Geoff Grimwood has been busy. In late May, Grimwood became the Victoria Grizzlies new head coach and general manager. Since then, Grimwood has signed several players for the 2025-26 roster and also traded for another goaltender.
The Grizzlies’ new player signings include Canadian, American, Swedish, Finnish, and Russian players. Victoria’s new goaltender has junior A experience in British Columbia and Alberta.
This article will recap the Grizzlies’ player signings and trades in May and June. I’ll start with the trade for 2005-born netminder Carter Capton.
A new goalie arrives
In June, the Grizzlies acquired Capton from the Cranbrook Bucks for future considerations. The native of Lethbridge, Alberta is a veteran junior hockey goaltender.
He was with the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League last season, posting a 16-11-7 record with a 2.88 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage, and three shutouts. He also got into three games with the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants, going 1-1-0 with a 4.71 goals-against average and an .853 save percentage.
He spent time in the BCHL with the Bucks from 2022 to 2024 before signing in Camrose last August. In 2025-26, Capton joins Paolo Frasca to form the Grizzlies’ new goaltending tandem.
Blixit and Karjalainen come from Nordic countries
Joining the Grizzlies next season is 2005-born right winger Vidar Blixit from Linköping, Sweden. He’s played his U20 career in the Linköping and MoDo programs. Last season, Blixit notched 18 goals and 17 assists for MoDo in J20 Nationell, which is the highest level of junior hockey in Sweden.
Also heading to Victoria is Finnish defender Niklas Karjalainen. Karjalainen, from Pieksämäki, Finland, has spent time with the KalPa and Jukurit hockey programs over the last five seasons. In 35 games for Jukurit in U20 SM-sarja, the 2005-born blueliner notched five goals and six assists. U20 SM-sarja is the highest level of junior hockey in Finland.
From Russia to BC
The Grizzlies have also recruited 2005-born Russian forward Nikita Meshcheryakov. Meshcheryakov is a product of the CSKV Moskva hockey program in his hometown of Moscow. He has played in North America for the last four seasons.
Meshcheryakov started his junior hockey career with the Omaha Lancers of the US Hockey League, playing 15 games in 2021-22. Afterward, Meshcheryakov attended the Northwood Prep School in Lake Placid, New York. He put up an eye-popping 38 goals and 58 assists in 79 games at Northwood in 2022-23.
Meshcheryakov played for the New Jersey Jr. Titans of the North American Hockey League in 2023-24 and this past season, finishing with 30 goals and 40 assists in 80 games. Meshcheryakov has already committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Princeton University for the 2026-27 season.
Leaving Canadian Junior Hockey League teams for Victoria
Victoria has also added 2006-born forward Owen Warnick. Warnick is a veteran player from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. He spent the last season and a half playing for the Selkirk Steelers, where he notched 24 goals and 41 assists in 72 games.
From Winnipeg, Warnick also played for the Swan Valley Stampeders in 2023-24 and had four goals and two assists in 25 games. In the previous three seasons, Warnick played at the RINK Hockey Academy of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. Warnick is committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Northern Michigan University in the 2026-27 season.
Also joining the Grizzlies next season is 2007-born defender Reece Gault out of Oakbank, Manitoba. Like Warnick, Gault is a veteran from the MJHL after he got into 52 games with the Steinbach Pistons last season. He had five goals and 33 assists as a rookie.
Gault, like Warnick, is also a product of the RINK Hockey Academy in the CSSHL, spending time there in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He is off to Northern Michigan University to play NCAA Division I hockey starting in the 2026-27 season.
Canada’s Yukon Territory isn’t exactly a recruiting gem – although projected 2026 NHL Draft top pick Gavin McKenna might change that – but it is the home of new Grizzlies forward Jase Johnstone. Johnstone, from Whitehorse, Yukon, spent last season playing for the Drumheller Dragons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The 2006-born forward finished with 13 goals and 15 assists in 46 games.
He spent the previous three seasons in the CSSHL at Pacific Coast Hockey Academy in Langford, BC. With the PCHA U18 Prep team from 2022 to 2024, Johnstone posted 28 goals and 36 assists in 58 games.
Signed out of American hockey hotbeds
A high-scoring forward from Hingham, Massachusetts, 2007-born George Lovell is set to bring his game to Victoria in 2025-26. Lovell is the product of several Boston-area hockey programs.
Lovell played for the Boston Advantage in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He also played two seasons at Lovell Academy, which is owned by his dad, Tim. He posted 22 goals and 59 assists in 60 games as an alternate captain with the 16U AAA team in 2023-24.
In 2024-25, Lovell played 29 games for the Academy’s Blue 18U AAA team and finished with 14 goals and 31 assists. That same season, Lovell played six games for the Penticton Vees as an affiliate player. Lovell is committed to Arizona State University for the 2026-27 season.
Coming from the appropriately-named “state of hockey” is 2006-born forward Levi Eiter. Last season, the Savage, Minnesota product completed his fourth season at Prior Lake High School, posting 47 goals and 47 assists in 108 games.
He also played for the SDP 16U AAA and Minnesota Blizzard 14U AAA and 15U AAA hockey programs from 2022 to 2023. Eiter also played minor hockey with Prior Lake’s 14U AA team.
Other players coming to Victoria
The BCHL “New Recruits” page lists several other players joining the Grizzlies for the 2025-26 season. We’ll wait until training camp starts to see which players end up donning a Victoria jersey in the BCHL this year, but I’ll list them here regardless.
- 2008-born forward Hunter Ashton (Burnaby Winter Club – CSSHL)
- 2007-born forward Matthew Jukes (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite – 18U AAA)
- 2007-born defender Lance McCloskey (Fairmont Prep – USHS Prep)
- 2006-born defender Justin Watson (Lovell Academy White – 18U AAA)
