A pair of B.C. Major Midget League hockey teams have swapped identities.
The Valley West Hawks have become the Giants, and Vancouver North West Giants are now the Hawks.
Both squads play in the 11-team BCMML, established in 2004 as a zoned provincial league for elite-level players aged 15, 16 and 17.
The Valley West team, which plays home games at Langley Events Centre, has a roster of players pulled from the Cloverdale, North Delta, Semiahmoo and Surrey minor hockey associations. Langley-based players are associated with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds franchise.
Valley West Giants showcased their new look in a series of Tweets on Tuesday.
“We’ve had a rich history as the Valley West Hawks. We look forward to the next stage as the Valley West Giants. New website coming soon,” said one post.
A few pics from our dressing room. Last week of practice before the season starts pic.twitter.com/ECOXVlkC6l
— Valley West Giants (@vwgiants) September 19, 2018
We’ve had a rich history as the Valley West Hawks. We look forward to the next stage as the Valley West Giants. New website coming soon. pic.twitter.com/iVR3dRnqX5
— Valley West Giants (@vwgiants) September 19, 2018
The new-look Giants open their 2018-19 season Saturday (Sept. 22, 4 p.m. start) on the road in Prince George, against Cariboo Cougars, with a rematch set for the following morning (10:30 a.m.).
CLICK HERE to see the MML schedule.
The Giants play host to the Hawks at Langley Events Centre on Saturday, Sept. 29, with a 3 p.m. puck-drop.
Last season, Valley West topped the BCMML regular-season standings – with a 31-6-2-1 record (win-loss-tie-overtime loss) – but lost to Vancouver NE Chiefs in the first round of playoffs, in mid-March.
Surrey-raised Hawks forward Justin Sourdif, now with Vancouver Giants of the WHL, was named the MML’s Player of the Year for the 2017-18 season by BC Hockey, the governing body of the province-wide circuit.
• RELATED STORY: Surrey’s Sourdif named Player of the Year in Major Midget hockey league, from April 2018.
Sourdif, a 2002-born standout, led the league in points, notching 23 goals and 50 assists, for 73 points in 35 games.
New this season for BC Hockey is a Minor Midget League, for elite-level 15-year-olds. The league will align and affiliate with the Major Midget League; 10 teams play in the same geographic regions, save for the Kootenay zone.
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