JOSH LOCKHART
The Kimberley Dynamiters have added to their roster for the 2018-19 season by signing local talent. The Nitros announced on June 1st that they had signed Jackson Bohan, Erik Delaire, and Braiden Koran.
“We are very excited to sign three highly sought after Midget AAA players,” Nitro’s head coach and general manager Derek Stuart said. “Having Jackson, Braiden and Erik as affiliates last season gave the coaches the opportunity to evaluate them as players and get to know them personally.
“All three are excellent hockey players, but more importantly they’re good kids with team first attitudes”
Bohan is a 5’10” defender from Cranbrook, BC, who played the 2017-18 season with the Kootenay Ice Midget AAA. In 33 games he scored five goals and four assists. He was also an affiliate player with the Dynamiters and played in five games.
“I’m really excited to be with a great organization,” Bohan said. “Really excited to have a good year and develop a lot more.”
Bohan is also excited to be able to play from home, “I get live at home, and go to school at home. It feels like a hometown team. It means quite a bit to be able to play in front of a hometown crowd.”
“Jackson skates well and is very good with the puck,” Stuart said. “He will be a big help breaking out of our zone and has the potential to develop into an offensive defenceman”
Delaire is a 6’1″ forward from Cranbrook, BC. Last year he was a teammate with Bohan, playing with the Kootenay Ice Midget AAA. In 38 games Delaire scored nine goals and 17 assists. He affiliated with the Dynamiters as well, playing two regular season games and four playoff games. He was even named a star of the game in his first affiliate game.
“It’s a very big honour to be a part of a team, that as a kid I would watch the Dynamiters with my grandparents; to be a part of the organization as a player is huge for myself and my family.”
“It’s something, that my parents and I always wanted. At times I have had to move away for hockey. To be home and graduate with my friends and be with my family and the support of the community of Kimberley and Cranbrook, it is something I will cherish.”
“Erik has a very high hockey IQ,” Stuart said. “He works hard and does a lot of things very well. He can play both centre and right wing and is capable of playing in all situations”
Koran is a 5’10” forward from Kimberley, BC. He originally made the Nitro’s roster at the start of the 2017-18 season, and then finished the season as an affiliate player. He played eight games in the regular season, scoring one goal, and then dressed for three playoff games. Koran played with the East Kootenay Regional AAA Midget Ice out of Kimberley last sesason, with 17 points in 19 games.
“It’s awesome. It’s a big step, but I feel I am ready for it.”
Koran feels some of the pressure to fill in the shoes of the local players from seasons prior.
“Hopefully I can be successful and show the town what they have raised.”
“Playing physical, using his size and strength will create chances for Braiden to use his skill and shoot the puck,” Stuart said of Koran. “The release and power of his shot are elite for junior hockey.”
For Stuart, he expects the players to step in immediately. “They have already proven they can play at this level and they already know what it takes to win a Championship. All three will be expected to contribute right away.”
