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BCHL Today: Nine Rivermen find new teams, Caps add affiliates, and more

Written by Brian Wiebe on

Rivermen players find new teams for pod season

With the Langley Rivermen going on hiatus for the 2020-21 BCHL season, their players are free to be loaned to other teams in the league.

So far, nine players the Rivermen signed for this season have found new homes, and their rights will revert back to Langley on June 1.

The Coquitlam Express have added 2001-born forward Tyler Schleppe, 2002-born forward Keeton Oakley, and 2000-born defensemen Colten Kovich and Will Dow-Kenny on loan from the Rivermen.

Schleppe, who was acquired by Langley in a trade with Nanaimo in November, had three goals and seven points for the Clippers during the exhibition season.

The Vancouverite actually played for the Express in 2019-20, scoring 32 points in 56 games before being dealt to Nanaimo last June as part of a three-way trade that also involved Merritt.

Oakley potted one goal in 10 games with the Rivermen during exhibition play. He spent the 2019-20 season playing junior B with the Langley Trappers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League and posted 48 points in 42 games.

Kovich is a three-year veteran with Langley who had a pair of assists in 10 exhibition games. He has five goals and 20 points in 159 career BCHL games, all with the Rivermen.

Dow-Kenny is entering his third full season in the BCHL. He had one assist in nine games for the Riv during the exhibition season. In 103 career BCHL games with Langley, Vernon, and Chilliwack, he’s posted four goals and 22 points.

Two players go from Langley to Trail

The Trail Smoke Eaters have brought in 2002-born defenseman Ryan Helliwell and 2002-born forward Kalen Szeto on loan from Langley.

Helliwell is off to the University of Notre Dame this September. He was second in scoring from the blueline for the Riv during the exhibition season with four points in 10 games. The Burnaby Winter Club alumnus has seven goals and 35 points in 95 career BCHL games in Langley.

Szeto, who’s committed to Yale for this fall, was third in scoring on the Rivermen in exhibition with two goals and eight points in nine games. As a sophomore in Langley last season, the Vancouver product put up 10 goals and 34 points in 56 games.

Caps add two veterans from Langley

Cowichan Valley was loaned two players from the Rivermen as 2001-born forward Riley Wallack and 2001-born defenseman Stephen Sielsky will join the Capitals.

Wallack, who hails from White Rock, BC, tallied one assist in 10 games with Langley during the exhibition season. He’s entering his second BCHL season after putting up four goals and nine points in 58 games as a rookie with the Rivermen in 2019-20.

Sielsky is a stay-at-home blueliner from Langley. He was scoreless in nine games during the exhibition season. He’s spent the last 1.5 seasons with the Rivermen, putting up a total of five assists in 68 games.

Cents add a Rivermen veteran to their lineup

The Merritt Centennials have received 2000-born forward Matteo Pecchia on loan from the Rivermen.

The North Vancouverite had a goal and an assist in nine exhibition games with Langley last fall. In 76 career BCHL games with the Rivermen and Surrey, Pecchia has six goals and 15 points.

Capitals add a pair as affiliate players

The Cowichan Valley Capitals have added three affiliate players from the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, which cancelled its 2020-21 season last month.

Joining the Caps as APs are 2002-born defensemen Corey Lui of the Westshore Wolves, Owen Evers of the Victoria Cougars, and Dylan MacTavish of the Nanaimo Buccaneers.

Lui, a product of Markham, Ontario, had two goals and 12 points in a dozen games with the Wolves this season.

Evers, from Victoria, put up two goals and six points in nine games with his hometown Cougars this season.

MacTavish had 32 penalty minutes in seven games with the Buccaneers this season after spending 2019-20 playing junior B in Ontario with the Perth Blue Wings.

Shepard to miss WHL season due to injury

Steve Ewen of Postmedia reported on Wednesday that 2002-born forward Cole Shepard (seven goals, 18 assists in 55 games with Penticton from 2018-19) will miss the Western Hockey League’s 24-game season with an injury.

Shepard, who originally hails from Toronto, had 11 goals and 29 points in 50 games with the Vancouver Giants in 2019-20.

Bears bring in Christopoulos

GoaltenderΒ Billy Christopoulos (22-22-0 with a 3.05 GAA, a .906 SV%, 3 SO in 46 games with Alberni Valley in 2014-15) has signed a professional tryout with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.

The 27-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina is 6-4 with a 2.13 goals-against-average, a .918 save percentage, and one shutout in 11 games with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL this season.

Christopoulos signed a PTO with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights earlier this month but didn’t play any games.

Gendron released by Colorado of the ECHL

Defenseman Miles Gendron (five goals, 12 assists in 54 games with Penticton in 2014-15) has been released from his pro tryout with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.

The 24-year-old from Oakville, Ontario had one goal in four games with the Eagles since signing a PTO with them last week. He has six goals and 11 points in 24 games with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies this season.