Hirose signs a new contract with Vancouver
Restricted free agent defender Akito Hirose (20 goals, 102 assists in 208 games with Salmon Arm from 2016-20) has signed a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks worth $1.575 million.
Hirose, a native of Calgary, finished with three assists in seven games for the Canucks in 2022-23 after signing a one-year contract with them as a college free agent in March. He wrapped up a three-year NCAA career at Minnesota State University Mankato this past season, finishing with seven goals and 68 points in 104 games.
Five with BCHL ties attend Kraken development camp
The Seattle Kraken has five players with BCHL ties on the roster for its 2023 development camp, which started on Sunday.
19-year-old West Kelowna Warriors forward Ben MacDonald (23 goals, 27 assists in 52 games with West Kelowna in 2022-23), 19-year-old defenders Tyson Jugnauth (13 goals, 54 assists in 75 games with West Kelowna from 2020-22) and Hudson Thornton (six goals, 11 assists in 54 games with Chilliwack in 2019-20), 22-year-old defender Ben Wozney (eight goals, 38 assists in 106 games with Prince George, Powell River, and Penticton from 2017-21), 20-year-old goaltender Logan Terness (34-17-4, 2.57 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, three shutouts in 59 games with Trail from 2018-21) are among those attending.
From Weston, Massachusetts, MacDonald posted 23 goals and 50 points in 52 games with the Warriors during the 2022-23 B.C. Hockey League season. He is committed to Harvard University starting this September.
Jugnauth, who hails from Toronto, played 32 games at the University of Wisconsin this past season, putting up five goals and 10 assists. He is entering his sophomore season with the Badgers in 2023-24.
Thornton, a product of Winnipeg, spent the last two seasons in the Western Hockey League with Prince George. In 139 career WHL games with the Cougars, he has 38 goals and 122 points.
Wozney is from Richmond, B.C., and compiled two goals and 15 points as a sophomore at Bowling Green State University in 2022-23.
Terness wrapped his second NCAA season at the University of Connecticut in 2022-23. In 17 games, the Burnaby, B.C. native was 9-6-2 with a 2.53 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage, and one shutout. He has transferred to Ohio State University for this coming season.
McGuire goes camping with the Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild unveiled their development camp roster on Saturday, and it includes 20-year-old centre Ryan McGuire (four goals, six assists in 17 games with Penticton in 2020-21).
The product of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que., has played the last two seasons at Colgate University, finishing with five goals and 14 points in 77 NCAA Division I games.
Blue Jackets development camp features three former BCHLers
The Columbus Blue Jackets unveiled their 2023 development camp roster and schedule on Sunday, and three former BCHL players are among those taking part.
23-year-old forward Ben Poisson (55 goals, 59 assists in 165 games with Prince George from 2015-19), from Vancouver, spent the last four NCAA seasons at the University of Maine. He’s put up 25 goals and 57 points in 118 games.
21-year-old forward Nick Poisson (35 goals, 42 assists in 107 games with Prince George from 2018-20) racked up 10 goals and 20 points in 37 games at Providence College this past season. The Vancouver, B.C. native has 69 points in 98 career NCAA games.
23-year-old forward Joey Musa (14 goals, 21 assists in 56 games with Langley in 2019-20) is coming off his sophomore NCAA season at Dartmouth College. The Orange Park, Florida product had three goals and 12 points in 30 games in 2022-23.
Hunt and Poolman sign with Calgary
The Calgary Flames announced on Sunday the re-signing of defender Colton Poolman (three goals, 37 assists in 57 games with Penticton in 2015-16) and forward Dryden Hunt.
Poolman signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000. The 27-year-old from East Grand Forks, Minnesota, had two goals and 14 points in 64 games with the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League in 2022-23.
Hunt, a 27-year-old from Cranbrook, B.C., signed a two-year deal with $1.55 million. He finished this past season with five goals and 15 points in 17 games for the Wranglers. He also put up nine points in 15 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Additionally, Hunt got into 37 NHL games with the Rangers, Colorado, and Toronto, in 2022-23 and tallied three goals.
Lombardi set to attend Coyotes development camp
The Arizona Coyotes development camp starts on Monday, and it features one former BCHL player in forward Michael Lombardi (14 goals, 21 assists in 45 games with Chilliwack and West Kelowna in 2017-18).
The 24-year-old native of Barrington, Rhode Island turned pro with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL in April. He scored in his lone appearance with Tucson. Lombardi was with Quinnipiac University for the last five seasons, posting 38 goals and 79 points in 175 career NCAA games.
Moore signs with Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák for 2023-24
Defender Meirs Moore (seven goals, 40 assists in 58 games with Victoria in 2014-15) has signed with Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák of Erste Liga for the 2023-24 season. Erste Liga is organized for teams based in Hungary and Romania.
Moore, a 28-year-old who’s from Västervik, Sweden, had four goals and 11 points in 35 games with Tyringe SoSS of HockeyEttan this past season. HockeyEttan is the third tier of pro hockey in Sweden.
