The Westside Warriors have locked up a premier starting goaltending for next B.C. Hockey League season.
Tyler Briggs, 20, has joined the Warriors as part of the blockbuster deal that sent veteran defencemen Izaak Berglund (Merrimack) and Michael King (Colorado College) to the Lloydminster Bobcats of the AJHL in January.
Briggs had a sizzling 2011-12 season, pacing the Bobcats with a 20-2-5 record that included a .914 save percentage, a 1.98 GAA, and four shutouts.
The Sherwood Park, Alta. native also led Canada West to a gold medal at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge.
“Adding a goalie like Tyler will bring stability to a position that we struggled with last year until the arrival of Dwayne Rodrigue,” said Warriors’ head coach/GM Rylan Ferster, a former Vernon Laker.
“I have personally watched Tyler since Midget. Not only has he been a top goalie at every level, but he also has a gold medal to his name that he won last year at WJAC.”
Briggs will arrive in West Kelowna in time for summer camp in late August.
Chiefs hosting showcase tourney
Meanwhile, the Chilliwack Chiefs will host the first-ever BCHL Showcase, Sept. 7-9, at Prospera Centre.
The Showcase will bring all 16 BCHL teams to Chilliwack for two games apiece that will count in the regular-season standings. Similar events are held in other Junior A leagues and have proven effective at attracting interest from professional and college scouts which creates maximum exposure for players.
“Showcase events such as this are staged by other leagues in North America and have proven to be hugely successful,” said BCHL commissioner John Grisdale.
“The support we saw in Chilliwack this past season was phenomenal. Fan interest is a major reason we’re excited about the Chiefs hosting the showcase and we know they’ll do a first-rate job in promoting and executing a successful event.”
The schedule of games, as well as ticket pricing and availability, will be announced before the end of April.
Chanter and Steel earn Cents’ awards
In Merritt, the Centennials capped off a superb season with their annual awards banquet before a packed crowd at the Merritt Legion Hall.
Dylan Chanter of Armstrong was named the Cents’ Rookie of the Year, while Vernon’s Tyler Steel shared the Unsung Hero award with fellow goalie Lino Chimienti
BCHL showing NCAA savvy
The BCHL hit the 100 mark in scholarships as d-man Chase Golightly of the Prince George Spruce Kings and sniper Erik Cooper of the Trail Smoke Eaters signed NCAA deals.
Golightly signed with the Division I Robert Morris University Colonials near Pittsburgh for next season.
Golightly, a native of Temecula, Calif., played in 84 career games with the Spruce Kings, amassing eight goals, 48 assists and 71 penalty minutes.
Cooper, who led the Smokies with 19 goals and 49 points, has accepted an offer to play with the NCAA Division III national champion St. Norbert College Green Knights in Wisconsin.
Cooper, a native of Anchorage, will become the sixth BCHL alum to join the Green Knights roster. St. Norbert won its second straight Division III title on March 17 with 4-1 win over Oswego State.
