BCHL Today: Cents sign goaltender Melnyk, Gibson joins the Grizzlies from Pittsburgh, Scheel wins NCHC weekly award, and more

 

Centennials sign Chilliwack Jets netminder Melnyk

The Merritt Centennials added 2003-born goaltender Brayden Melnyk to their roster for the 2020-21 season on Monday.

Melnyk, who’s from Chilliwack, was 0-3-0 with a 4.47 goals-against-average and a .860 save percentage in four games with the Chilliwack Jets of the Pacific Junior Hockey League this season.

He was 3-13-0 with a 6.00 GAA and a .878 SV% with Pacific Coast Academy U18 Prep of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League in 2019-20.

Melnyk was a ninth-round pick of the Saskatoon Blades in the 2018 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

Gibson goes from Pittsburgh to Victoria

The Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18U announced on Monday that 2003-born defenseman Justin Gibson has committed to the Victoria Grizzlies.

The blueliner, whose brother is veteran Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson, has a goal and five assists in 11 games with the Pens Elite 18U this season. He is also an alternate captain for the Penguins.

It’s unknown if Gibson’s commitment is for this BC Hockey League season or 2021-22.

Scheel earns goaltender of the week award

Netminder Adam Scheel (29-12-0, 2.08 GAA, .927 SV%, 3 SO in 45 games with Penticton in 2017-18) is the National Collegiate Hockey Conference goaltender of the week for games played between Jan. 20 and 24.

Scheel, who plays for the University of North Dakota, made 33 saves with a 0.50 GAA and a .971 SV% to backstop the Fighting Hawks to two wins on the weekend.

Teves and McKenzie featured on Utica training camp roster

The Utica Comets of the American Hockey League announced their training camp roster for the upcoming season and two former BCHL players are featured.

Defenseman Josh Teves (five goals, 28 assists in 57 games with Merritt in 2014-15) and forward Curtis McKenzie (33 goals, 41 assists in 102 games with Penticton from 2007-09) are both in camp with the Comets.

Teves, 25, had a pair of assists in 29 games with the Comets in 2019-20. He added four points in four ECHL games with the Kalamazoo Wings.

The 29-year-old McKenzie had 42 points in 61 games with the Chicago Wolves in 2019-20. He is a veteran of 355 AHL games over the last eight seasons.

Three BCHL alumni on Wolf Pack roster

The Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL unveiled its 2021 training camp roster on Monday and there are three former BCHL players among the attendees.

Forwards Shawn McBride (13 goals, 37 assists in 127 games for Victoria from 2011-15) and Patrick Newell (16 goals, 31 assists in 56 games with Penticton in 2014-15) along with defenseman Zach Giuttari (eight goals, nine assists in 54 games with Chilliwack in 2015-16) look to impress the Wolf Pack brass.

McBride, 25, split the 2019-20 season between Hartford and Norfolk of the ECHL. He totalled 13 points in 53 games between the two leagues.

Newell, 25, had 13 points in 57 games with the Wolf Pack as a rookie last season.

The 24-year-old Giuttari played one game with Hartford in 2019-20 after his fourth and final season at Brown University came to an end.

Six former BCHLers set to hit camp with Bakersfield

The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have six former BCHL players attending training camp with them.

They include three forwards, two defensemen, and a goaltender.

  • Luke Esposito (17 goals, 54 assists in 55 games with Chilliwack in 2012-13)
  • Devin Brosseau (58 goals, 96 assists in 144 games with Nanaimo from 2013-16)
  • Blake Christensen (16 goals, 20 assists in 52 games with Wenatchee in 2015-16)
  • Yanni Kaldis (18 goals, 92 assists in 112 games with Nanaimo from 2014-16)
  • Vincent Desharnais (one goal, four assists in 54 games with Chilliwack in 2014-15)
  • Angus Redmond (59-61-0, 2.94 GAA, .906 SV%, 8 SO in 132 games with Salmon Arm from 2013-16)

Also in camp with Bakersfield is Cranbrook Bucks part-owner Adam Cracknell.

Meyer inks ECHL deal in South Carolina

Defenseman Paul Meyer (eight goals, 26 assists in 58 games with Alberni Valley in 2015-16) has signed a contract with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays for the 2020-21 season.

Meyer, 24, played two games with the Solar Bears this season before being released earlier this month. He was signed by the Macon Mayhem of the Southern Professional Hockey League on Jan. 6 but hasn’t played any games with them.

Samanski leaves Iserlohn for Weiden Blue Devils

Forward Neal Samanski (20 goals, 47 assists in 88 games with Powell River from 2017-19) has signed with Blue Devils Weiden of the Oberliga, the third tier of hockey in Germany.

The 22-year-old was scoreless in four games with Iserlohn of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga this season. He had five points in 51 games with the Roosters in 2019-20. The DEL is the top tier of German hockey.