Prior to the commitment of Brendan Rogers, the Cranbrook Bucks had only recruited one forward for the 2020-21 season. On March 27, the Bucks announced Rogers as the second committed forward for their inaugural BC Hockey League season.
The 2001-born forward from Nanaimo spent the last three seasons with his hometown Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. He has also been an affiliate player with Powell River, playing one game for the Kings in 2018-19. Let’s take a closer look at Rogers’ path to the Cranbrook Bucks.
Rogers develops in his hometown
Congratulations to Brendan Rogers for being Honourable mentioned player of the week. Brendan had a great week for the Buccaneers with 2 Goals and 3 assists for 5 points in two games. This week the Buccaneers take on the Kerry Park Islanders Thursday Night at Pirate Ship 7:15 PM pic.twitter.com/1YGO08xTIL
— Nanaimo Buccaneers (@NBuccaneers) November 20, 2019
In the 2017-18 season, Rogers joined the Buccaneers after previously playing U18 AAA in Nanaimo. Playing seven games during his first stint in the VIJHL, he had one goal, one assist, and four penalty minutes. Rogers also suited up in a pair of playoff games that season.
Playing a much more prominent role in his second season, Rogers accumulated 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points, as well as 64 penalty minutes in 44 games in 2018-19. In another 10 playoff games that season, Rogers chipped in one goal and six points.
He made his BCHL debut on February 24, 2019, when he joined Powell River for a game against the Bulldogs in Alberni Valley. Rogers was held pointless in the Sunday afternoon tilt that saw the Bulldogs defeat the Kings 3-2 in a shootout.
Last year, in his third and final season with Nanaimo, Rogers led his team in goals with 16, assists with 21, and points with 37. The rugged forward’s 94 penalty minutes ranked second on the Buccaneers. He went on to tally one goal and one assist in six playoff games.
Buccaneers are proud to announce that local Nanaimo products Brendan Rogers and Ben Coghlan have been selected to represent the Bucs in the 2020 Prospects Game Jan 12 2 pm at Nanaimo Ice Centre. pic.twitter.com/idKN1LB6rr
— Nanaimo Buccaneers (@NBuccaneers) January 3, 2020
This past January, Rogers competed in a junior B prospects game that took place in Nanaimo. A team of prospects from the VIJHL took on a squad from the Pacific Junior Hockey league in the first ever VIJHL-PJHL prospects game. Rogers and his VIJHL teammates won 7-4, in a game that featured U18 players from the two leagues.
Rogers becomes the Bucks second forward
At the time of his commitment, Rogers became the fifth player, and second forward on the Bucks 2020-21 roster. He joined forward Noah Leibl, and defensemen Owen Forfellow, Rhys Bentham, and Connor Sullivan.
Bucks Commit Forward Brendan Rogers #BCHL #jointheherd https://t.co/aN8fUV81bl
— Cranbrook Bucks (@CranbrookBucks) March 27, 2020
When the Bucks officially announced the commitment, head coach and general manager Ryan Donald shared his thoughts on Rogers.
”Brendan is a player that we targeted early on in the process and we believe can contribute right away. He comes to us with significant experience at the junior B level, leading his team in both goals and points last season. Brendan is a player that we will count on to provide leadership and experience to our team this fall and are excited to welcome to Cranbrook.”
Rogers was an impactful player for the Buccaneers, racking up 66 points and 162 penalty minutes in 98 career regular season games. His eight points in 18 playoff games suggest he doesn’t shy away in the big games either, which will benefit the Bucks down the stretch in their first season. The 2001-born forward is still eligible to play two seasons with the Bucks, and he will surely have an important role on the team.
