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BCHL Today: Warriors promote and extend Ferguson, Eagles add Slipec, and more!

Written by Brian Wiebe on

Warriors add to Ferguson’s portfolio and extend his contract

The West Kelowna Warriors have added the general manager title to head coach Simon Ferguson‘s portfolio as he enters his third season behind the bench.

Ferguson took over on an interim basis when Brandon West was fired on Dec. 28, 2020, and led West Kelowna to a 9-10-1-1 record. The interim tag was removed on Mar. 10, 2020.

At that time, he signed a two-year contract with the Warriors, but that’s now been extended to carry through to the 2023-24 BC Hockey League season.

West Kelowna finished third in the Vernon pod during the 2020-21 season with an 8-10-2 record.

Eagles recruit Slipec for 2021-22 season

The Surrey Eagles announced the addition of 2005-born forward Grayden Slipec for the 2021-22 BCHL season on Monday.

The product of Surrey, BC had two goals and five points in four games with Burnaby Winter Club Prep in the Canadian Sport School U18 Hockey League in 2020-21.

Slipec was chosen in the second round, 28th overall, by the Chicago Steel in this year’s USHL Futures Draft. He also went in the second round, 27th overall, to the Kamloops Blazers in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft.

His older brother, Jacob, had 14 points in 17 games with Surrey this past season.

Pavlisin commits to the University of Wisconsin-Superior

Goaltender Landon Pavlisin (9-13-0, 3.71 goals-against-average, .894 save percentage in 24 games with Nanaimo in 2018-19) has transferred from Norwich University to the University of Wisconsin-Superior for the 2021-22 season.

The 21-year-old from Orange, CA, played one NCAA Division III game at Norwich this past season, finishing with an 0-1 record along with a 2.06 goals-against-average and a .905 save percentage.

Rockwood moves from Finland to Slovakia

Forward Adam Rockwood (19 goals, 81 assists in 107 games with Coquitlam from 2012-14) has signed with HK Nitra of Tipos Extraliga, which is the top level of hockey in Slovakia.

Rockwood, 25, posted no points in nine games with Ilves of Finland’s Liiga this past season. He had four goals and 20 points in 24 games as well with MODO of HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of pro hockey in Sweden.

Iacobellis signs in Italy for 2021-22

Forward Steven Iacobellis (35 goals, 65 assists in 149 games with Salmon Arm, Cowichan Valley, and Penticton from 2010-13) has signed with Asiago of the Alps Hockey League, which is a professional league based in Central Europe.

Iacobellis, 27, had a goal and an assist in a dozen games for Västerås IK in HockeyAllsvenskan this season before the team and the Port Coquitlam, BC product parted ways in February.

He signed with HC Nove Namky in Slovakia and posted six goals and 13 points in a dozen games to round out the 2020-21 season.

Zawatsky and Zerter-Gossage released by EV Weiden

Forwards Lewis Zerter-Gossage (18 goals, 28 assists in 57 games with Penticton in 2014-15) and Alec Zawatsky (eight goals, nine assists in 57 games with Cowichan Valley from 2016-17) were cut loose by Blue Devils Weiden of Oberliga, the third tier of hockey in Germany, on Monday.

Zerter-Gossage, who’s from Montreal, QC, notched four goals and six points in 11 games in Weiden. It was the 26-year-old’s first experience playing in Europe.

Zawatsky, a 21-year-old from Winfield, BC had three goals and seven points in 18 games with the Blue Devils in 2020-21, his first professional season.

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.