Tracking Bulldogs who dominate the BCHL’s all-time games played list

When looking at the BCHL’s all-time games played list, three players who suited up for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs make an appearance.

Between 2002 and 2006, Tyler Ruel played 275 regular-season games with the Bulldogs. From 2004 to 2009, Brian Kang played 280 regular-season games, 53 of which were with the Bulldogs. Finally, Mike Di Stefano holds the league record for the most regular-season games played. In total, Di Stefano suited up for 297 games, with 43 of those coming in Alberni Valley.

This article traces the paths of these three players, examining where they came from before joining the Bulldogs and where their hockey careers took them after leaving the team.

Ruel’s 275 games

Ruel’s junior career started with the defunct Port Alberni Bandits of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. In 2001-02, Ruel played 14 games for the Bandits before moving to the Kerry Park Islanders in 2002-03. It was early into that 2002-03 campaign that Ruel made the jump to the Bulldogs’ roster – and he made a big impression with his hometown team over the next five seasons.

Across his 275 BCHL games, Ruel notched 87 goals and 150 assists. After aging out of junior hockey, he attended Wayne State University. Following one season in the NCAA, Ruel returned to Canada and attended the University of British Columbia.

After three seasons playing Canadian Interuniversity Sport hockey with the UBC Thunderbirds, Ruel split his final pro campaign between three different teams. In 2011-12, he played for the Turnhout White Caps in Belgium, and also spent time in the Central Hockey League and the Southern Professional Hockey League.

Ruel played eight games for the CHL’s Missouri Mavericks before finishing the year by playing 24 games for the SPHL’s Mississippi Surge.

He currently sits ninth all-time in BCHL games-played.

Kang’s 53 games

Kang started his junior hockey career with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. Between 2004 and 2006, he played 112 games for the Capitals.

He spent the 2006-07 season with the Trail Smoke Eaters before being traded to the Merritt Centennials ahead of the 2007-08 season. In the summer of 2008, he was sent back to the Smoke Eaters, playing only three games before being traded to the Bulldogs. In total, Kang logged 62 games for Trail and 53 for Merritt.

During his 53-game stint in Alberni Valley, he tallied 11 goals and 13 assists. After aging out of junior hockey, Kang went on to play for Concordia College in the NCAA Division III. He is sixth all-time in BCHL games-played.

Di Stefano’s 43 games

Di Stefano started his junior career with the Burnaby Bulldogs. After 61 games in Burnaby, he was traded to the Quesnel Millionaires early into the 2001-02 season. Di Stefano suited up for the Powell River Kings for 74 games before being dealt to Alberni Valley in October 2003.

In 43 games with the Bulldogs, Di Stefano produced at an impressive clip, notching 23 goals and 33 assists. Alberni Valley traded him to Chilliwack in July 2004, and in his final season of junior eligibility, he played 60 games for the Chiefs.

Following his extensive BCHL tenure, Di Stefano enjoyed a brief professional career in Italy, spending time with both Milano and Valpellice.

Unbreakable records

Given the current landscape of junior hockey, these longevity records are highly unlikely to be broken. With many top players leaving the BCHL early for major junior or collegiate opportunities, keeping talent long-term is a challenge. However, it isn’t impossible.

Landon Mackie, for example, started as an affiliate player for the Victoria Grizzlies before joining the club full-time for the 2023-24 season. In 2025-26, Mackie was traded to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

To date, he has played 154 regular-season games. While that is a high mark for a modern BCHL player, it doesn’t come close to cracking the league’s all-time top ten. Sjon Wynia currently holds tenth place for the most games played with 261, spanning from 1991 to 1996.

Unless the junior hockey ecosystem undergoes another radical structural shift, these ironman records are safe. Right now, nobody is coming close to breaking Di Stefano’s all-time milestone.

Photo credit: Garrett James Photography