Welcome to the September 27 edition of Around the BCHL, a look at the BCHL and goings-on throughout the junior A world.
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs picked up two new players in a Tuesday trade with the Penticton Vees.
The Dawgs shipped 20 year old forward Andre Ghantous to the Vees, getting 19 year old forward Ryan Miotto and 18 year old forward Henri Schreifels in return.
Miotto I know well as part of last season’s RBC Cup champion Chilliwack Chiefs.
The Ontario native has some skill and put up points in bursts with Chilliwack, potting 11 goals and 23 points in 62 regular season and playoff games in 2017-18.
He’s a hard worker who isn’t afraid to crash around and could do well as a complementary piece on a scoring line.
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| Ryan Miotto (No. 7 in white) in action for Chilliwack versus Prince George last season. |
“Ryan is a big, hard-working two-way forward who will slot right into our top-six forward group and be relied upon at both ends of the rink,” says Bulldogs head coach Matt Hughes. “He brings a winning pedigree from his experience at the RBC Cup in Chilliwack and we feel that he can step right in and be a big part of our team.”
Schreifels is a player the Vees seemed excited about when he committed over the summer.
The California kid spent 2017-18 with the Tier-I Elite Hockey League’s Anaheim Junior Ducks, leading the circuit in goals (26) and points (56). He got into three games with Penticton this season, going pointless.
“We recruited Henri last season and we’re thrilled to add him to our group now,” Hughes said. “He has a big, strong frame and a heavy shot, and he has tremendous potential to be an impact player in the BCHL.”
The Vees are off to a slow start, sitting dead last in the Interior conference with a 2-3-0-0 record.
No one expects their struggles to continue and Penticton no doubt sees themselves as a contender for the BCHL championship.
Ghantous is a player the Vees are familiar with, having faced him several times a season the last two years when he played for the Trail Smoke Eaters. The five-foot-nine winger posted 24 goals and 58 points in 73 regular season and playoff games in 2017-18.
He began the season with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers but was released last last week.
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Sticking with the Bulldogs, the team is going to be wearing a different look on Oct. 6, but the team is making us wait to see it.
All you get is this tweet with what appears to be a piece of the main crest. Cagey Dawgs. Cagey.
Third jerseys are coming….October 6th. pic.twitter.com/nmp6wnxjYU
— AVBulldogs (@AVBulldogs) September 25, 2018
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Speaking of new players, the Chilliwack Chiefs have added the son of a former National Hockey Leaguer to their lineup.
The team announced the signing of Trevor Peca Wednesday. The 18 year old is the offspring of Mike Peca, who played 961 regular season and playoff games in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Chiefs bench boss Brian Maloney is excited to add Peca Jr. to the mix.
“He’s a great kid and everyone we talked to about him talked about his character, which is very important to us,” Maloney said. “Then they got into his skill-set, and he’s going to bring a lot of speed and a pretty hard shot. I feel we’ve got some pretty darn talented kids on our team but we’ve been lacking that Kaden Pickering-like speed that we had last year and Trevor will add that.”
Trevor’s signing got me thinking about his dad. For better or worse, Mike will always be linked in my mind to Teemu Selanne because of this hit on Feb. 9, 1995 (fast forward to 56 seconds).
I wonder how this would be received today. This sort of thing was celebrated back then, and I can’t recall Mike getting suspended, even though the contact looks like it was a beat or three late. If Mike was playing today and lined up Alex Ovechkin with the same sort of hit, it’d be replayed a zillion times on TV and the interwebs and he’d be branded a Raffi Torres-esque arch-villain right?
Times have changed.
I also remember Mike for being part of the trade that brought Alex Mogilny to Vancouver. It was Peca, Mike Wilson and a draft pick (Jay McKee) for Mogilny and a draft pick (Todd Norman). As excited as I was to have Mogilny and Bure on the same roster, I do recall being bummed about losing Peca.
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The Merritt Centennials are honouring the Humboldt Broncos at their Friday night home game vs Penticton.
Seems like everyone in the junior hockey world had a connection to the tragedy, and Merritt alum Chase Bell shares some heavy thoughts on losing his best friend, Logan Boulet.
LISTEN:
The Cents have started a #SoundCloud account, and look forward to sharing content with you all season.
In the lead up to our #HumboldtBroncos night, we thank @chasebell416 for sharing his story in connection with the @HumboldtBroncos : https://t.co/mw4Le7SUJ6 #BCHL— Merritt Centennials (@BCHLCentennials) September 26, 2018
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Adam Maglio’s good work with the Prince George Spruce Kings has earned him a contract extension running through the 2020-21 season.
Maglio has just started his fourth season with the team and his second as the head coach. He has turned the Sprucies from perennial also-rans to title contenders.
BREAKING NEWS: The Prince George Spruce Kings have extended Head Coach Adam Maglio through the 2020/2021 season.
Full Details: https://t.co/Izek4oumqa pic.twitter.com/s2DLFI706S
— Spruce Kings (@SpruceKings) September 25, 2018
PG claimed their first-ever Mainland division title last season and advanced to the BCHL’s Fred Page Cup final before losing to Wenatchee. Maglio returns a veteran squad for 2018-19. Prince George is favoured to repeat as Mainland champs and will be a very tough out when the playoffs start.
“I’m happy that we were able to get Adam signed to a new contract that will keep him with us for another couple of seasons, I feel that the continuity and stability of having a great coach in place for an extended period is important to the success of any team,” Spruce Kings GM Mike Hawes said a team news release. “Adam has shown that he is an elite coach. His commitment to our team, his work ethic and ability to teach and relate to the players is tremendous. I look forward to continuing to move our organization forward with Adam.”
Maglio’s career record is 38-18-4-4.
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And finally, a loss for the Vernon Vipers as forward Josh Prokop departs for the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen.
The Edmonton native was an impact player for the Snakes in 2017-18, posting 21 goals and 36 points in 48 games before a badly dislocated shoulder ended his season.
Prokop had one goal and five points in six games to start this season.
Vernon Morning Star sports writer Kevin Mitchell has more.
Eric Welsh is the sports editor at the Chilliwack Progress and has been covering junior A hockey in B.C. and Alberta since 2003.
Email eric.welsh@theprogress.com
