Cents defender Davidson goes camping with Norway
2004-born Merritt Centennials defender Liam Davidson has been invited to camp with Norway’s U20 national team.
Davidson, who played for Norway in April’s World U18 Division I Group A Hockey Championship, had a goal and three assists in 40 games for the Cents this past season.
The rookie blueliner from Trondheim, NOR didn’t get into any games with Norway, which finished second and was promoted to the 2023 top division.
Bonkowski soars onto the Eagles’ blueline
The Surrey Eagles announced the signing of 2006-born defender Rylan Bonkowski on Friday afternoon.
In 20 games with Burnaby Winter Club U18 Prep of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League in 2021-22, the Richmond, BC product had a goal and 10 assists.
Bonkowski, whose brother Jacob is entering his third BCHL season and second with the Eagles, played one game in Surrey as an affiliate this past season. He also got into two playoff games with the Eagles.
Bucks add Minardi to their coaching staff
On Friday, the Cranbrook Bucks announced the addition of 30-year-old Colin Minardi as an assistant coach for the 2022-23 season. He joins general manager and head coach Ryan Donald and assistant coach Myles Fitzgerald on the Bucks’ bench.
The Summerland, BC native was an associate coach for the Prince George Spruce Kings in 2019-20 and an assistant coach for the Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA of the BC Elite Hockey League in 2020-21.
Minardi had a three-and-a-half-year junior B career, spending all but 10 games in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Bochen transfers from Quinnipiac to Bentley
Defender Nick Bochen (15 goals, 57 assists in 106 games with Prince George from 2017-20) has transferred from Quinnipiac University to Bentley University, starting this September.
The 20-year-old from North Vancouver, BC posted four goals and seven points in 33 NCAA games with the Bobcats over the last two seasons.
Vela signs in Europe for the first time in his career
25-year-old forward Marcus Vela (31 goals, 37 assists in 104 games with Langley from 2013-15) signed a deal for 2022-23 with Västerviks IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, which is the second-highest league in Sweden.
Vela, who calls Burnaby, BC home, played 42 games with Hershey of the American Hockey League last season, collecting six goals and 10 points. He has also appeared in 24 games with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, picking up 12 goals and eight assists.
He was a seventh-round selection, 190th overall, by the San Jose Sharks in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Brooks to play in Great Britain’s second-highest hockey league
Forward Zachary Brooks (15 goals, 22 assists in 77 games with Cowichan Valley and West Kelowna from 2019-21) has signed with the Leeds Knights of the U.K.’s National Ice Hockey League for 2022-23.
Brooks, 20, played with the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 2021-22, finishing with 22 goals and 50 points in 60 games.
The Bromont, QC product also played two games in the ECHL with the Trois-Rivières Lions after signing with them on Mar. 15. He was released by the Lions on Mar. 29.
Wood joins junior B Buccaneers as a coach
21-year-old Blake Wood (11-21-1, 3.77 goals-against average, .898 save percentage in 39 games with Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, and Victoria from 2018-20) has retired from hockey and joined his hometown Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League as an assistant coach.
Wood will also serve as goaltender coach for the Buccaneers. He is an alumnus of Nanaimo’s junior B club, playing 40 games for the Bucs from 2017-19. Wood was selected by the Kamloops Blazers in the eighth round of the 2016 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.
