Bucks trade Yim to Prince George
After 34 career games with the team, the Cranbrook Bucks traded 2004-born defender Markus Yim to the Prince George Spruce Kings in exchange for future considerations on Monday.
Yim, a product of Vancouver, was a rookie with the Bucks in 2022-23 and finished with a goal and four assists in 30 games. He also played four games during the playoffs but didn’t register a point.
Silverbacks lose Boilard brothers to Bae-Comeau Drakkar
The Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has signed 2004-born forward Jules Boilard and 2006-born forward Raoul Boilard for the 2023-24 season.
The brothers, who hail from Sherbrooke, Que., split the 2022-23 season between the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Salmon Arm Silverbacks following a trade in December. Jules ended the season with six goals and 15 points in 45 games while Raoul posted 10 goals and 22 points in 48 contests.
They were previously committed to playing NCAA hockey at the University of Nebraska-Omaha but lost that eligibility by signing with the Drakkar. Baie-Comeau acquired their QMJHL rights in two separate trades last month.
Hughes and Monteiro to represent Team USA
A pair of forwards who will be B.C. Hockey League rookies in 2023-24 were named to the roster for the United States at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Monday. Joining the Americans are 2006-born forward JJ Monteiro and 2006-born forward Callum Hughes.
Monteiro, who’s set to join the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, is from Hudson, Massachusetts. He had 52 goals and 111 points in 70 prep hockey games as team captain at Mount St. Charles Academy last season.
Hughes is a Boston University commit who will suit up for the West Kelowna Warriors this season. The Basking Ridge, New Jersey product played 39 games with Mount St. Charles in 2022-23, posting 14 goals and 52 points.
Silverbacks give Christensen a two-year extension
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks and general manager Brooks Christensen have reached an agreement on a contract extension that sees him remain with the team through at least the 2024-25 season. Christensen, a 32-year-old from Salmon Arm, B.C., is coming off his fourth season as Silverbacks’ GM and seventh season overall.
He started out with the Silverbacks coaching staff in 2015-16 as an assistant coach and video coach. Christensen was promoted to operations manager in 2018-19 and spent four seasons in the role as well as adding the general manager title in 2019-20.
BCHL unveils Coastal Conference Kyle Turris Community Award winners
The BCHL announced the nine winners of the Kyle Turris Community Award from the Coastal Conference for the 2022-23 season on Monday. Each team in the conference submitted its winner for the award.
The recipients from the Coastal Conference for this season are:
- Alberni Valley Bulldogs – 2002-born forward Chase Klassen
- Chilliwack Chiefs – 2004-born forward Bryan Jones
- Coquitlam Express – 2002-born forward Mateo Dixon
- Cowichan Valley Capitals – 2002-born goaltender McCoy Bidewell
- Langley Rivermen – 2002-born defender Joseph Messina
- Nanaimo Clippers – 2002-born forward Michael Craig
- Powell River Kings – 2003-born forward Karter McNarland
- Surrey Eagles – 2002-born defender Brody Gagno
- Victoria Grizzlies – 2002-born forward Devin deVries
Royals bring back Butcher for 2023-24
29-year-old forward Alec Butcher (one assist in eight games with Prince George in 2012-13) has inked a contract extension with the Reading Royals of the ECHL for the 2023-24 season.
The product of Anchorage, Alaska is rolling into his fifth ECHL season after putting up 21 goals and 49 points with the Royals in 2022-23. In 230 career ECHL games with Wheeling, Rapid City, and Reading, Butcher has 71 goals and 154 points.
Brière turns pro in Slovakia
23-year-old forward Carson Brière (three goals, nine assists in 24 games with Trail in 2019-20) has signed his first professional contract with HC 19 Humenne in Slovakia’s Tipos Extraliga for the upcoming season.
Brière, from Haddonfield, New Jersey, played NCAA Division I hockey at Mercyhurst University for the last three seasons, compiling 23 goals and 59 points in 82 games. He was removed from the team after a video surfaced of him pushing a wheelchair down a flight of stairs at an Erie, Pennsylvania bar in March.
Saurauer hangs up his skates after a 15-year pro career
Forward Andrew Sarauer (54 goals, 49 assists in 114 games with Victoria and Langley from 2002-04) has retired from Fehérvár AV19 of ICE Hockey League, which is the top tier of hockey in Austria.
Sarauer, 38, has played with Fehérvár AV19 for nine of the past 10 seasons and posted eight goals and 18 points in 48 games with the club in 2023-24. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native has dual Canadian-Hungarian citizenship.
Johnson moves to Courchevel-Méribel-Pralognan for 2023-24
Port Moody, B.C. product Kyle Johnson (42 goals, 65 assists in 151 games with Prince George from 2015-18) has signed a deal for the 2023-24 season with Courchevel-Méribel-Pralognan of the French Ice Hockey Federation Division 2. It’s the third level of pro hockey in France.
The 25-year-old turned pro with Neuilly-sur-Marne of FFHG Division 1 in 2022-23. In 26 games, the Yale University alum had 10 goals and 15 points. Johnson added five goals and seven points in five FFHG Division 1 playoff games.
