AHL, BCHL Bulletin, Coastal Conference, COVID-19, Hockey Canada, Interior Conference, NCAA, NHL

BCHL Today: 2020-21 season delayed by PHO order yet again, Silverbacks bring in University of Maine recruit for next season, and more

Written by Brian Wiebe on

 

2020-21 BCHL season delayed until at least March

The current Provincial Health Officer’s order, which was set to expire at 11:59 pm on Friday, is now extended indefinitely.

The order restricts, in part, hockey to operating under viaSport Phase 2 guidelines, and the BC Hockey League announced it has delayed the start of the 2020-21 season to March.

The league initially announced a start date of Dec. 1 in July and pushed it back to Dec. 8 in November. On Dec. 8, it announced a postponement to Jan. 8. That day, the league mentioned a start no earlier than Feb. 6. Now, it’s delayed once again to March 1 at the earliest.

According to a news release, the league has considered the idea of a pod-based structure where a number of teams are located in one city for a given time period.

“We continue to work closely with the PHO on how we can safely resume play. This includes potential pods in select BCHL cities throughout the province,” stated BCHL Commissioner Chris Hebb.

Silverbacks add forward Remick for 2021-22

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks have gained a commitment from 2003-born forward Ryan Remick for the 2021-22 BC Hockey League season.

Remick, who’s from Sparta, New Jersey, is a prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft. The University of Maine commit is with Kent School prep this season but hasn’t played any games as of yet.

He is set to join the Black Bears in Sept. 2022. Remick was the 13th round choice, 256th overall, of the Guelph Storm in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.

2021 Centennial Cup is cancelled by Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada announced the cancellation of a number of tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday. Among them was the 2021 Centennial Cup tournament, which is the Canadian national junior A championship.

This year’s tournament was set to be hosted by the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. The 2020 Centennial Cup in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba was also cancelled last spring because of COVID-19.

Hockey Canada says confirmation of which cities will host the 2022 national championships will be announced in the coming months.

Coghlan makes his National Hockey League debut

Defenseman Dylan Coghlan (no points in two games with Nanaimo in 2013-14) made his NHL debut on Friday, playing for Vegas in its game against the LA Kings.

He played 13:15 with a clean stat line in his first career NHL game. Coghlan, 22, spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

Reilly shuffled from Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Defenseman Will Reilly (nine goals, 23 assists in 52 games with Nanaimo in 2015-16) has been assigned by the Pittsburgh Penguins to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Reilly, 23, signed an entry-level contract with the Pens last April after wrapping up his four-year NCAA career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Wiercioch inks a contract in Finland

Defenceman Patrick Wiercioch (9 goals, 16 assists with Burnaby in 2006-07) has signed a contract for 2020-21 with Timrå IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, which is the second-highest level of pro hockey in Sweden.

The 30-year-old from Burnaby, BC had four goals and 19 assists in HC Bolzano of the ICE Hockey League, the highest tier of the sport in Austria.

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.