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BCHL Bulletin: Maple Leafs Hire Jim Hiller, Makaio Van Tassel Traded, and more

Brian Wiebe

Roster moves

The Langley Rivermen traded Makaio Van Tassel to the Brooks Bandits in exchange for future considerations. Hailing from San Diego, California, the 2006-born forward tallied 11 goals, 20 assists, and 31 points in 40 games for Langley during the 2025-26 campaign. He started the season with Anchorage of the North American Hockey League, posting three assists in four games.

Coaching news

Over in the front office, the Powell River Kings hired Tyler Kuntz as general manager and Curtis Fraser as director of hockey operations. Both men are BCHL alumni. Kuntz returns after managing the club from 2018 to 2020, while Fraser brings extensive scouting and management experience to the staff. Kuntz played for the Burnaby Bulldogs in 1998-99, recording five goals and 27 assists in 57 games. Fraser is a Victoria Salsa and Vernon Vipers alum, totalling 105 goals and 126 assists in 215 games from 1999 to 2003.

A familiar face returns as the Trail Smoke Eaters hired Alex Evin as associate coach, assistant general manager, and skills director. The Castlegar, B.C. native was an associate coach with the Prince George Spruce Kings when they won a BCHL championship in 2019. Evin played five seasons in the league from 2003 to 2008, posting a 78-87-0 record, a 3.27 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage, and 10 shutouts in 187 games with the Powell River Kings, Williams Lake Timberwolves, and Penticton Vees.

Alumni updates

Securing his future in Finland, 27-year-old forward Brett Stapley signed a contract extension with the Pelicans of Liiga. The Campbell River, B.C. product recorded 28 points in 43 games with the Pelicans during the 2025-26 season after joining from Södertälje SK of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan. He amassed 47 goals and 74 assists for 121 points in 154 BCHL games with the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Vernon Vipers between 2014 and 2018.

Staying in France, 31-year-old forward Jeremiah Luedtke extended his deal with Dunkerque. Luedtke, from Seattle, Washington, posted eight goals and 11 assists over 18 games in his second season as an alternate captain for Dunkerque in 2025-26. From 2012 to 2015, he generated 41 goals and 103 assists to total 144 points in 164 regular-season BCHL appearances for the Prince George Spruce Kings.

Twenty-nine-year-old defender Carmine Buono has moved up from Gherdëina of the Alps Hockey League to the ICEHL’s HC Bolzano. The Burnaby, B.C. native registered nine goals and 27 points in 42 games with Gherdëina last season. During two stints in the BCHL from 2014 to 2018, he logged 12 goals and 59 assists for 71 points in 121 games with the Powell River Kings.

Transitioning to the Ontario Hockey League, 2006-born forward Thomas Zocco has moved from the United States Hockey League’s Sioux Falls Stampede to the London Knights. The Staten Island, New York product delivered 22 goals and 48 assists to total 70 points in 60 games in Sioux Falls last year. He produced 19 goals and 34 assists for 53 points in 49 contests with the Coquitlam Express during the 2024-25 BCHL campaign.

Turning pro in the American Hockey League, 24-year-old defender Lachlan Getz joined the Rockford IceHogs from the College of the Holy Cross. The Northfield, Illinois native notched five assists in 32 games during his final NCAA campaign last season. Between 2020 and 2022, he tallied three goals and 20 assists in 56 games for the Chilliwack Chiefs.

Rewarding their bench boss, the Washington Capitals signed 44-year-old Spencer Carbery to a multi-year extension. The Victoria, B.C. product steered Washington to a 43-30-9 record in 2025-26, his third season coaching the Capitals. Between 1999 and 2002, he accumulated 68 goals and 61 assists for 129 points in 121 career games with the Victoria Salsa, Cowichan Valley Capitals, and Penticton Panthers.

Taking the reins in Toronto, 57-year-old Jim Hiller was named the 41st head coach of the Maple Leafs. The Port Alberni, B.C. native coached 59 games for the Los Angeles Kings in 2025-26, finishing 24-21-14. From 2004 to 2006, he was head coach of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, compiling a 75-32-9-4 BCHL career record.

Brian Wiebe

Brian's been involved in the BCHL in a variety of capacities for 17 years. From 2002 to 2012, he served in several roles around the Merritt Centennials organization, including as team president, board member, beat writer, colour commentator, webmaster, media and communications coordinator and marketing assistant. He's been writing about the BCHL since 2008 and served as colour commentator on the TSN 1040 broadcasts in 2012-13. BCHLNetwork is one of Brian's many passion projects that he balances around his full-time job as an instructor in the Radio Arts and Entertainment Program at BCIT in Burnaby.