clippers sold - new ownership - 30 June 2022

Story by Steve Erickson

Realistically speaking it was only a matter of time that Wes Mussio would put the Nanaimo Clippers on the market mainly due the recent move to Florida.  Wes and Penny purchased the Clippers and underwent major changes to the team as well as the rink which in the long run will benefit the new owners.  The sale had been the topic of conversation around the  hockey world a while with everyone speculating who the new owners might be.

Now it’s official with the BCHL League Board of Governors releasing a statement that the sale of the franchise to Northern Lights Hockey Canada.  Headed by Brad Kwong, Northern Lights Hockey Canada is an investment group which is a Western-Canadian born investment professional as well as a player, executive and team owner.    He is a former NCAA Division I captain at Harvard and also heads up the group which owns the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints as well as the former Chairman of the USHL’s Board of Governors.   Kwong mentioned “The BCHL is a leader in junior hockey and we have been very impressed with the strategic plan the league and board members have in place to take things to even greater heights.”   He continued “We’re excited to be a part of that plan and, with our staff, we hope to establish the Nanaimo Clippers as one of the preeminent junior hockey franchises in all of North America.”  

The sale was unanimously following last week’s vote and we are hearing that Northern Lights Hockey Canada will assume team ownership immediately.  Chairman of the BCHL Board of Governors Graham Fraser.mentioned “The Nanaimo Clippers are one of the league’s most storied franchises and with their rich tradition already in place and a new ownership group coming in, we are excited to see what’s in store for them in the coming years.”  This past season saw the Clippers win 12 straight playoff games, putting them on route to a Coastal Conference title and the league final.   Their roster had 13 NCAA Division I committed players and dating back the Clippers are one of the longest-running BCHL teams and just celebrated their 50th anniversary. The franchise has won the Fred Page Cup five times with the last being in 2007.  The Clippers will host an event in July where fans, sponsors, media and other key stakeholders can meet with new ownership and Clippers staff.  Wes has been critical of the actions of the current NDP Government mentioning that while the NHL was allowed to start up other leagues such as the BCHL and WHL have been put on hold.  

I want to personally thank Penny and Wes for assisting me in various areas in the past and wish them all the best moving forward.  One question I was asked is “Will they purchase a team in Florida, but that remains to be seen.

Story by Steve Erikson

It’s been floating around for some time with many wondering if the City of Delta would be fortunate to be included as a City to host the event, as well as the Langley Events Centre.  You can put your thoughts to rest as it’s now made official, so make plans on getting your tickets early!!!  The following press release was sent out – Enjoy the read!!  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  

Since its inception in 1986, 21 players who participated in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge have later heard their name called as the first overall selection in the National Hockey League’s Entry Draft.    And now the 2006-born players aiming to be selected in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft will make their international debut as the Township of Langley and the City of Delta co-host the 2022 World Under-17 Challenge.  The eight-team event runs Nov. 5-12 and will feature three entries from Canada – Canada Black, Canada Red and Canada White – as well as five international squads, with Langley Events Centre and Delta’s Sungod Arena serving as the two venues.   “We cannot wait to host the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Langley and Delta this November,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties for Hockey Canada.  “This event is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence and fans in Metro Vancouver will be able to watch some of the top young players in the world throughout the tournament.”  This marks the fourth time the event has been held in British Columbia, but this will be its Metro Vancouver debut as it was previously hosted by Port Alberni in 2009 while Dawson Creek and Fort St. John co-hosted the event in both 2015 and 2017.  “Cameron Hope, Chief Executive Officer for BC Hockey mentioned BC Hockey, along with our member partners and associations, look forward to working with the host group of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge to provide grassroots initiatives that will remain in the local communities as a legacy in partnership with this very special international hockey event.”  “We are honoured to have been chosen as one of the host communities for this marquee international event,” said Township of Langley Mayor Jack Froese.   “We look forward to welcoming many of the top players from around the world as well as all the passionate hockey fans to witness the participating teams chase their dreams of capturing international glory.  “Whether it is the players or the spectators in attendance, we are sure they will enjoy their experience here at Langley Events Centre, a world-class facility that has become one of the Province’s premier destinations for sports, recreation and entertainment.”  

“The City of Delta is thrilled to be selected to host the best young hockey players from across the globe at the Word Under-17 Hockey Challenge this November.   Delta has a long and rich hockey history, from minor hockey to the Vancouver Giants, to being the hometown of Stanley Cup champions,” said City of Delta Mayor George V. Harvie.  “The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge continues Delta’s deep and long standing relationship with Canada’s game, and we look forward to welcoming visitors, players, coaches, and officials to Delta, and of course, watching the action on the ice.”  Tyler Dinwoodie, Associate Director, Production Services and Communications at the Langley Events Centre mentioned “We have a great history working with Hockey Canada dating back to the World Junior A Challenge in 2011, and most recently hosting Finland’s pre-tournament camp and a pair of exhibition games for the 2019 World Junior Championship, so the opportunity to add this World U-17 Challenge is something we’re extremely excited about.”   “We are in a community which is knowledgeable and passionate about hockey and it’s thrilling to be able to showcase the future talent here.”  

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. It began in 1986 and originally consisted of five Canadian regional teams – Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec and West – before switching to a national team format, which allowed the players from across the country to play together immediately as they entered the Program of Excellence.  The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge has long been a starting point for professional careers, with more than 1,600 NHL draft picks having played in the tournament.   That number includes 21 players selected first overall – Pierre Turgeon, Mats Sundin, Alexandre Daigle, Bryan Berard, Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier, Ilya Kovalchuk, Rick Nash, Marc-André Fleury, Alexander Ovechkin, Eric Johnson, Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Alexis Lafrenière and Owen Power.  

Ten different countries have competed alongside the Canadian entries in the history of the event: Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Germany, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Soviet Union, Sweden and the United States.  

Story by Steve Erickson

While many are still questioning why the Oilers failed to advance past Colorado the short answer was that the Av’s knew how to play McDavid and company dropping the final game 6-5.  The last time the Avalanche were in the cup finals was in 2001 when they defeated the Devils 4–3 managing to win their second championship.  The final series for the 2021-22 season has a match-up with the Av’s playing the two time Stanley Cup Champions Tampa Bay which begins June 15th  While it could be a coaches match-up it’s interesting to know that Jon Cooper (54) comes from Prince George has been the bench boss with Tampa since the 2012-13 season where they failed to make postseason play.  Over the years Tampa has had a variety of coaches with Terry Crisp as their first coach (1992-98), Jon Tortorella (2001-08) until their present coach.  The Av’s first coach was Marc Crawford (1995-98) where they won the cup in 1996 that saw Bob Hartley take over in 96 until 2002 moving on through their sixth present day coach Jared Bednar who took over in 2016. 

If you look at their scouting staff you should note that North Delta’s Grant Armstrong is listed as one of their amateur scouts while Colorado has 11 Amateur Scouts listed.  

While the game is played on the ice we should remember that the third part of any game are the officials who are the ones who oversee the game management of any game.  At present the league has 35 referee’s as well as 35 linesmen assigned to work games, not counting those who are call-ups throughout the season for various reasons.  In addition, the league has 10 minor league referees and 6 minor league linesman who split their time between the NHL and the AHL with games assigned.  Playoffs this year will have the league reduce the number of officials working to five referee’s and five linesmen for the Stanley Cup final.  While the officials come from various cities and towns across North America we are pleased to mention that two officials working are from British Columbia.  Richmond’s Kelly Sutherland is working his 9th cup final while Cloverdale’s Kiel Murchison is working in his second cup final.  It is interesting to note that Kelly is in his 16th season and made his first appearance as an injury replacement referee.  Kelly has worked 1,389 regular season games as well as 204 playoff games, while Kyle has officiated 667 regular season games as well as 34 playoff games and one final series.  Both of these individuals have worked their way through BC Hockey, formerly BC Amateur Hockey Association which recently announced that the coming season officials the cost to register is only $5.00  Yes that’s right the cost is significantly dropped in hopes of attracting more or retired officials to return to the ice to help out as the numbers have drastically dropped off.  Some say it’s due to Covid, while in actuality it’s the abuse from some parents who are putting a blackeye on the sport and thinking they are helping out, which they are NOT.  British Columbia has been fortunate to have a number of officials make it to the pro level which says a lot about the program in place.  Of course we are showing signs of favoritism to Kelly and Kiel knowing both on a personal level, but wishing them all the best in the Cup Finals.  

Congratulation to Grace from Sportswave  BC Hockey recently concluded their AGM in Penticton and we are pleased to mention that Grace Barlow was given the award for Official of the Year.    She officiated the BCEHL Female U18 AAA finals, the Pacific Regional Championship, and the Canada West women’s hockey playoff final.   Her level of ability saw her being assigned as a Referee as part of the first all-female Junior A crew in a regular BCHL game October 17, 2021.

Story by Rockey Rhodes

The 2011-12 Penticton Vees team who won the Fred Page Cup, Doyle Cup and National Championship, while also setting the record for the longest winning streak in Canadian Junior A history, will be inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame on July 22.  That season, the Vees won 42 consecutive regular-season games from November to March.   The roster featured current-day NHLers like Mike Reilly (Boston Bruins) and Troy Stecher (Los Angeles Kings), as well as many other notable pros such as Michael Garteig and Steven Fogarty.  The team’s 54 wins, 110 points and .917 win percentage are all BCHL records.  “Every championship team has a unique story behind it,” said Vees President, General Manager and Head Coach Fred Harbinson, who was behind the bench for that historic year. “The 2012 team created so many storylines, while breaking many of junior hockey’s records along the way. It will be great for the fans of Penticton to have a chance to see that group of players come back for what should be an outstanding weekend.”  Despite their record-breaking year, the Vees were challenged in the postseason.   BCHL The Chilliwack Chiefs pushed them to six games in the first round of the BCHL playoffs.   The Merritt Centennials took a game from them in round two, before Penticton swept the Powell River Kings in the Fred Page Cup Finals.  The Vees beat the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in five games to capture the Doyle Cup, then lost their first two games of the National Championship tournament.   Despite the setback, the team eventually reached the final and won the title after a 4-3 victory over the Woodstock Slammers of the Maritime Junior Hockey League.  This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony is the first since 2019 after the past two were postponed due to the pandemic and is technically the class of 2020.  

In addition to the 2011-12 Vees, former Vancouver Canucks' defenceman Mattias Ohlund, former NHL official Jay Sharrers, NHL alumnus' Eric Brewer, hockey builder/founder Ray Stonehouse as well as the 2002 Memorial Cup winning Kootenay Ice.   The ceremony will take place on Friday, July 22 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Key Dates:

The BC Hockey League has announced the schedule for the 2022-23 regular season.  The league’s 61st season will begin on Friday, Sep. 23 and finish on Sunday, Mar. 26 and will once again consist of 54 games for each team.  

Key dates:  

Sep. 23 – opening night Feb. 18 & 19 – BCHL Road Show event (Prince George vs. Salmon Arm)

Mar. 17 – Fred Page Cup Final rematch (Nanaimo @ Penticton) 

Mar. 26 – regular season ends Mar. 31 – BCHL Playoffs begin The schedule currently does not include dates for the BCHL Showcase, where each team plays two regular-season games. 

A full Showcase schedule will be announced at a later date.  This year’s schedule includes 83 per cent prime-night games on Fridays and Saturdays. This includes a handful of buildings that restrict Friday and Saturday game nights.   Before the pandemic, the league hovered around 65 per cent over five years.  There are also 3.41 days for every one regular-season game due to the extended season length. Pre-COVID, the league was at 2.95 days for every one regular-season game over five years.  This allows for more practices, gym time and more recovery time for BCHL athletes, bringing the schedule closer to a college hockey format.  An exhibition schedule will be announced at a later date.  

Thank to Jesse Adamson, Manager, Communications & Events for the press release  

Story by Steve Erickson

We published part one from the BCHL AGM and now publishing the second part for your reading with thanks to the Jesse Adamson, Media Relations BCHL  Enjoy the read:  

The BC Hockey League held its Annual General Meeting May 26 and 27 in Salmon Arm, B.C. The league’s Governors discussed and approved several initiatives regarding officiating, scheduling and a wide variety of other topics.  Officiating Development Program  The Board of Governors approved the creation of a BCHL Officiating Development Program.  The stated goal of the program is to focus on developing current officials, recruiting future officials and retaining the best officials by creating a professional environment.  “The BCHL is a development league,” said Director of Officiating and Player Safety Brad Lazarowich. “Of course, this refers to developing players to move on to the next level, but it also includes our officials. We want to give our officials all the resources they need to reach their full potential and to eventually see them move on to the college and professional ranks, just like our players.”  Year-End Awards  The league unveiled the winners of two year-end awards at the Annual General Meeting.  Victoria Grizzlies Governor Ron Walchuk was voted as the BCHL’s Executive of the Year.  Walchuk is a member of several league committees, including the Executive Committee, Franchise Committee and Futures Committee. The winner was determined by a poll of league Governors.  “Ron’s thoughtful contributions to multiple committees have been a major asset for the league,” said Graham Fraser, Chairman of the Board of Governors. “We thank him for his time and effort over the past year and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.”   The BCHL also announced the co-winners of the league’s Marketer of the Year Award. This year’s recipients are Allison McCarthy, Corporate Sales and Event Manager for the Trail Smoke Eaters, as well as Chris Laurie, President of the West Kelowna Warriors.  The award was determined by a poll of marketers from across the BCHL.  “Allison personifies what a sports marketer should be,” said Barry Douglas, Vice President of Business Operations and Governor for the Chilliwack Chiefs as well as the Chairman of the BCHL’s Marketing Committee. “She is creative, has a team mentality and a passion to fill the Cominco Arena with Smoke Eaters fans”  “As for Chris, his vast experience in marketing is paying off in West Kelowna. He has led the path to re-energizing Warriors hockey in a major market in our league”  “We are very proud of Allison, Chris and all the hard-working marketers across the BCHL.”  In addition, the Governors approved several motions involving other BCHL awards. The league will announce the renaming of three awards, as well as the addition of a new year-end player trophy in the coming weeks.  

Regular Season and Events Schedule

The Board has approved the 2022-23 regular-season schedule, as well as the schedule of events for the upcoming season.  The regular season schedule will be released on Thursday, June 9th and details surrounding BCHL events will be announced in the coming weeks.

Story by Steve Erickson

With various hockey organizations and associations holding their AGM’s we recently received the notice below from the BCHL and wanted to share.  Thanks to the BCHL Jesse Adamson Manager, Communications & Events for the press release.  Enjoy the read.

The BC Hockey League held its Annual General Meeting May 26 and 27 in Salmon Arm, B.C. The league’s Governors discussed and approved several initiatives regarding league standards, events and a wide variety of other topics.  League Standards  At the league’s October Governors meeting, the Board voted in favour of adopting a scorecard to measure the current standards across the BCHL.  The scorecard covers all areas of team operations, including hockey operations off-ice business standards and facility infrastructure.  2022-23 will be the first official year of the scorecard being implemented and each team will be required to reach a certain level by the end of year four.  In an effort to emphasize the business direction of the league, the Board decided to change Chris Hebb’s title from Commissioner to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Steven Cocker’s title from Deputy Commissioner to Chief Operating Officer (COO).   “The league standards scorecard acts as a way for each of our 18 teams to recognize their individual strengths and weaknesses and to work towards making improvements that will ultimately benefit their organizations as well as the league as a whole,” said Hebb. “It’s hard to gauge progress without measurables and this scorecard will provide that tool to each team and help guide their effort and resources towards improving their franchise.”  As part of the four-year plan, the BCHL will eliminate player fees across the league by year four. Another requirement will be to install video review in all arenas.   The Chilliwack Chiefs adopted video review last year and a number of other teams are set to introduce it for 2022-23.  

Events Strategic Plans:  

The Board of Governors approved a five-year strategic plan for BCHL events, starting with the 2022-23 season.   The league’s slate of events for next season includes the BCHL Showcase, the Road Show, the Top Prospects Game and the 60th Anniversary outdoor event, scheduled for January 2023 after it was postponed last season.  “The goal of our league events is to increase exposure for our athletes, while driving league business at the same time,” said Cocker. “We have held successful events in recent years, including the league Showcase last fall and the Road Show in Kitimat the year prior, but we believe they have much higher potential and our events strategic plan will help guide us there.”  Abuse, Harassment and Discrimination Reporting  The Governors also voted in favour of adopting an official policy to allow BCHL athletes to report any type of abuse, harassment or discrimination they may incur while playing in the league.  As part of the policy, the league will appoint a Safe Sport Officer who will be on call and act independently from the BCHL and its teams.      At the team level, each organization will introduce an Athlete Advocate who will act on behalf of the players.   Players will be able to report any incidents to either the Safe Sport Officer, the team’s Athlete Advocate or previous reporting avenues already in place.  “The safety of our athletes is at the forefront of all that we do,” said Cocker. “We have made strides in recent years to protect our players on the ice, but they need to be protected off the ice as well.”  The BCHL created the policy using the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) as a resource.   

Part two of the BCHL AGM recap will be published tomorrow.