Silverbacks add two new forwards for 2023-24
In a busy afternoon for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, the team announced the signing of 2005-born forwards Christian Kim and Cole Cooksey for the 2023-24 season.
Kim, from Torrence, California, played 50 games for the Wenatchee Wild in 2022-23, scoring 10 goals and 28 points. He also appeared in 10 Fred Page Cup playoff games for the Wild, registering one assist. Kim is committed to Michigan State University for September 2024.
Cooksey, hailing from Toronto, spent his 2022-23 season with the Markham Royals of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He had 26 goals and 42 points in 54 games. He is committed to Merrimack College, located in North Andover, Massachusetts, to play NCAA Division I hockey starting in 2024.
Kings bring in Ramsey for the upcoming season
The Powell River Kings bolstered their blueline group on Thursday with the addition of 2004-born Shawn Ramsey out of Mississauga, Ont. He is committed to the University of Wisconsin and will attend the Madison, Wisconsin campus next fall.
Ramsey posted a pair of goals and 18 points in 55 games with the Chippewa Steel of the North American Hockey League this past season. He also got into 28 games with Chicago of the United States Hockey League in 2021-22.
Smoke Eaters snag Watson-Bucci for 2023-24
The Trail Smoke Eaters announced the addition of Merrimack College commit Gryphon Watson-Bucci on Friday. The 2006-born forward from Sudbury, Ont. spent 2022-23 with the Boston Hockey Academy 16U AAA team.
In 75 games for the Boston Hockey Academy, Watson-Bucci had an eye-popping 47 goals and 127 points. He also chipped in with a goal and four points in two games with Boston Hockey Academy’s 18U AAA team. Watson-Bucci is off to Merrimack in September 2025.
Centennials add Ryan to their roster for this season
The Merritt Centennials added another experienced piece to their forward group on Thursday, bringing in 2003-born right winger Easton Ryan from the Boston Jr. Bruins of the National Collegiate Development Conference.
Ryan, who calls Napean, Ont. home, notched 22 goals and 57 points in 50 games as captain for the Jr. Bruins in 2022-23, his second season in the league. He is a veteran of 153 games of junior hockey between the NCDC and Central Canada Hockey League over the last five seasons.
Wise moves to Rock Springs of the NCDC
2004-born defender Matthew Wise has jumped to the Rock Springs Grizzlies of the NCDC for the 2023-24 season. The native of Surrey, B.C. had one assist in five games for the Cowichan Valley Capitals after joining them as an affiliate player this past season.
He split the majority of the year playing junior B with the Delta Ice Hawks and Ridge Meadows Flames of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. In 34 games, Wise finished with three goals and 14 points. He also totaled a goal and two assists in 15 PJHL playoff games for the Flames.
BCHL unveils new officials’ recognition awards
The B.C. Hockey League announced on Thursday that it will recognize its officials as part of the post-season awards. Two referees and two linespeople will be selected by a panel of officiating coaches involved with the league to make up an Officiating All-Star Team.
Price goes from the Chiefs bench to the Jets bench
34-year-old Chris Price (two games with Merritt in 2007-08) has joined the Chilliwack Jets of the PJHL as their head coach. Price spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach for the Chilliwack Chiefs. He also worked with the Chiefs as a development coach from 2019-22.
The product of Aldergrove, B.C. previously coached in the PJHL with his hometown Kodiaks, joining them midseason in 2019-20 and staying on until he was hired by the Chiefs last summer.
Finlay re-ups with Allen of the ECHL
The ECHL’s Allen Americans announced the signing of 26-year-old Liam Finlay (40 goals, 74 assists in 109 games with Penticton and Vernon from 2013-16) for the 2023-24 season. He was an ECHL All-Rookie Team selection last season.
The Kelowna, B.C. product torched the ECHL to the tune of 33 goals and 70 points in 54 games this past season, his first in the league. He contributed two goals and eight points in 11 Kelly Cup playoff games.
Calverley will return to Florida in 2023-24
Forward Will Calverley (35 goals, 61 assists in 111 games with Chilliwack from 2016-18) signed an extension with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL for the 2023-24 season. He had a goal and an assist in six games with the Everblades this past season.
Related: BCHL grads help Florida Everblades claim ECHL Championship
The native of Scarborough, Ont. posted five points in a dozen playoff games as the Everblades won the ECHL championship. Calverley signed in Florida after his NCAA career ended in early April.
He finished with 52 goals and 111 points in 163 college games split between Merrimack College and the Rochester Institute of Technology over the last five seasons.
Hughes transfers from Ohio State to Northeastern
Westwood, Massachusetts product Riley Hughes (24 goals, 34 assists in 53 games with Victoria in 2018-19) has transferred from Northeastern University to Ohio State University for the 2023-24 NCAA Division I season.
The 23-year-old put up 11 goals and 32 points in 118 games with the Northeastern Huskies over the last four seasons. He was an alternate captain at Northeastern for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Daly heads to Sparta Sarpsborg for the season
Defender Tim Daly (20 goals, 48 assists in 119 games with Langley from 2009-11) has signed to play with Sparta Sarpsborg of Norway’s Eliteserien in 2023-24. He spent the last three seasons playing for Rungsted Seier Capital of Denmark’s Metal Ligaen.
Daly, 31, notched 10 goals and 18 points in 30 games with Rungsted in 2022-23. The Maple Ridge, B.C. product had 46 goals and 117 points in 156 career games for Rungsted between 2018 and this past season.
Power commits to Vancouver Island University
2004-born forward Blake Power (16 games with Nanaimo and Alberni Valley from 2021-23) will forgo his final two seasons of junior hockey and has committed to Vancouver Island University in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League for 2023-24.
Power is from Port Alberni, B.C., and spent the past two seasons playing junior B for his hometown Bombers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. He finished with 21 goals and 64 points in 80 career VIJHL games. VIU’s main campus is located in Nanaimo, B.C.
