BC Hockey League sets 2022 exhibition schedule
The BC Hockey League announced details for its 2022 exhibition season schedule on Tuesday. The schedule has a total of 49 games over 16 days, from Sept. 3 – 18.
The schedule sees all 18 of the league’s teams play anywhere from three to nine games.
There are also 10 exhibition games scheduled in alternate venues. Six of the 10 have BCHL clubs squaring off against teams from outside of the league.
The Cranbrook Bucks meet a pair of Alberta Junior Hockey League clubs to open their exhibition schedule. They visit the Brooks Bandits on Sept. 10 before travelling north to face the Okotoks Oilers on Sept. 11.
The Wenatchee Wild has an unprecedented four games against teams from the United States Hockey League to close out its exhibition season. The Wild visits the Fargo Force on Sept. 14, Sioux Falls Stampede on Sept. 16, and Sioux City Musketeers on Sept. 17 before returning to Fargo to play the Force on Sept. 18.
Chilton Arena in Port McNeill, BC plays host to Powell River and Alberni Valley on Sept. 17 and 18 in a pair of games that sees the Kings as the home team in one matchup and the Bulldogs as the home squad in the other.
Merritt and Chilliwack meet in the middle on Sept. 7 as the Centennials and Chiefs faceoff in Hope, BC. The Hope and District Recreation Centre is about 30 minutes from Chilliwack and about an hour from Merritt.
The Victoria Grizzlies and Cowichan Valley Capitals will travel to the southern tip of Vancouver Island on Sept. 5 for a late-summer meeting in Sooke, BC.
The 2022-23 BCHL regular season is set to open on Sept. 23.
Express brings in Moger from the Spruce Kings
The Coquitlam Express has acquired 2002-born defender Cameron Moger from the Prince George Spruce Kings. Moger’s junior A rights were picked up by PG on June 2 as the future considerations to complete a trade from last October which saw 2001-born forward Corey Cunningham go from the Spruce Kings to Trail.
Moger, from Vernon, BC, is committed to Michigan Tech University for September 2023. He had five goals and 17 points in 46 games for Trail this past season after posting a goal in five games during the 2020-21 pod season.
Davidson set to tower over Chilliwack this season
The Chilliwack Chiefs have signed 2002-born forward Aaron Davidson, who played with the Florida Eels of the United States Premier Hockey League in 2021-22.
The left wing had seven goals and 17 points in 41 games with the Eels this past season. He spent the previous two seasons playing junior B hockey with Stratford of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Davidson, a product of Pattsville, ON, stands 6’9″ and weighs 229 lbs. He might just be the tallest player in BCHL history.
Klemm joins the Clippers for 2022-23
The Nanaimo Clippers announced the commitment of 2004-born defender Lukas Klemm for the 2022-23 BC Hockey League season on Tuesday.
The Ridgefield, CT product spent the 2021-22 season with the Jamestown Rebels of the North American Hockey League, tallying eight goals and 18 points in 56 games.
Klemm also got into nine games with the Rebels during the NAHL playoffs but didn’t register any points. He is a graduate of Don Bosco Prep School in Ramsey, NJ.
Cousins is off to Queen’s University of U SPORTS
Prince George Spruce Kings captain Kolton Cousins has committed to Queen’s University in Kingston, ON to play U SPORTS hockey starting this September.
Cousins, a 21-year-old from Sechelt, BC, wrapped up his BCHL career this past season after getting into 189 games between Prince George and Cowichan Valley.
He finishes junior hockey with 33 goals and 61 points during the regular season and three goals and 10 points in 26 BCHL playoff games.
Dubinsky will be on Salmon Arm’s bench this season
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks unveiled on Tuesday that they have signed Josh Dubinsky as an assistant coach.
The product of Montreal, QC finished the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. He also spent time over the last two seasons with the NAHL’s Kenai River Brown Bears as both an assistant coach and head coach.
Prior to joining the Brown Bears, he was an assistant coach at Ridley College in the Midwest Prep Hockey League from 2016-20.
Johnston gets promoted by the West Kelowna Warriors
31-year-old Chase Johnston of Mission, BC has been promoted to the West Kelowna Warriors’ director of communications and business development.
Johnston, who’s an alumnus of the BCIT Radio Arts and Entertainment Program, has served as the Warriors’ director of media relations and broadcasting for the last four seasons. He will continue to hold down that role for West Kelowna.
Keith hangs up his skates after a 17-year NHL career
Edmonton Oilers 38-year-old defender Duncan Keith (27 goals, 91 assists in 119 games with Penticton from 1999-2001) retired from professional hockey on Tuesday after a 17-year National Hockey League career.
Keith, who is from Winnipeg, MB, had a goal and 20 assists in 64 games with the Oilers this past season. He also notched five points in 16 playoff games for Edmonton.
He is one of the all-time great former BCHL players, having won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, two Olympic gold medals, a Conn Smythe Trophy as NHL playoff most valuable player, and two Norris Trophies as the NHL’s top defender.
Cholowski cut loose by the Seattle Kraken
Defender Dennis Cholowski (16 goals, 51 assists in 106 games with Chilliwack from 2014-16) wasn’t qualified by the NHL’s Seattle Kraken on Monday and is now an unrestricted free agent available to sign with any team.
Cholowski, 24, had three assists in 11 NHL games split between the Kraken and Washington Capitals this season. The Langley, BC product added three goals and 18 points in 31 American Hockey League games with the Charlotte Checkers.
