BCHL Today: Smoke Eaters commit to three for 2020-21, Chiefs defenceman Thornton named High School Player of the Month, and more

Smoke Eaters gain three commitments for 2020-21

The Trail Smoke Eaters announced their first commitments for the 2020-21 season on Wednesday. The Smokies added forward Zack Feaver and defenceman Ethan Willoughby from the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds along with defenceman Cameron Moger from the Okanagan Rockets. All three players come from the BC Major Midget League.

Feaver, 18, has 11 goals and 30 assists in 31 games for the Thunderbirds this season. He’s also played two games with Trail as an affiliate player.

Willoughby, 18, has posted three goals and nine assists in 32 games with Fraser Valley in 2019-20. He played forward with the Abbotsford Pilots of the PJHL last season, but switched to defence this season.

Moger, an 18-year-old whose dad Sandy played more than 200 NHL games, has put up six goals and 32 assists in 32 games with the Rockets this season. He’s also appeared in one game with the Smoke Eaters as an affiliate.

Chiefs blueliner Thornton named High School Player of the Month

Chilliwack Chiefs defenceman Hudson Thornton is the BCHL High School Player of the Month for January.

Thornton, 16, had three goals and four assists in ten games for the Chiefs to kick off the 2020 calendar year. He is committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for the 2022-23 season.

Former Chiefs defenceman Desharnais reassigned to ECHL

Blueliner Vincent Desharnais (one goal, four assists in 54 games with Chilliwack in 2014-15) has been reassigned from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL to the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. Desharnais has no points in five games this season with Bakersfield, but ten assists in 24 games with Wichita.

Former Warriors goalie Farkas on NHL radar

Goaltender Shane Farkas (12-7-0, 3.10 GAA, .908 SV% and one shutout in 23 games with West Kelowna from 2016-17) is named in a story on The Hockey News website as a graduating CHL player who is on the radar to turn pro on an entry-level deal from an NHL team in 2020-21. Farkas has spent the last three and half seasons in the WHL with Portland and most recently, Victoria.

Three Stars of the Night

First Star: Cowichan Valley goaltender Zach Borgiel made 30 saves for the shutout.

Second Star: Penticton forward Jay O’Brien notched a pair of goals.

Third Star: Surrey forward Carter King had two goals.

Honourable Mentions: Wenatchee forwards Brett Chorske and Sam Morton each had an assist in regulation and a goal in the shootout. Prince George netminder Carter Woodside made 37 saves.

If the playoffs started today…

Mainland Division

(1) Coquitlam vs. (4) Langley
(2) Chilliwack vs. (3) Surrey

Island Division

(1) Cowichan Valley vs. (4) Alberni Valley
(2) Nanaimo vs. (3) Powell River

Interior Division

(1) Penticton vs. (6) West Kelowna
(2) Trail vs. (WC2) Prince George
(3) Salmon Arm vs. (WC1) Victoria
(4) Vernon vs. (5) Wenatchee