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BCHL Today: Donaldson heads back to Nanaimo, Smoke Eaters add Minnesota commit Strobel, and more!

Brian Wiebe

 

Clippers get Donaldson back for his final season

The Nanaimo Clippers announced the return of 2001-born forward, University of Connecticut commit Sean Donaldson for the 2021-22 BC Hockey League season on Thursday.

Donaldson was with the Clippers during the BCHL’s extended training camp season and finished with 10 goals and 10 assists in 16 games.

When the BCHL season was delayed due to the pandemic, Donaldson left for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. He had a goal and five points in 24 games with the Stampede to round out the season.

Smokies add Minnesota commit Strobel

The Trail Smoke Eaters announced on Thursday the addition of 2001-born forward Charlie Strobel, who is committed to the University of Minnesota for 2022-23.

Strobel, a native of Stillwater, MN, played four games for the US Hockey League’s Muskegon Lumberjacks this season and had one assist. In 2021-22, he posted three goals and five points in 19 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL.

Express trade Makaj to Blackfalds of the AJHL

The Coquitlam Express has traded 2001-born goaltender Jesse Makaj to the Blackfalds Bulldogs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League for future considerations.

The native of Vancouver, BC didn’t play in 2020-21 but spent the previous two seasons in the Western Hockey League. He was with Kootenay in 2018-19 and went with the franchise to Winnipeg in 2019-20.

In 60 career WHL games, Makaj is 15-32-9 with a 4.17 goals-against-average, an .875 save percentage, and one shutout.

Washington claims Cholowski off waivers

The Washington Capitals have claimed defenseman Dennis Cholowski (16 goals, 51 assists in 106 games with Chilliwack from 2014-16) off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.

The 23-year-old from Langley, BC has 10 goals and 27 points in 104 games with the Detroit Red Wings and six goals and 35 points in 69 games with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins during his career. He was Seattle’s selection from Detroit, third overall, in July’s NHL expansion draft.

AHL Canucks sign Brubacher

Defenseman Adam Brubacher (18 goals, 31 assists in 58 games with Prince George and Powell River in 2015-16) signed a one-year contract with the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old from Elmira, ON played seven games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in 2020-21 and scored a pair of goals.

Brian Wiebe

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.