Hockey season may be a month away, but that hasn’t stopped the Langley Rivermen from making moves on and off the ice.
The junior A Rivermen have gone south of the border to land a trio of new recruits.
Joining the team will be forwards Matt Esposito and Tyler Hanzlik.
Thomas Nitsche, will patrol the Rivermen blue-line.
Nitsche, originally from Ontario, moved with his family to Charlotte, North Carolina, when he was five. The six-foot-two 210-pound defender has good puck skills and vision.
He brings a physical presence and ability to finish his checks.
After two seasons of playing junior B in North Carolina, he was recruited to join the Dallas Ice Jets.
Esposito is originally from Tampa but joins Langley from Fayetteville, New York.
The forward split last season between the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel and Lincoln Stars, before finishing the season with the South Shore Kings of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.
Hanzlik hails from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin and is a smooth skating power forward.
All three players are in their 19-year-old season and have two years of junior eligibility.
And while the Rivermen added three new players to the fold, they dealt defenceman Trevor Miller to the Chilliwack Chiefs in exchange for future considerations.
Miller is in his last season of junior hockey.
And off the ice, the Rivermen named Brandon Astle as the club’s media relations and ticket manager.
Astle will also continue being the on-air voice of the Langley hockey club, something he has done for the past three seasons.
The Rivermen are holding a prospects camp at Sportsplex on Aug. 27 and 28.
Space is still available for interested players, although they are full for goaltenders.
Cost is $150 to attend and players invited to the main camp, will not have to pay for the second camp.
For more information, email bobby@langleyrivermen.com or visit www.langleyrivermen.com.
The team’s main camp, which is by invitation, runs Aug. 31 to Sept. 4 at Sportsplex.
The regular season begins Sept. 23.
