BCHL, Coastal Conference

BCHL Today: Grizzlies swing a pair of deals and former Eagles captain switches schools

Written by Brian Wiebe on

 

Grizz ship Fontana to Manitoba

The Victoria Grizzlies were busy on Sunday with the announcement of two trades. The first saw Victoria send 2001-born forward Kahlil Fontana to the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League for future considerations in the form of a player development fee.

Fontana, who’s from Duncan, BC, had five goals and six assists in 40 games with the Grizzlies after joining them early in the 2019-20 season. He also had eight goals and ten assists in 13 games with the junior B Westshore Wolves of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.

The Grizzlies also added a veteran to their blueline with the addition of 2000-born defenseman Hardy Wagner from the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in exchange for 2002-born defenseman Chace Oliver.

Wagner, who’s from Regina, Saskatchewan, had 10 goals and 29 assists in 102 games with the Hounds over the last two seasons. He added three assists in three playoff games in 2019.

Oliver had three assists in 41 games with the Grizzlies as a rookie. The Scottsdale, Arizona product had no assists in two playoff games with Victoria.

Smith transfers from Quinnipiac to Hamilton College

Defenseman Jeremy Smith (13 goals, 17 assists in 48 games with Trail and Surrey in 2018-19) has transferred from NCAA Div. I Quinnipiac University to NCAA Div. III Hamilton College for this coming fall.

Smith didn’t play any games for Quinnipiac as a freshman this past season and instead skated as a squad member for the Bobcats.

Brian's been involved in the BCHL in a variety of capacities for 17 years. From 2002 to 2012, he served in several roles around the Merritt Centennials organization, including as team president, board member, beat writer, colour commentator, webmaster, media and communications coordinator and marketing assistant. He's been writing about the BCHL since 2008 and served as colour commentator on the TSN 1040 broadcasts in 2012-13. BCHLNetwork is one of Brian's many passion projects that he balances around his full-time job as an instructor in the Radio Arts and Entertainment Program at BCIT in Burnaby.