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BCHL Today: Express and Kings add new recruits, Wood and Gelbard chosen in USHL Draft, and more!

Written by Brian Wiebe on

 

Express add Brown commit Meirowitz for 2021-22

The Coquitlam Express announced the commitment of 2003-born defenseman Harry Meirowitz for the 2021-22 season on Wednesday.

The Brown University commit for September 2022 comes from the North Jersey Avalanche 18U AAA of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League, where he had three goals and seven assists in 12 games this past season.

Kings bring in Aman for next season

The Powell River Kings announced the commitment of 2003-born defenseman Casey Aman for the 2021-22 season.

Aman hails from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and had three goals and 13 points in 36 games with Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep this past season.

Express extends deal with Campbell

The Coquitlam Express has signed vice-president and general manager Tali Campbell to a three-year contract extension through the 2023-24 BC Hockey League season.

The 26-year-old joined the Express last October as vice-president and became the club’s general manager just under two months later.

He spent the previous three seasons split between the Nanaimo Clippers and Alberni Valley Bulldogs in a number of roles, most notably in business operations.

Wood and Gelbard selected in the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft

The United States Hockey League held Phase 1 of its 2021 draft on Wednesday and after 10 rounds, two players who played in the BCHL in 2020-21 were selected.

16-year-old forward Walker Gelbard from Cranbrook was the highest BCHL player selected in this year’s when the Des Moines Buccaneers grabbed him in the third round, 36th overall.

Forward Matthew Wood of the Victoria Grizzlies was the second BCHL player chosen, going to the Sioux Falls Stampede in the ninth round, 122nd overall.

BCHLNetwork coverage of Gelbard and Wood’s selection in the draft is here.

Zajac, Barzal, and Ladd advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs

The New York Islanders advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Wednesday with a 5-3 win in game six of their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Isles have three former BCHL players on their roster, two of which made a minor impact on the scoresheet. Forward Mathew Barzal (two assists in six games with Coquitlam in 2012-13) had three assists in the series.

Veteran Travis Zajac (59 goals, 105 assists in 118 games with Salmon Arm from 2002-04) only played one game and notched an assist. Forward Andrew Ladd (15 goals, 40 assists in 58 games with Coquitlam in 2002-03) didn’t see any action during the series.

Baker transfers from Dartmouth to UMass

Forward Matt Baker (39 goals, 46 assists in 108 games with Wenatchee from 2015-17) has transferred from Dartmouth College to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for the 2021-22 NCAA season.

The 24-year-old from Midhurst, Ontario had 19 goals and 56 points for Dartmouth over the last four seasons. Baker and the Big Green saw the 2020-21 season get cancelled in November due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ebbett named SC Bern general manager

38-year-old Andrew Ebbett (45 goals, 39 assists in 62 games with Prince George and Salmon Arm from 2001-02) has retired to become the general manager of SC Bern in Switzerland’s National League.

The NL is the top tier of professional hockey in Switzerland. Ebbett, who’s from Vernon, played five seasons in Bern from 2015-20.

He had two goals and three points in 16 games with EHC Munchen of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga this past season.

Mackin leaves ECHL for Sweden

Forward Corey Mackin (74 goals, 80 assists in 115 games with Coquitlam from 2013-15) has signed with HC Vita Hästen of HockeyAllsvenskan for the 2021-22 season.

The 26-year-old from Philadelphia had 27 goals and 54 points in 61 games with the Allen Americans of the ECHL this past season, his third in the league.

Ellis goes from Lillehammer to Stjernen

Defenseman Brendan Ellis (34 goals, 92 assists in 198 games with Westside from 2006-10) has signed with Stjernen Hockey of Eliteserien for the 2021-22 season. Eliteserien is the top level of hockey in Norway.

This past season, the 32-year-old Ellis had four goals and 20 points in 24 games for Lillehammer, which also plays in Eliteserien. He joined the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League for the 2021 Elite Series.

He finished the season with seven assists in 16 games for Nottingham.