Salmon Arm vs. West Kelowna first career BCHL goals
How about a couple of firsts?
Here are @julianrecine67 & @Cameronrecchi's 1st BCHL goals from today's win!#GoBacksGo pic.twitter.com/3Bx03ih9SB
— Salmon Arm Silverbacks (@SASilverbacks) April 9, 2021
2002-born forward Julian Recine notched his first career BCHL goal to open the scoring for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in a 4-3 overtime win against West Kelowna Warriors.
It’s his fourth BCHL game after being acquired by the Backs from the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League in February. He scored 20 goals in 60 games split between the Sens and the Kanata Lasers last season.
His dad Mark scored 26 goals in the BCHL with Langley during the 1984-85 season, and now Cameron Recchi is only 25 goals behind him.
The 2001-born forward posted his first in the BCHL on Thursday at the 12:52 mark of the second period to give Salmon Arm a 2-1 lead over the Warriors. The goal came in Recchi’s fourth BCHL game.
Warriors hometown forward Riley Sharun tallied his first career BCHL goal 14:38 into the first period for West Kelowna against the Silverbacks.
The 2003-born native of West Kelowna put up nine goals and 20 points in 37 games with the Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA during the 2019-20 season. He committed to the Warriors last September.
Heading into Thursday’s game against the Silverbacks, 2001-born forward Marcus Joughin was averaging a point-per-game in the BCHL. It continued in the loss to Salmon Arm as he scored his first career BCHL goal and now has three points in three games.
Joughin, a product of Tecumseh, Ontario who’s committed to Sacred Heart University for this fall, had one assist in a dozen games with the Warriors during the exhibition season.
Chilliwack vs. Merritt first career BCHL goals
AFTER 1 presented by Canadian Tire
Walker Erickson with an absolute beauty from the slot, Josh Olson with his 1st in the BCHL!
Cents need to keep bringing the intensity heading to the 2nd! #SaddleUp
📸 @garrettjames22 pic.twitter.com/D8dXhmaBDd— Merritt Centennials (@BCHLCentennials) April 9, 2021
Merritt forward Josh Olson‘s first BCHL goal came with 14:30 left in the first period to open the scoring in a 4-3 win against Chilliwack.
The 2001-born native of Salmon Arm posted a respectable 13 goals and 30 points in 35 games with the Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League in 2019-20.
No stranger to scoring in the BC U18 League, 2002-born Centennials forward Alexander Ochitwa scored his first career BCHL goal at the 7:46 point of the second period on Thursday.
Ochitwa posted 40 goals over the course of two seasons with the Cariboo Cougars U18 AAA. He played five games with Merritt during the exhibition season but did get onto the scoresheet.
Harvard University commit Cameron Johnson is another player who sniped his first BCHL goal on Thursday. The 2004-born forward tallied the Chiefs’ third goal with 2:12 remaining in the second period.
The Vancouver native, who is on loan to Chilliwack from the Langley Rivermen, had 29 goals and 78 points in 33 games with St. George’s School Elite 15s in the CSSHL last season.
Penticton vs. Trail first career BCHL goals
The first @BCHockeyLeague goal from Grayson Arnott and Luc Wilson second tally of the season have the Vees ahead by a 2-0 score!
SOG 15-8 in favour of the Vees!#BCHL pic.twitter.com/3pmpHH30J9
— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) April 9, 2021
Veteran Grayson Arnott scored seven goals in the Ontario Junior Hockey League last season, but the 2001-born defenseman had the game-winner for Penticton in the first period for his first BCHL goal en route to a 6-0 win over Trail.
Arnott, who hails from Toronto, had his rights acquired by the Vees from the Oakville Blades in a trade for future considerations back on Feb. 20.
Defenseman Frank Djurasevic tallied his first career BCHL goal 10:53 into the third period to close out the scoring for the Vees in the win over the Smoke Eaters.
The 2002-born native of New Rochelle, New York, put up eight goals and 34 points in 40 games with the North Jersey Avalanche 18U AAA and Trinity-Pawling School during the 2019-20 season. He was recruited by Penticton last May.
Benn notches 400th career NHL assist
IT’S HERE AND IT’S EPIC
Congrats to @jamiebenn14 on 400 assists 👊 pic.twitter.com/8QxuMqjQap
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 9, 2021
Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn (42 goals and 23 assists in 61 games with Victoria from 2005-07) celebrated his 400th career National Hockey League assist on Thursday.
The milestone helper came in a 5-1 win over Chicago. The 31-year-old from Victoria has seven goals and 20 points in 34 games with the Stars this season, his 12th in Dallas after being drafted in the 5th round, 129th overall, in 2007.
Driscoll transfers to UND
@UNDmhockey pic.twitter.com/We8EK99eph
— Zach Driscoll (@Zach_Driscoll) April 9, 2021
Bemidji State University goaltender Zach Driscoll (21-4, 1.90 goals-against-average, .933 save percentage, 4 SO in 26 games with Penticton in 2015-16) announced his transfer to the University of North Dakota starting with the 2021-22 season.
The 24-year-old from Apple Valley, Minnesota, is 52-35-12 with a 2.19 GAA, a .920 save percentage, and 10 shutouts in 102 games with Bemidji State over the last three seasons.
Carr called up to the Washington Capitals roster
#Caps loan forward Richard Panik to Taxi Squad and recall forward Daniel Carr from Taxi Squad to Caps roster.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 8, 2021
Forward Daniel Carr (10 goals, 17 assists in 22 games with Powell River in 2009-10) was called up by the Washington Capitals from their taxi squad on Thursday.
The 29-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alberta has one assist in four games with the Capitals this season after signing with them last October.
Bodie signs extension with Ingolstadt
Vertrag verlängert 🖌️💪
Mat Bodie bleibt den Panthern treu. Das ist mal ein richtiger Kracher.
Alle Infos unter https://t.co/Q63dOrDJGJ pic.twitter.com/WuHhbpqNMj
— ERC Ingolstadt (@ERCIngolstadt) April 8, 2021
Defenseman Mathew Bodie (nine goals, 75 assists in 104 games with Powell River from 2008-10) has signed a contract extension with ERC Ingolstadt of the German Hockey League through the 2021-22 season.
The 31-year-old from East St. Paul, Manitoba, had three goals and 22 points in 25 games with Ingolstadt this season.
Three Stars of the Night
First Star: Coquitlam forward Tyler Schleppe had two goals and an assist as the Express dumped Surrey 5-2.
Second Star: Penticton forward Luc Wilson notched two goals and an assist in the Vees 6-0 win over Trail.
Third Star: Silverbacks forward Noah Serdachny tallied a goal and added two assists in Salmon Arm’s narrow 4-3 overtime victory against West Kelowna.
Honourable Mentions: Express defenseman Alek Sukunda put up a goal and two assists. Coquitlam forward Ryan Tattle and Warriors forward Riley Sharun each scored a pair of goals. Merritt forwards Alexander Ochitwa and Josh Olson each had a goal and an assist. Vees goaltender Kaeden Lane made 20 saves for the shutout.