Cents bring Grabner in for the 2023-24 season
The Merritt Centennials reinforced their blueline on Wednesday with the signing of 2004-born defender Sam Grabner out of the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League.
Grabner, from Ottawa, notched three goals and 13 points in 45 games with the Jr. Senators in 2022-23. He added four assists in 17 playoff games as Ottawa won the CCHL championship earlier this spring.
Badger becomes a Bulldog for the 2023-24 BCHL season
Northeastern University commit Grayson Badger has signed with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for the 2023-24 B.C. Hockey League season. Badger heads to NU’s Boston, Massachusetts campus in September 2024.
The 2004-born forward had two goals and seven points in 51 combined games with the Sioux City Musketeers and Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League in 2022-23. He was ranked 165th among North American skaters by National Hockey League Central Scouting for the 2022 NHL Draft but wasn’t among the players selected.
Muprhy-Johnson commits to Simon Fraser University
2002-born defender Jackson Murphy-Johnson has committed to Simon Fraser University of the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League for this September.
The blueliner from Burnaby, B.C. had four goals and 13 points in 97 BCHL games for the Centennials, Coquitlam, and Trail over the last four seasons. He also had four assists in 21 games with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Blackfalds Bulldogs in 2021-22.
Spruce Kings’ trainer and broadcaster move on
Prince George Spruce Kings athletic therapist Karina Lahti has joined the Western Hockey League’s Wenatchee Wild as its athletic trainer for the 2023-24 season. The 28-year-old from Surrey, B.C. was in PG for one season after previously being the trainer for the Valley West Giants U18 AAA of the British Columbia Elite Hockey League from 2018-20.
Also, as previously reported by BCHLNetwork, Spruce Kings director of communications and broadcasting Ethan Ready has joined the Northern Health Authority in a communications role. Ready joined the Spruce Kings 11 months ago following three years in radio and television journalism split between Vista Radio and CKPG-TV in Prince George.
Reddick takes his game to Scotland for the upcoming season
Defender Bryce Reddick (22 goals, 52 assists in 110 games with Cowichan Valley from 2006-08) has signed with the Glasgow Clan of the U.K.’s Elite Ice Hockey League for the 2023-24 season.
The 33-year-old from Winnipeg played three games with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL to start 2022-23 before signing with the DEL2’s Selber Wölfe in late November. He finished with six goals and 17 points in 26 games for the Selb, Germany-based club.
Pow turns pro in England with Whitley
23-year-old defender Kyle Pow (four assists in 41 games with Powell River and Trail from 2016-20) signed his first pro contract with the Whitley Warriors of the National Ice Hockey League Division 1, which is the second tier of British hockey.
Pow, from Nanaimo, B.C., was at Mount Royal University for the past two seasons and appeared in four U SPORTS games without registering any points.
Vela parts ways with MoDo of HockeyAllsvenskan
26-year-old forward Marcus Vela (31 goals, 37 assists in 104 games with Langley from 2013-15) has mutually parted ways with MoDo Hockey of HockeyAllsvenskan, which is the second-highest league in Sweden.
Vela, who calls Burnaby, B.C. home, played 18 games with MoDo last season, collecting five goals and 11 points. He also appeared in 28 games with the Allsvenskan’s Västerviks IK, picking up 11 goals and 18 points.
He was a seventh-round selection, 190th overall, by the San Jose Sharks in the 2015 NHL Draft.
