Vipers and Rivermen swing a deal
The Langley Rivermen and Vernon Vipers hooked up on a deal on Wednesday. The Vipers sent 2004-born forwards Maxim Borovinskiy and Thomas Tien to the Rivermen for future considerations.
Borovinskiy, who is from West Vancouver, B.C., scored three goals and nine points in 50 regular-season games with the Vipers in 2022-23. He also added a goal and an assist in 11 playoff contests.
Tien, who hails from Richmond, B.C., split the 2022-23 season between the Vipers and the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors. In seven games with the Warriors, he earned three points. In 32 regular-season games with the Vipers, Tien scored eight goals and added 12 assists. He also contributed three goals in nine playoff games.
Wild associate head coach retires
62-year-old Tom Rudrud has decided to call it a career after 31 seasons as a general manager, assistant coach, associate head coach, or head coach. He has coached in the NCAA, North American Hockey League, United States Hockey League, Midwest Elite Hockey League, and the B.C. Hockey League.
His best regular season as associate head coach of the Wild in the BCHL came during the 2016-17 season as the team racked up an impressive 45-9-4-0 record. The team stumbled in the playoffs that season, going just 4-6.
19 BCHLers taken in NAHL Draft
Player | BCHL Team | Round | Overall | NAHL Team |
Drew Haxton | Cowichan Valley | 1 | 2 | Rochester |
Conor Sullivan | Merritt | 1 | 18 | Kenai River |
Riley Sharun | West Kelowna | 1 | 19 | Aberdeen |
Parker Murray | Wenatchee | 1 | 30 | Lone Star |
Nick Sajevic | Nanaimo | 2 | 39 | Janesville |
Justin Gibson | Victoria | 2 | 44 | Johnstown |
Dominick Rivelli | Langley | 2 | 59 | New Jersey |
Michael Valdez | Wenatchee | 3 | 73 | Corpus Christi |
Jackson Ebbott | Wenatchee | 3 | 81 | Kenai River |
Isaiah Norlin | West Kelowna | 3 | 94 | Lone Star |
Carter Richardson | Salmon Arm | 4 | 118 | Maine |
Trey Fechko | Wenatchee | 4 | 121 | Janesville |
Turner Richards | Powell River | 6 | 189 | Wisconsin |
John Small | Langley | 8 | 240 | Minot |
Hunter Price | Prince George | 8 | 247 | New Mexico |
Damon Bickler | Wenatchee | 9 | 279 | New Mexico |
Michael Murtagh | Nanaimo | 10 | 313 | Minnesota Wilderness |
Vitaly Levyy | Langley | 11 | 347 | New Jersey |
Jack Henry | Cranbrook | 13 | 386 | Rochester |
Silverbacks complete futures deal with Centennials
To complete a trade to acquire 2003-born defender Tristan Allen made back on Jan. 10, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks have sent 2004-born defender Lynden Hanvold and 2005-born blueliner Nic Leggett to the Merritt Centennials.
Hanvold, who is from Kelowna, B.C., scored twice and had seven points in 41 regular-season games with the Silverbacks in 2022-23. He also played in seven playoff contests.
Leggett, who hails from Kamloops, B.C., earned two assists in 31 regular-season games with the Silverbacks. He also contributed a goal and an assist in 14 playoff games.
Bucks sign Freh
2005-born forward Malachi Freh has committed to the Cranbrook Bucks for the 2023-24 season.
Freh, who is from West Kelowna, B.C., played 34 regular-season games with the B.C. Elite Hockey League’s Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA club. He posted five goals and 16 points before adding two goals and seven points in six playoff games. Freh also had an assist in one game as an affiliate player of the Bucks in 2022-23.
Clippers add goaltender
2005-born goaltender Tyler Hodges has signed with the Nanaimo Clippers for the 2023-24 season.
Hodges, who hails from Gormley, Ont., spent the 2022-23 season playing for the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Haliburton County Huskies where he had a 13-5-0 record, a 2.00 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage, and four shutouts in 19 regular-season games.
He then played two OJHL playoff games, going 0-1, with a 4.37 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage.
LeFranc commits to College of the Holy Cross
2003-born Prince George defender Ben LeFranc has committed to the College of the Holy Cross of NCAA Division I for the 2024-25 season. The school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts.
LeFranc, who is from Penticton, B.C., scored six goals and added 24 assists in 51 regular-season games with the Spruce Kings in 2022-23. He also added an assist in four playoff contests.
Windigo tender Smoke Eaters affiliate Margenau
2004-born defender Luke Margenau has signed a tender with the NAHL’s Wisconsin Windigo. The team plays in Eagle River, Wisconsin. Margenau, who is from Maple Grove, Minnesota, played in three regular-season games with the Trail Smoke Eaters in 2022-23, as well as one playoff game.
He aslo played 31 games at Maple Grove High School in Minnesota, earning nine goals and 34 points. For 20 games he was also a member of Team Twin Cities Orthopedics of Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League, where he scored two goals and 15 points.
Kler signs with Hounds
2004-born forward Kassius Kler (one game with Cranbrook in 2022-23) has committed to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Notre Dame Hounds. The team plays in Wilcox, Sask.
Kler, who hails from Burnaby, B.C., played 39 regular-season games with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s Princeton Posse, scoring 20 goals and adding 16 assists. He also scored three goals and six points in 20 games. The KIJHL is one of three junior B hockey leagues in British Columbia.
Matteo commits to NCAA Division III Castleton University
2002-born forward Matteo Turrin (eight goals, six assists in 63 games with Victoria, Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley, and Langley from 2020-22) has committed to NCAA Division III school Castleton University for the 2023-24 season. Castleton University is located in Castleton, Vermont.
Turrin played eight games with the Langley Rivermen in 2022-23 before being traded to the Weyburn Red Wings of the SJHL. He scored seven goals and 23 points in 32 regular-season games with the Red Wings before adding two assists in five playoff contests.