Welcome to the October 2, 2018 edition of Around the BCHL, a (near) daily look at what’s going on around the league and the junior A world.
We start today with BCHL players who are on the National Hockey League’s radar, as the Central Scouting Bureau releases its first ‘watch list’ of the season.
Seven BCHLers are on the list, including Chilliwack Chiefs forward Harrison Blaisdell. The 17 year old forward has six goals and 10 points in his first 10 games after posting nine goals and 21 points in 49 games last year.
Blaisdell is assigned a C grade on the watch list, indicating a player that is projected to be selected in the fourth-through-sixth rounds of the NHL draft.
Alex Newhook of the Victoria Grizzlies is assigned an A grade, which projects him as a first-round pick.
Newhook is eighth in league scoring with 12 points in nine games. Teammate Alexander Campbell, also on the CSB watch list with a C grade, is 12th in league scoring with 11 points.
Forward Massimo Rizzo of the Penticton Vees and defenceman Layton Ahac of the Prince George Spruce Kings receive B grades, indicating potential second or third round picks.
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| Penticton Vees forward Massimo Rizzo attempts to tip a puck past the Trail Smoke Eaters netminder Adam Marcoux during Game 2 of the second BCHL playoff series. |
Other BCHLers on the list, all receiving C grades, are forwards Ethan Leyh of the Langley Rivermen and Alex Swetlikoff of the Vernon Vipers.
Most if not all of these players will appear in the 2019 CJHL Prospects Game, scheduled for Jan. 22 in Okotoks, Alberta.
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The Langley Rivermen have added a new player to the lineup.
Nineteen year old defenceman Garrett Daly joined the team on Friday and made an immediate impact, scoring two goals in two games, one each against Coquitlam and Prince George.
The six-foot and 192 pound D-man spent most of last season playing high school hockey in Minnesota. He captained Lakeville North High, posting six goals and 25 points in 25 games. He also went pointless in five games with the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness.
He went to training camp with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints at the start of this season, and the team put together a video profile.
Daly has an NCAA commitment with Bowling Green State University.
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The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are unveiling a new mascot Friday night. Here’s your sneak peek.
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And speaking of new mascots…
In case you missed the pre game festivities, we’re proud to introduce our newest team member!! We just aren’t sure what to call him! Comment here and in two weeks we will narrow down the field and have you our fans vote for the final name! #veesnation #whatsmyname pic.twitter.com/5QuvNKh45k
— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) September 30, 2018
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The Penticton Vees picked up a couple wins last weekend and have started to climb back up the standings in the Interior conference.
Head coach/general manager Fred Harbinson made another move to bolster the roster last week, signing Brendan Harrogate. The 20 year old made an immediate impact, scoring two goals and adding an assist in his first two outings.
A big kid at six-foot-one and 187 pounds, Harrogate plays center and has 176 games of regular season and playoff experience in the major junior ranks. He played for the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga Steelheads and Oshawa Generals from 2015 to 2018, where he averaged about .5 points per game.
With the addition of Harrogate and Andre Ghantous (acquired from Alberni Valley), the Vees have improved their forward corps considerably.
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A few other transactions from the last week.
The Surrey Eagles shipped out a pair of defencemen, dealing 1999-born blueliner Perry Winfree to the Powell River Kings and 2001-born D-man Jason Chu to the Prince George Spruce Kings, both for future considerations.
The Nanaimo Clippers shipped 2000-born defenceman Will Spitzer to Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Whitecourt Wolverines for futures and acquired 1999-born forward Daniel Gatenby from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for futures.
I wrote last week about the Chiefs picking up Trevor Peca, son of ex-NHLer Mike Peca.
They didn’t need to make a move to fit him on the roster, but head coach/GM Brian Maloney made one anyway, sending 1999-born forward Chris Brown to the Central Canadian Hockey League’s Brockville Braves for futures.
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The Salmon Arm Silverbacks have debuted a new feature called 60 Seconds with a Silverbacks.
Here it is.
Our newest feature is called 60 Seconds With A Silverback. We caught up with #11 Akito Hirose who recently committed to University Of Mankato. pic.twitter.com/Jfx9iwKV9k
— Salmon Arm Silverbacks (@SASilverbacks) October 1, 2018
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And finally, the West Kelowna Warriors have added Taurean White to their coaching staff.
White will serve as an assistant to head coach/general manager Geoff Grimwood.
White served as head coach and GM of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Swan Valley Stampeders last season and prior to that ran the major junior Kingston Voyageurs (Ontario Hockey League) for two seasons.
“We are very excited to have Taurean added to our staff,” Grimwood said in a Warriors news release. “His passion, dedication and experience at this level will be a major asset to our program.”
At the same time, the team has announced a promotion for assistant coach Matt Miller, who adds the title of assistant general manager.
“Matt has proven himself to be irreplaceable,” Grimwood said. “His dedication to the players and Warriors organization is unmatched. Matt has a big future in this game and we are very lucky to have him.”
Miller is in his third season with the team.
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
