A hometown product will lead the 2014/15 edition of the Langley Rivermen as Kevan Kilistoff was announced as the junior A hockey club’s captain.
“It is definitely an honour,” said Kilistoff. “I’m a Langley kid, so being a captain of your hometown team is a real honour.”
Kilistoff is entering his third season of junior A hockey.
Last year, he scored 29 points in 56 games for Langley, helping the Rivermen capture the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy as the top team in the B.C. Hockey League regular season.
The Langley Rivermen are proud to name Kevan Kilistoff captain of the 2014-15 squad.
“It was a no-brainer for us,” said head coach and general manager, Bobby Henderson.
“Kevan’s a guy that comes to work every day with a positive attitude. He’s as reliable as they come and will be a big part of our hockey club this season.”
“His overall leadership skills are very high,” added assistant coach Jon Calvano.
“He leads in a different way versus vocally, he does it by example and by doing the little things on the ice.”
The 19-year-old has plenty of big game experience, playing in an RBC Cup with the Surrey Eagles in his rookie season.
“I feel more mature this year,” he said. “I’ll have more of a role talking to the guys. I’m going to be more of a leader this year.”
The Rivermen have played two pre-season games, winning both. With two more remaining before the regular season kicks off, Kilistoff likes what he sees early on.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming in because we lost so many players,” he said.
“We’ve got some great new players and we’re all really bonding and getting along. It should be a fun season.”
“Hopefully the community will see this as a positive for the kids in Langley,” said Calvano. “They can aspire to play for the Rivermen and also be a leader for the team as they get older.”
The Rivermen close the pre-season with games in Surrey on Sept. 12 and then on Sept. 14 at the Langley Events Centre against Powell River. That game is at 2 p.m.
The BCHL regular season gets going on Sept. 19 with the Bauer BCHL Showcase Event in Chilliwack.
The Rivermen play their home opener on Oct. 4 against the Nanaimo Clippers.
Gary Ahuja/Langley Times
Kevan Kilistoff enters his third season in the BCHL.
