Surrey Eagles and other BC Hockey League teams start their abbreviated five-week season on Friday, April 2, with all 160 games scheduled to wrap up May 9.
Each of the 16 teams will play 20 games this spring, including an opening-night battle for the Eagles against the 2019-20 regular-season champs Coquitlam Express.
The BCHL teams participating in the season have each been assigned one of five pod locations where they will play the other members of that pod, with games in Port Alberni, Chilliwack, Coquitlam (in Burnaby), Penticton and Vernon.
The Eagles will play in a three-team pod with the Express and Powell River Kings at Scotia Barn in Burnaby.
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Our season kicks off on April 2 against the @BCHLExpress! Tune in on HockeyTV or Mixlr! https://t.co/ZJCJGRs9lY
— Surrey Eagles (@SurreyEagles) March 23, 2021
BCHL teams are currently undergoing a quarantine period before being tested for COVID-19, according to a BCHL news release announcing the schedule on Tuesday (March 23). Upon receiving a negative test result, players will be free to join their teammates in practice to prepare for the season.
“It has been a long road, but we’re thrilled to finally announce our season schedule,” stated BCHL executive director Steven Cocker. “Our coaches and players have spent the past seven months focusing on on-ice and off-ice development and now we are able to provide them with a chance to play meaningful games to give them the NHL and NCAA exposure they deserve.”
Once the season begins April 2, 36 of the following 38 days will feature BCHL hockey games.
The Cam Keith-coached Eagles’ first game April 2 starts at 6:30 p.m., with a second scheduled against Powell River on April 4 starting at 1 p.m.
The league’s full schedule is posted to bchl.ca. Games can be watched on bchltv.ca with a subscription.
The Eagles “pod” roster, found on surreyeagles.ca, includes forwards Tyson McLean, Jacob Piller, Holden Cardinal, Jacob Slipec, Buddy Johnson, Tio D’Addario, Rocco La Cara, Michael Abgrall, Brandon Santa Juana, Alec Saretzky, Christian Fitzgerald, Wil Kushniryk, Gabe Schovanek and Holden Katzalay, defencemen Brett Bliss, Jimmy Darby, Luke Roberts, Ian Kern, Kieran O’Hearn, Tait Ross, Hayden Tuba and Tate Taylor, and goaltenders Hunter Tarves, Thomas Scarfone and Max Prazma.
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