The Surrey Eagles are coming off their 2023-24 Fred Page Cup win against the Penticton Vees. The off-season saw several changes to the team. In a past article, I wrote about several of these changes.
Since that article, several other changes have occurred. Cam Keith left to take over the Cowichan Valley Capitals with former Eagles star and long-time NHL player Scott Gomez replacing him as head coach and general manager.
The off-season also saw several players depart and others return for another season. Returning goaltenders include 2005-born Jaiden Sharma and 2005-born Colton Jugnauth.
This article is about the returning players to the Eagles lineup this season. Each of these players spent last season in Surrey.
Goaltenders
As noted above, Sharma and Jugnath are back on the Eagles roster in 2024-25. Both goaltenders split games last season as the backup to Ajeet Gundarah, who is now playing NCAA Division I hockey at Sacred Heart University.
Last season, Sharma played 16 games as a rookie, posting a 14-1-0 record, a 2.25 goals-against average, and a .934 save percentage. Jugnauth, who was also a rookie last season, played seven games. He compiled a record of 5-1-1, a 3.19 goals-against average, and a .910 save percentage.
Defenders
Returning defenders are 2006-born Joven Brar and 2005-born Charlie Derrheim. They both played games with the Eagles as rookies last season.
Last season, Brar and his older brother Savek were each with the Eagles and both are back this season. Brar is a defensive blueliner who had a goal and three assists in 41 games with Surrey in 2023-24. He also got valuable experience in the playoffs by dressing in 13 games.
Derrheim also won’t put up many points from the blueline but is a solid defender for the Eagles. As an 18-year-old last season, he had three assists in 30 games. He played 17 games during Surrey’s post-season run to the Fred Page Cup.
Forwards
As mentioned above, 2004-born Savek Brar is back for his third season in the BCHL with the Eagles. Joining him are several returning forwards, including 2005-born Sam Elliott and 2004-born Jagjeevan Phangura. 2006-born Miles Burgin, 2004-born Ryan Evenhuis, and 2005-born Massimo Fazio are also part of the returning forward core.
Brar has played for the Eagles since the 2022-23 season. Heading into this year, he had five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 96 games. Elliott joined the Eagles last season and finished with four goals and eight assists for a dozen points in 46 games. He’s only played one game this season due to an injury.
As for Phangura, he signed with the Eagles during the off-season in 2023. He was a third-year junior hockey veteran in 2023-24 and notched five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 46 games.
Burgin is also into his sophomore BCHL season in 2024-25. He played five games for the Eagles as an affiliate in 2022-23 and posted five goals and four assists in 42 games as a rookie last season.
Related: Surrey Eagles nest member profile: Ryan Evenhuis
Evenhuis was a mid-season addition who signed with the Eagles this past January after two and a half years playing Junior A hockey in Ontario. After joining Surrey, he tallied four goals and 12 assists in 24 games.
Last, but not least, Fazio was recruited to the Eagles before the 2023-24 season. As a first-year player last season, he scored five goals and added six assists for 11 points in 32 games. Fazio has already eclipsed that total this season.
Who flew away from the Eagles’ nest?
Several players from 2023-24 left the Eagles to start their college careers in the NCAA. During the 2023-24 season, forward Caden Cranston played 51 games and scored 86 points to lead the BCHL.
Just behind Cranston was forward Aaron Schwartz, who had 81 points in 51 games. Surrey’s dynamic alumni duo — Cranston and Schwartz — now attends Merrimack College and Quinnipiac University, respectively.
Last season, Nathan Oickle notched the most points of any Surrey defender. In 48 games, he had 31 points and is now attending Niagara University.
Meanwhile, Josh Wessels, who had 28 points in 52 games, has aged out of junior hockey. Ty Brassington ended up with 27 points in 39 games last season. He’s now attending Clarkson University.
What remained in the nest for 2024-25
The returning players may not be big scorers like Cranston and Schwartz were. However, they returned with valuable championship experience and are leaders on a new Eagles team.
Both Jugnath and Sharma are capable goalies and have looked to easily fill the void left by Gundarah. While Brassington’s offense will be missed, Joven Brar and Derrheim can lead the new Eagles’ defenders with a dedication to protecting their zone.
The returning forwards get the chance to lead the Eagles’ offense following the graduation of so many key contributors. Despite not being top scorers last season, Evenhuis and Fazio were part of Surrey’s secondary scoring. This season, both players are among the Eagles’ top five scorers.
