AJHL, BCHL, Coastal Conference, ECHL, Interior Conference, SIJHL, WHL

BCHL Today: Warriors trade Viggars to Drumheller, Express pick up Sangha from SIJHL, Clippers sign new lease, and more

Written by Brian Wiebe on

 

Warriors move veteran Viggars to Drumheller

The West Kelowna Warriors traded 2000-born defenseman Andrew Viggars to the Drumheller Dragons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League for future considerations.

Viggars, who’s from Calgary, had four points in 20 games with the Warriors during the 2019-20 season. He also played two games with the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen.

The blueliner is a veteran of 43 career WHL games and 62 junior A games.

Express bring Sangha back to BC

The Coquitlam Express has acquired 2001-born defenseman Rajvir Sangha from the Red Lake Miners of the Superior International Junior Hockey League in exchange for 2001-born forward Daniel Bazarin.

Sangha, who’s from Calgary, had 26 points in 44 games for the Miners this past season. He spent the 2018-19 season with the junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies and North Okanagan Knights, both of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

He also got into one game with the Vernon Vipers as an affiliate player.

The Express picked up Bazarin from the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League earlier this month for futures. The Roseneath, Ontario product started 2019-20 with the Thunderbirds and put up five goals and four assists in 15 games.

He then joined the National Collegiate Development Conference’s New Jersey Rockets and posted two goals and an assist in a dozen games.

Clippers sign a new lease with the City of Nanaimo

The Nanaimo Clippers announced on Wednesday that the team has extended its lease at the Frank Crane Arena for the 2020-21 season. Clippers owner Wes Mussio stated in a news release that they were looking for a longer deal.

“The length of the extension is not what we had hoped for as we put forward a proposal for a five-year term with multiple personal investments into the arena to show our commitment and desire to keep junior A hockey in the City of Nanaimo,” explained Mussio, who bought the Clippers nearly four years ago.

Sandler switches from Wings to Walleye

Forward Luke Sandler (32 goals, 33 assists in 84 games with Cowichan Valley, Trail, Surrey, and Nanaimo from 2012-14) has signed a contract for 2020-21 with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL.

Sandler, 27, has spent the last 3.5 seasons in the ECHL, including putting up nine goals and 15 assists in 50 games with the Kalamazoo Wings in 2019-20.

Nowich re-ups for two more seasons in Sweden

28-year-old forward Darren Nowick (36 goals, 50 assists in 109 games with Vernon from 2010-12) has signed a two-year contract extension with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.

The Northern Michigan University alumnus had four points in 11 games with Skellefteå in 2019-20. He added 33 points in 44 games with Västerviks IK of Allsvenskan, which is the second level of hockey in Sweden.

Whistle sings his own tune in Telford

Forward Brandon Whistle (eight goals, nine assists in 25 games with Penticton, Vernon, and Salmon Arm from 2015-18) has signed a contract with the National Ice Hockey League’s Telford Tigers for the 2020-21 season. The NIHL is the second tier of hockey in England.

The 22-year-old had 22 goals and 37 assists in 37 games with the Tigers this past season.

Becker named PCHA U18 prep head coach

Jason Becker, who was an assistant coach for the Penticton Vees from 2016-19, has been named as head coach for the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy U18 Prep team.

The PCHA U18 Prep team plays in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League and had a 6-25-3 record in 2019-20. Becker coached St. George’s School U18 Prep to a 13-16-1 record last season.