BCHL unveils 2023-24 schedule
The B.C. Hockey League released its 2023-24 schedule on Friday, with each team set to play 54 games. The season starts on Friday, Sept. 22, and wraps up on Sunday, Mar. 31. The 2024 Fred Page Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on Friday, Apr. 5.
Games during the BCHL Showcase, which is Oct. 22 – 26 in Seattle, are not included in the schedule and will be announced later. Each team will play a pair of games at the annual event. The 2023-24 BCHL schedule is available here.
Bulldogs add three new pieces
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs added three new recruits on Sunday, bringing in 2006-born forward Daniel Vasic, 2006-born defender Anthony Ip, and 2007-born forward Wyatt Blace for the upcoming season.
Vasic is a Newmarket, Ont. native who played 49 games with the Thorold Blackhawks of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2022-23. He finished with 24 goals and 42 points and added an assist in five GOJHL playoff games.
He also played four games as an affiliate for the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Blind River Beavers and notched a pair of assists. In five NOJHL playoff games, he had three goals and an assist.
Ip, who’s from West Vancouver, B.C., posted two goals and 18 points in 32 games for the Vancouver Northwest Hawks U18 AAA squad in the B.C. Elite Hockey League. He added two assists in three BCEHL playoff games.
The slick blueliner also got into three games with Port Moody Panthers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League as an affiliate player during the 2022-23 season.
Blace hails from Duncan, B.C., and spent the 2022-23 season in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League with Pacific Coast Academy U18 Prep, posting eight goals and 16 points in 31 games. He also chipped in with an assist in three playoff games.
He was selected in the seventh round, 139th overall, by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2022 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft. His brother Braden played three seasons for Alberni Valley from 2020 to this past season and is committed to Quinnipiac University for this fall.
Capitals netminder Bidewell commits to NAIT
Cowichan Valley Capitals goaltender McCoy Bidewell has committed to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to play Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference hockey starting this September. NAIT is a polytechnic school located in Edmonton.
The 2002-born native of Grande Prairie, Alta. finished the 2022-23 season with a 6-19-3 record to go along with a 4.22 goals-against average, and an .897 save percentage. He wraps his BCHL career with a 17-33-7 record, a 3.86 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage, and one shutout in 60 games with the Capitals.
Chiefs extend broadcast partnership with JR Country
The Chilliwack Chiefs have signed a broadcast agreement with Pattison Media radio station 89.5 JR Country for the 2023-24 season. It’s the second season the Chiefs will see a select number of games broadcast on JR Country.
BCIT Radio Arts and Entertainment alumnus Vanni De Bartolo will serve as play-by-play announcer for the games, his seventh in the booth in Chilliwack.
Applebee commits to Lake Superior State
West Kelowna Warriors incoming goaltender Rorke Applebee has committed to Lake Superior State University for the 2024-25 NCAA Division I season. He was signed by the Warriors on June 21.
Applebee, who hails from ChΓ’teauguay, Que., posted a sparkling 24-2-3 record, a 2.07 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage, and three shutouts in 31 games with the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League last season.
Predators trade Johansen to Colorado
30-year-old forward Ryan Johansen (five goals, 12 assists in 47 games with Penticton in 2008-09) was traded in the National Hockey League from the Nashville Predators to the Colorado Avalanche for the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Alex Galchenyuk on Saturday.
Johansen, from Port Moody, B.C., was an alternate captain for the Preds over the last six seasons. He is a veteran of 12 NHL seasons, compiling 189 goals and 555 points in 842 career games with Columbus and Nashville. Johansen also has 19 goals and 54 points in 67 career Stanley Cup playoff games.
Klimek re-ups with the Guildford Flames
27-year-old defender Jordan Klimek (six goals, 19 assists in 60 games with Surrey from 2011-13) has re-signed with the Guildford Flames of the U.K.βs Elite Ice Hockey League for the 2023-24 season.
Klimek spent last season with the Flames and finished with four goals and 22 points in 54 games. The Langley, B.C. native was scoreless in a pair of EIHL playoff games. He did have three goals and three assists in a dozen EIHL Cup games.
Young takes his game to the U.K.
Kitchener, Ont. product Bobby Young (one assist in eight games with Chilliwack in 2017-18) is the newest member of the Hull Seahawks of the National Ice Hockey League, which is the second tier of hockey in Britain. Hull is a port city located 327 kilometres north of London.
Young, a 24-year-old centre, wrapped up a four-year NCAA career at College of the Holy Cross this past season, compiling seven goals and 19 points in 100 games for the Crusaders.
Brandt to return to Cardiff in 2023-24
Forward Riley Brandt (42 goals, 40 assists in 176 games with Trail and Vernon from 2012-17) will return to the Cardiff Devils of the EIHL for the upcoming season.
The 26-year-old from Trail, B.C., played 53 games with the Devils this past season, scoring four goals and 11 points. He had a goal in 10 games at the EIHL Cup and also played three games for Cardiff in the Continental Cup.
Donhauser signs his first pro contract with the Blaze
23-year-old forward Cole Donhauser (17 goals, 25 assists in 56 games with Chilliwack in 2018-19) is set for his first pro season in 2023-24 after signing a deal with the EIHL’s Coventry Blaze. Coventry is a city of 345,000 located 177 kilometres northwest of London.
Donhauser, a native of Kenmore, New York, is coming off four NCAA seasons at Yale University where he posted 12 goals and 30 points in 80 games. He had six goals and 13 points in 27 games for the Bulldogs in 2022-23.
Blackburn returns to EHF Passau
Forward Liam Blackburn (67 goals, 127 assists in 163 games with Prince George and West Kelowna from 2013-16) has signed for 2023-24 with the EHF Passau Black Hawks of the Oberliga, which is the third tier of hockey in Germany.
Blackburn, a 27-year-old from Prince George, B.C., played for five teams this past season. He had five goals and 10 points in 14 games in the Southern Professional Hockey League split between Fayetteville, Evansville, and Macon. He got into nine games with Fife of the EIHL, notching one assist.
He ended the season with four goals and 14 points in 21 the EIHL’s Manchester Storm.
McCarrick starts coaching career at VIU
Nanaimo, B.C. native Curtis McCarrick (35 goals, 62 assists in 205 games with Powell River from 2013-17) has joined his alma mater at Vancouver Island University as an assistant coach. McCarrick played 25 games for the Mariners in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League from 2017-21, putting up five goals and 13 points.
Hikida signs with Lloydminster of the AJHL
2006-born forward Matthew Hikida has signed with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Lloydminster Bobcats for the 2023-24 season.
Hikida was an affiliate player for the Nanaimo Clippers this past season, getting into two regular season games and one playoff game. The Richmond, B.C. product had 12 goals and 27 points in 32 games for the Greater Vancouver Canadians U18 AAA team of the BCEHL in 2022-23.
