations. The move opens up the door for Mathieu Caron to be the teams clear number one netminder between the pipes. Thornton comes to the team from the Neepawa Natives of the MJHL, where he posted a 3.79 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage last season. On the back end, the Chiefs will have one of the youngest defence cores in the league this year with only one player over the age of 19. The Chiefs added five new defencemen with no junior A experience, starting with high profile defencemen Cooper Moore. Moore was drafted by Detroit Red Wings in the 5th round of this past June’s NHL draft. After finishing last year with 31 points in 28 games as an alternate captain at Brunswick School, Moore will look to improve his game even further to get him ready to play alongside former Chief Jordan Kawaguchi at the University of North Dakota in 2020-21. The Chiefs also added to their NHL bloodlines with the signing of 16 year old Garrett Valk, son of former veteran NHL forward Garry Valk. The North Vancouver native posted 19 points for the Vancouver NW Hawks last season and played three games as an affiliate player for the Chiefs. Up front, the Chiefs look to improve on their 209 goals from last year with the addition of Minnesota Wild 6th round draft pick and New York native Nikita Nesterenko. He had 30 goals and 59 points in 31 games for Lawrenceville in the USHS Prep League in 2018-19. The Brown University commit will look to play on the Chiefs’ top line along with returnee Ethan Bowen. The Chiefs also added another high profile player to the mix in 16-year-old Peter Reynolds. He is a highly touted player from Shattuck St. Mary’s, where he posted 71 points in 59 games last season. He received an invite to the World U17 Challenge summer camp as well as a scholarship to Boston College for the 2022-23 season. At the Hockey Canada summer camp, Reynolds led team green with six points in three games. The Chiefs have also added a versatile two-way forward Jake Veri. Last year, Veri had 13 points in 14 games with the Compuware U18 team. The Northville, Michigan native also played two games for the Lone Star Brahmas in the NAHL. The Chiefs have added to their future this off-season and will have a nice group of talented young players to build around for the next couple of years. The new players will get their first taste of BCHL action on August 23rd when the Chiefs open their preseason against the Wenatchee Wild. The Chiefs open the regular season against their first round opponent and rival – the Langley Rivermen. The hometown faithful will get to see the exciting new players at their home opener on September 20th against the Spruce Kings.
2019-20 Penticton Vees Spotlight: Alex DiPaolo
