Cents bring in Melnik for 2023-24 season
The Merritt Centennials bolstered their forward corps on Sunday with the addition of 2006-born Luke Melnik, who hails from Red Bank, New Jersey.
Melnik posted 19 goals and 47 points in 59 games with the Little Caesars 16U AAA hockey club this past season. He had eight assists in 20 games for the Compuware 15U AAA Youth Hockey program in 2021-22.
Caps hire Lang as athletic therapist and equipment manager
The Cowichan Valley Capitals unveiled Hunter Lang as their new athletic therapist and equipment manager ahead of the 2023-24 B.C. Hockey League season. There’s no word if he will replace Josh Bellatti, who was listed as the Caps’ trainer on the BCHL website last season.
Merritt brings on Logan as an assistant coach
The Merritt Centennials have unveiled 27-year-old Connor Logan (nine goals, 11 assists in 61 games with Powell River and Prince George from 2014-16) as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
Logan, who hails from Victoria, worked with Cents’ new head coach Brian Passmore as the strength and conditioning coach with the Cowichan Valley Capitals last season. Passmore was general manager and head coach in Cowichan Valley before being let go last November.
Duhaime signs a new deal in Minnesota
Forward Brandon Duhaime (six goals, 19 assists in 56 games with West Kelowna and Merritt from 2014-15) signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Minnesota Wild worth $1.1 million on Sunday.
The 26-year-old product of Parkland, Florida had nine goals and 10 points in 51 games with the Wild this past season. He was scoreless in six Stanley Cup playoff games.