Former Comox Valley minor hockey goalie Cole Holowenko is starting the Western Hockey League season with a new team.
On Sept. 17 Holowenko was traded to the Everett Silvertips from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for d-man Evan Morden and goalie Andy Desautels. Holowenko, a 19-year-old from Penticton, spent last season as Prince Albert’s primary goaltender.
The Chilliwack Bruins selected Holowenko 29th overall in the 2008 Bantam Draft, making him the second goalie taken. He made his WHL debut as a 16-year-old in 2009. He was traded to Prince Albert in 2010 and didn’t crack the Raiders’ roster until last season.
As Prince Albert’s primary goalie last season Holowenko went 13-26-1 with a 3.90 GAA and .890 save percentage for the team that finished with the league’s worst record.
Silvertips’ GM Garry Davidson said Holowenko and 17-year-old sophomore Austin Lotz will split duties this season, with ice time determined by performance.
Everett dropped their Sept. 22 regular season opener 6-0 to Prince George Cougars, with Holowenko taking over from Lotz to start the third period and stopping nine of 10 shots.
On Sept. 23 Holowenko got the start, and although the Silvertips led 6-3 they lost 7-6 to the Cougars in a shootout. Holowenko stopped 32 of 38 shots in regular and overtime as P.G. prevailed in the seventh round of the shootout.
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Nigel Ellsay of Courtenay posted the second best Canadian finish in the junior men’s road race as the 2012 UCI Road World Championships wrapped up Sept. 23 in Limburg, Netherlands.
Ben Perry of St. Catharines, Ont. was the top Canadian in the event, finishing 37th with the same time of 3:00:45 as the newly crowned world champion Matej Mohoric of Slovenia.
Ellsay followed in the second pack, crossing the finish line 25s after the main group. Reigning Canadian champion Christopher Prendergast did not finish.
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Brett McLean is playing hockey in the Swiss National League again this season, but he’s now with HC Lugano.
The Royston Rocket played with SC Bern in 2009-10 and 2010-11. In July 2011 he signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.
He was assigned to the ‘Hawks AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, and upon reaching the midpoint of the 2011-12 season without a recall, McLean sought a release and returned to the Swiss NLA, joining Lugano and scoring five goals in 10 games.
This year the 34-year-old centre has two goals through four games. McLean has seen a lot of the world. Drafted 242nd overall in 1997 by the Dallas Stars, he made his NHL debut with Chicago in 2002-03 and also had stops in Colorado, Florida and with Malmo of the Swedish Elitserien.
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Taylor Green of Courtenay belted his third home run of the season for the Milwaukee Brewers in his team’s 10-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on Sept. 22.
Pinch-hitting in the ninth, Green’s two-run dinger gave him 14 RBI. He is hitting .194 in 98 at-bats in 54 games with the Brew Crew this season.
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IN BRIEF Edmonton Eskimo offensive lineman Matt O’Donnell, a Comox native, was featured in the Sunday Province sports for his interesting career path that led him to the CFL … the 2012 inductees to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame were announced last week, with prolific amateur boxer Tommy Boyce (of Vancouver, now living in Courtenay) once again left on the outside looking in …
