Cam Keith tapped into his championship Surrey roots to remake the Capitals
Cam Keith’s player recruitments make sense. The Cowichan Valley Capitals head coach wants familiar faces on his roster – players like goaltender Jaiden Sharma, who played for both the Surrey Eagles and the Capitals. But the similarities don’t end there.
The Capitals also hired former Surrey Eagles broadcaster Joey Pitt to call their games. Pitt served as the voice of the Eagles from 2022 to 2024. When tracing the connections between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and the Surrey Eagles, I’ll start with the team staff.
The staff connection
As noted above, Keith and Pitt were both previously with the Surrey Eagles. Keith was Surrey’s head coach and general manager for two seasons, following a stint as the team’s head coach and assistant general manager from 2019 to 2022. He led the Eagles to the 2024 Fred Page Cup championship before coaching them against the Brooks Bandits in the Rocky Mountain Challenge.
Pitt, meanwhile, was Surrey’s broadcaster for two seasons. When Keith left for the Capitals, Pitt headed to West Kelowna to call games for the Warriors during the 2024-25 season before eventually rejoining Keith in Cowichan Valley last summer.
The player pipeline
Examining the Capitals’ 2025-26 roster reveals a clear pattern — a steady pipeline of players who previously suited up under Keith in Surrey. In many cases, Keith actively traded to reunite with his former squad.
The movement began before the season even started. On August 28, 2025, Keith sent forward Brendyn Van Oene to Surrey for Massimo Fazio. Fazio played 32 games for Surrey in 2023-24 and continued with the Eagles during the 2024-25 season before the trade brought him to Cowichan Valley.
Two months later, Keith orchestrated a blockbuster deal to bring Van Oene right back. On October 28, the Capitals acquired Van Oene, defender Hunter Heisten, and forward Gavin Rocha from the Eagles. In return, Cowichan Valley sent forwards Owen Fitzgerald and Kole Keen to Surrey.
Keith also bolstered his crease with familiar faces as the season progressed. Goaltender Jaiden Sharma was part of Surrey’s 2023-24 championship run, appearing in 16 regular-season games and 10 playoff contests. He remained with the Eagles for nine games during the 2024-25 season and began the 2025-26 campaign back in Surrey. After a brief eight-game stint in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Lloydminster Bobcats mid-season, the Capitals formally acquired his playing rights from the Eagles on February 9, 2026, for future considerations.
Fellow goaltender Maddox Osaka followed a similar trajectory. He began his BCHL career — and the 2025-26 campaign — in Surrey before the Eagles traded him to the Coquitlam Express in late November. After just two months with the Express, Keith brought Osaka to Cowichan Valley in a January 22 trade for forward Hayden Russell.
Looking at the roster reveals a clear strategy. First, Keith remembers the players who produced for him in Surrey. He remembers the impact they had during their championship run.
It makes perfect sense. Players and staff from championship teams are in high demand and often have the luxury of choosing their next destination. A championship-winning head coach and general manager like Keith carries a lot of sway.
For players, the pitch is simple: Keith builds winning teams. NCAA and Major Junior scouts come to watch you play. I’d imagine that’s enticing for any young player. Then there’s the pitch to the staff. The Capitals’ location can offer a lower cost of living without sacrificing proximity to Victoria or Nanaimo. Combine those lifestyle perks with Keith’s ability to build a winning culture, and a job in Cowichan Valley suddenly looks like a great career move that can lead to bigger things.
It’s certainly not unheard of for BCHL broadcasters like Pitt to move on to higher levels. Cole Waldie went from calling games for the Prince George Spruce Kings to landing a Western Hockey League job with the Prince George Cougars.
Fraser Rodgers is another great example. After building a strong resume on the mic for the Penticton Vees when they were a BCHL club, Rodgers turned that success into a Major Junior job, spending several seasons in the WHL as the broadcaster for the Prince George Cougars. He returned to the BCHL — and Penticton — as the Vees’ broadcaster years later, but also added vice-president of business operations to his duties.
Bringing in trusted players and staff from his Surrey days is a logical blueprint for Keith as he looks to recreate that championship magic. Given his willingness to swing blockbuster deals for familiar faces, he clearly isn’t done building.
