Growing up in West Kelowna, Chase Stevenson remembers many a winter night cheering for his hometown Warriors at Royal LePage Place.
He even owns a stick autographed by the entire 2007-08 edition of the B.C. Hockey League team.
So when Stevenson got a call from West Kelowna assistant coach Shae Naka in late October asking him to join the Warriors, the 17-year-old forward didn’t need much time to arrive at an answer.
“I was extremely excited to get the call,” said Stevenson, who played much of his minor hockey in West Kelowna. “I was excited for the chance to play so close to home, and also for a team that was coming off a championship.
“I couldn’t have asked for a much better situation.”
Stevenson, who lives just five minutes from the Warriors’ home arena, was in his second season with the B.C. Major Midget League’s Okanagan Rockets at the time of the promotion.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward has since played in 15 games with the Warriors and has registered five assists.
While Stevenson is still waiting for his first BCHL goal, head coach and GM Rylan Ferster likes the array of abilities the young forward brings to the Warriors.
“I think his ceiling is really high,” Ferster said of Stevenson’s potential. “He does everything well. He’s a good checker, he sees the game well, and he’s good offensively.
“He’s been a bit snake-bitten since he joined us, but that should come. He’s a very complete, 200-foot player. We’re happy to have him.”
Stevenson had limited BCHL experience prior to joining the Warriors, having played three games last season with the Penticton Vees.
He started 2016-17 at the training camp of the Vernon Vipers before an injury prompted his return to the midget Rockets.
Now, after a brief adjustment period, Stevenson looks to have found a permanent home at the junior A level.
“At the start, the speed was a little hard to adjust to, but that was more of a mental thing,” he said. “For sure, I’m starting to feel more comfortable and I’m gaining confidence.
“I’ve had a million chances to score,” he added with a laugh, “and haven’t got one yet, but hopefully that’ll come soon.”
Down the road, Stevenson is hoping to land a scholarship to play at a U.S. college, ideally for the start of the 2018-19 season.
Warriors vs Merritt…
The Warriors will battle the Interior rival Merritt Centennials this weekend in a BCHL home-and-home set.
The clubs will face off Friday, 7 p.m., at Royal LePage Place, then again Saturday at Nicola Valley Arena in Merritt.
The teams met in a similar scenario last month, Dec. 9 and 10, with West Kelowna (18-17-1-0) taking both games from the Cents.
With the Interior Division extremely tight from third to sixth place—just five points separate the four teams—Ferster said the importance of a two-game set can’t be overstated.
“A home and home series like this is always huge,” he said. “It’s a bit like a mini playoff series, and there’s likely going to be a little animosity there, so that makes for intense hockey.
“They’re good for rivalries and they’re just fun. As a coach, I always look forward to them.”
Meanwhile, Ferster is doing some shopping around this week, looking to bolster his roster for the stretch run of the season. The BCHL’s trade deadline arrives next Tuesday, Jan. 10.
