BCHL Bulletin: Clippers, Cents, and Kings add new recruits, Dubinsky gets an extension in Salmon Arm, and more!

Clippers bring in Deturris for 2023-24

The Nanaimo Clippers bolstered their forward corps on Thursday with the addition of 2004-born Connor Deturris, who hails from Naperville, Illinois. He is committed to the University of New Hampshire and will attend the Durham, New Hampshire campus next fall.

Deturris posted 19 goals and 37 points in 47 games with the Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League this past season. He also played one game on loan to Madison of the United States Hockey League.

Kings sign Providence College commit Thomas

The Powell River Kings announced the signing of 2005-born defender Owen Thomas for the 2023-24 B.C. Hockey League season on Friday. Thomas is committed to Providence College for the 2025-26 NCAA season.

The native of Chicago, Illinois spent the 2022-23 season with the Corpus Christi IceRays of the NAHL and finished with a goal and two assists in 48 games. He also got into one game on loan to the USHL’s Fargo Force.

Poulin makes the move to Merritt

The Merritt Centennials unveiled the addition of 2006-born defender Kiernan Poulin on Friday. Poulin, who calls Norwell, Massachusetts home, spent 2022-23 as an alternate captain for the Lovell Academy 16U AAA team. He played 39 games of 16U AAA hockey, tallying eight goals and 36 points.

He also made single-game appearances for the Boston Advantage in both the National Collegiate Development Conference and the United States Premier Hockey League Premier division. Poulin skated in a pair of games with Waterloo of the USHL as well.

Dubinsky gets an extension with the Silverbacks

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks and assistant coach Josh Dubinsky have reached an agreement on a contract extension that sees him return to the Shuswap in 2023-24. Dubinsky, a 25-year-old from Montreal, is also the Silverbacks’ video coach. He joined Salmon Arm prior to the 2022-23 season.

He split the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers and head coach of the NAHL’s Kenai River Brown Bears. Dubinsky was an assistant coach in Kenai River in 2020-21.

MacIntosh jumps from Alberni Valley to Brooks

2004-born Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Dakota MacIntosh has signed with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits for the 2023-24 season. He is committed to Merrimack College to begin his NCAA Division I career in September 2024.

MacIntosh, who is from Winnipeg, earned 17 goals and 38 points in 31 regular season games for the Bulldogs this past season. He also had 24 points in 19 Fred Page Cup playoff contests. MacIntosh started last season in the USHL with Fargo and posted two goals and an assist in eight games before joining Alberni Valley.

Davidson takes over as Calgary’s Director of Hockey Operations

72-year-old Garry Davidson was promoted to Director of Hockey Operations by the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League on Friday following the departure of general manager Jeff Chynoweth.

Davidson, from Virden, Man., has been Calgary’s Director of Player Personnel for the last two seasons. He has 13 seasons of experience in the BCHL as a head coach or general manager/head coach combination. Davidson coached Penticton from 1991-93, Victoria from 1996-98, Trail from 1999-2000, and Salmon Arm from 2001-08.

He also owned the Silverbacks in addition to being their general manager and head coach during his seven-year tenure in Salmon Arm.

Pinto leaves the Eagles to return to junior B

The Surrey Eagles are looking for a new head trainer and equipment manager after Stefan Pinto rejoined the Delta Ice Hawks of the Pacific Junior Hockey League as their head trainer.

The 29-year-old from Delta, B.C. was the Ice Hawks’ trainer in 2021-22 before making the jump to Surrey last season.

Harney commits to Trinity College to play NCAA Division III

2002-born defender Joe Harney (two games with Cowichan Valley in 2021-22) has committed to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut to start his NCAA Division III hockey career this fall.

The Needham, Massachusetts product got into 58 games with the New Jersey Jr. Titans of the NAHL in 2022-23 and finished with seven goals and 32 points. He also posted one assist in three NAHL playoff games earlier this spring.

Wruck takes his game to MacEwan University

North Vancouver, B.C. product Eduard Wruck (four games with Alberni Valley in 2020-21) has committed to playing U SPORTS hockey at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton starting this September.

Wruck, a 2002-born defender who has aged out of junior hockey, split the 2022-23 season between Weyburn of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and OCN of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. He had five assists in 22 SJHL games and five goals and 20 points in 29 MJHL contests.

Tufto leaves Germany for Iowa

Forward Odeen Tufto (25 goals, 40 assists in 57 games with Vernon in 2015-16) has inked a deal with the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL for the 2023-24 season.

The 26-year-old, who is from Chaska, Minnesota, started last season with Atlanta of the ECHL and had three goals and seven points in a dozen games before jumping to the DEL2’s Krefeld Pinguine in January. DEL2 is the second tier of German pro hockey. Tufto had five goals and 15 points in 12 games in Krefeld to close out the season.

MacDonald signs to return to Toulouse-Blagnac

Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia native Alex MacDonald (11 goals, nine assists in 53 games with Alberni Valley in 2016-17) has re-signed with Toulouse-Blagnac of French Ice Hockey Federation Division 2 for 2023-24. FFHG Division 2 is the third level of pro hockey in France.

The 26-year-old turned pro with Toulouse-Blagnac in 2022-23 and totaled nine goals and 17 points in 12 games. He contributed a goal and an assist during the FFHG Division 2 playoffs.

Schutz heads back to Hamm, Germany for 2023-24

28-year-old forward Chris Schutz (59 goals, 43 assists in 106 games with Alberni Valley from 2014-16) has signed an extension with Lippe-Hockey-Hamm for the 2023-24 Oberliga season. Oberliga is the third tier of professional hockey in Germany.

The native of Fort Worth, Texas was an alternate captain for Lippe-Hockey-Hamm this past season and tallied 53 goals and 92 points in 55 games. The upcoming season is Schutz’s third with the team. He also got into 12 games earlier this spring with the Melbourne Ice of the Australian Ice Hockey League.

In just a dozen AIHL games, Schutz had mind-boggling 25 goals and 45 points to finish fourth overall in league scoring. His 3.75 points per game was the best in the league.