Examining six former BCHL players with North American Hockey League ties

For some players, the BC Hockey League is a destination to play, and come from across North America to join one of its teams. One league the BCHL gets players from often is the North American Hockey League. The opposite is also true as NAHL clubs often bring in players from the BCHL.

Currently, there are 30 former BCHL players on NAHL rosters. For this article, I’ll write about BCHL players who joined NAHL teams, noted by position. I’ll also only focus on players from the 2022-23 season.

Goaltenders

Former BCHL goaltenders Zak Brice and Jed Baliotti each played one season in the league. Brice is a 2003-born goaltender who played the 2021-22 season with the Powell River Kings. He joined the Kings from the NAHL’s Aberdeen Wings.

After the 2021-22 season, Brice was earmarked to attend the University of Arizona to play NCAA Division I hockey. Instead, Brice joined the New Jersey Jr. Titans of the NAHL and will instead start his NCAA career in the 2023-24 season.

As for Baliotti, he’s a 2002-born netminder. He played part of the 2021-22 season with the Nanaimo Clippers as well as in the NAHL with Aberdeen and Northeast. The Clippers acquired him in November 2021.

At the end of last season, Baliotti signed with the Springfield Jr. Blues of the NAHL. However, Baliotti is currently a member of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs of the National Collegiate Development Conference.

Defenders

For defenders, there are several of them in the NAHL who played in the BCHL, but I will highlight Brodrick Williams and Nicholas O’Hanisain.

Willaims is a 2004-born defender who he played 25 games for the Wenatchee Wild in 2021-22. In the off-season, he signed with the Aberdeen Wings and is still playing with them.

Meanwhile, O’Hanisain is a 2002-born blueliner. During the 2021 Port Alberni pod, O’Hanisain was with the Victoria Grizzlies and posted three points in 10 games.

After the pod season, O’Hanisain joined the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League and got into 29 games last season. At the beginning of February, he signed with the NAHL’s Minot Minotauros. O’Hanisain is still with the Minotauros and serves as Minot’s captain.

Forwards

The majority of current NAHL players with BCHL experience are forwards. For this section, I will highlight a pair – Copeland Fricker and Colby Joseph.

Fricker split the 2021-22 season between two teams and two leagues. He played 25 games in the Western Hockey League for the Spokane Chiefs and put up seven points. In January, he inked a pact with the Vernon Vipers, posting three points in 23 games in the North Okanagan. For 2022-23, Fricker has joined the Lone Star Brahmas of the NAHL.

As for Joseph, he came from the Victoria Grizzlies after playing for them two seasons ago and scoring one goal. He and O’Hanisain were actually teammates on the Grizz during the Port Alberni pod. After the pod season, Joseph joined the Minotauros, where he and O’Hanisain are teammates once again.

New opportunities due south

Sometimes, new opportunities present themselves on different teams and in different situations. After joining the Minotauros, Joseph has become a key offensive contributor and in 2021-22, scored 23 goals and 12 assists in 57 games. Then there’s his teammate, O’Hanisain. Since joining the Minotauros, he became captain.

Other players get more time to develop. Brice was injured last season while playing for Powell River and gets another season to develop with New Jersey before joining the Sun Devils. The Kings were looking at him potentially taking up an import and 20-year-old spot if he returned to the Sunshine Coast this season.

As for players like Fricker, he’s received a roster opportunity close to home. He is originally from Midland, TX and the Brahmas play in North Richland Hills, which is about a four-and-a-half-hour drive away. Playing close to home has to be a plus for him with one more year of junior hockey eligibility remaining.