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BCHL Today: BCHL players attracting NHL attention, additional WHL players loaned to BCHL teams, and more

Written by Brian Wiebe on

 

Seven BCHLers featured on Central Scouting Players to Watch List

NHL Central Scouting came out with its preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2021 NHL Draft on Tuesday. The list includes seven current BCHL players and one who played in the league in 2019-20.

The BCHL has more players on the list than any other member of Canadian Junior A Hockey League, with the Alberta Junior Hockey League represented by four players and the Ontario Junior Hockey League by three players.

University of Michigan freshman Kent Johnson (61 goals, 86 assists in 112 games with Trail from 2018-20) is listed with an ‘A’ rating as a projected 1st round pick.

Penticton Vees defenseman Jack Bar and Chilliwack Chiefs forward Ayrton Martino are ‘B’ rated prospects, meaning they are projected to be selected in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Defensemen Charles-Alexis Legault (West Kelowna Warriors), Finlay Williams, Jason Marsella and Owen Murray (Penticton Vees), and Sasha Teleguine (Chilliwack Chiefs) are each ‘C’ rated prospects as projected to be selected in the 3rd through 6th rounds.

Vipers trade Bulawka to Cowichan

The Vernon Vipers announced the trade of 2001-born forward Max Bulawka to the Cowichan Valley Capitals for future considerations on Tuesday evening.

The Vipers’ tweet and post on their website originally said the trade saw Vernon acquire the BCHL-CHL list rights to 2000-born forward Seth Bafaro of the Vancouver Giants for Bulawka.

The details about Bafaro were deleted from Twitter and edited on the website to simply mention future considerations going to the Vipers from the Capitals.

Bulawka, who’s from Kelowna, had 11 points in 18 games with the Vipers after being acquired from west Kelowna at the January 10th trade deadline.

Vipers add WHL veteran from the Kamloops Blazers

Blazers loan three forwards to Junior A hockey teams

The Vernon Vipers haven’t made an official announcement but Radio NL in Kamloops reported on Tuesday that 2000-born forward Tyler Carpendale has been loaned to the Snakes by the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League.

Carpendale is a veteran of 89 WHL games with Seattle and Kamloops over parts of five seasons. He made his BCHL debut in 2016-17 as an affiliate player with his hometown Powell River Kings, registering no points and two penalty minutes.

Clippers acquire three-year junior A veteran

The Nanaimo Clippers announced a trade on Tuesday to bring in 145-game junior A veteran Matt Nastasiuk from the Trenton Golden Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League for future considerations.

Over three seasons with the Golden Hawks, the 2000-born Barrie, Ontario product posted 35 goals and 38 assists along with 169 penalty minutes. He added seven points in 17 OJHL playoff games.

Nastasiuk’s father Paul played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League and won a Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts in 1991.

Grizzlies bring in Seattle Thunderbirds forward

T-Birds notebook: WHL start date, NHL Draft watchlist, and Birds hit the ice

According to 710 AM ESPN radio, the Victoria Grizzlies will add 2002-born forward Payton Mount to their roster on loan from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.

Mount is from Victoria and played 119 games for the T-Birds over the last two seasons and put up 60 points. He also played in six games with Seattle as an affiliate in 2017-18 and had one assist.

Merritt adds Kamloops Blazers overage forward

On Tuesday, the Merritt Centennials announced the loan of 2000-born forward Brodi Stuart from the Kamloops Blazers.

Stuart, a product of Langley, has played three seasons with the Blazers and scored 115 points in 201 games. He is the son of Cents’ director of hockey operations and assistant general manager John Stuart.

Vipers sign Saskatoon Blades goalie

The Vernon Vipers have signed 2002-born goaltender Koen MacInnes for the 2020-21 BCHL season. The Burnaby, BC native spent the 2019-20 seaosn with Saskatoon Blades of the WHL.

He had a 14-5-1 record with a 2.84 goals-against-average, a .901 save percentage and three shutouts as a rookie with the Blades.

MacInnes was the 22nd highest ranked goaltender by NHL Central Scouting for this year’s NHL Draft, but wasn’t selected by an NHL club.

Spruce Kings bring in two Cougars

The Prince George Spruce Kings announced the receipt of two Prince George Cougars players on loan on Tuesday.

2001-born forward Connor Bowie and 2002-born defenseman Aiden Reeves will join the Trees until December 20 ahead of the start of the WHL season in January.

Bowie is from Fort St. John, BC and posted 31 points in 136 games with the Cougars over parts of the last three seasons.

As an affiliate player, Reeves played in seven games with the Spruce Kings in 2019-20 as well as a dozen games with the Cougars. He was also a full time player with the U18 Cariboo Cougars.

Avs sign Toews to a four-year contract

Defenseman Devon Toews (17 goals, 59 assists in 102 games with Surrey from 2011-13) has signed a four-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche worth $16.4-million.

He had 28 points in 68 games with the New York Islanders in 2019-20, his second full season in the NHL. The Abbotsford, BC product is coming off a two-year contract that paid him $700,000 per season.

Reid signs ECHL deal with Kansas City

Forward Brodie Reid (73 goals, 63 assists in 157 games with Surrey, Burnaby and Penticton from 2006-09) has signed an ECHL contract with the Kansas City Mavericks for 2020-21.

The Delta, BC product had 36 points in 45 games with Villacher SV in the Austrian Hockey League in 2019-20, his fifth straight year playing in the league.

Lang traded in the ECHL from Jacksonville to Adirondack

Forward Chase Lang (no points in five games with Alberni Valley in 2011-12) was traded in the ECHL on Tuesday from the Jacksonville IceMen to the Adirondack Thunder.

Lang, who’s from Nanaimo, had 48 points in 57 games with the IceMen in 2019-20. He was the 1st pick, 6th overall by Alberni Valley in the 2011 BCHL affiliate player draft.