The Victoria Grizzlies have been busy this off-season. During June and July, the Grizzlies conducted several trades and signed several players to their roster.
The Grizzlies welcomed two former Merritt Centennials to the roster as well as the return of their star goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton.
Joining Auyeung-Ashton in goal is American-born netminder Jason Cai, who replaces Owen Bresson as the Grizzlies backup. Bresson was traded to the Chilliwack Chiefs.
This article is about the June and July additions to the Grizzlies roster. Before that, I will write about updates to the Grizzlies Junior Prospects Hockey League teams.
A new coach arrives
In June, the Grizzlies hired Sam Waterfield as the head coach of their JPHL U18 team. Waterfield is a former BCHL player who spent time with the Nanaimo Clippers and Prince George Spruce Kings.
Waterfield started his coaching career with the Coquitlam Express in 2019 and after some time in Alberta, returned to British Columbia. His last coaching job was with the Merritt Centennials as associate head coach and general manager during the 2022-23 season.
Waterfield will work under the Grizzlies JPHL hub general manager Geoff Grimwood.
Trades in the provincial capital
As noted above, the Grizzlies traded Bresson to Chilliwack, receiving forward Stone Rolston in return. In an earlier trade, the Grizzlies traded for forward Aidan Lindblad from the now-defunct Merritt Centennials. He was Merritt’s captain last season.
The Lindblad trade completes a deal from January where the Grizzlies acquired defender Ranvir Gill-Shane and future considerations from the Cents. Lindblad’s rights are those future considerations.
Lindblad is a veteran presence, having played four seasons in the BCHL. He first joined the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for the 2020-21 Pod Season getting into eight games. Salmon Arm shipped him to Merritt at the January 2023 trade deadline.
As for Rolston, he played 49 games as a rookie for the Chiefs during the 2023-24 season. Before that, he was an affiliate for the U.S. National Development Team as a regular roster player with the Little Caesars 18U AAA team in 2022-23.
June signings
In a past article, I wrote about four players joining the Grizzlies. In June, they announced several signings, including forward Nathan Taylor.
Taylor spent last season playing for Merritt. Before that, Taylor was part of the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds in the B.C. Elite Hockey League, playing for the U15, U17, and U18 teams. Taylor was also an affiliate player for the Surrey Eagles in 2022-23 and got into one game.
Also, joining Victoria’s roster next season is defender Dennison Monahan. Before coming to the BCHL, Monahan played in several minor hockey programs in New England. Last season, Monahan played eight games for the Centennials as an affiliate.
Another player who’s signed with the Grizzlies for 2024-25 is forward Tom Molson. Since the 2021-22 season, Molson has played at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, including as captain last season. He has played minor hockey for several U.S.-based hockey programs since 2020. These include the Buffalo Regals in Western New York State and the Avon Regals in Connecticut.
In 2023-24, he also played one game for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League as an affiliate player and registered two shots on goal.
July signings
In early July, the Grizzlies signed American defender Daniel D’Alessandro, who is a product of the Long Island Gulls program. During the 2022-23 season, he played five games as an affiliate for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. He has also played prep hockey for the Delbarton School and the New Jersey Colonials Youth Hockey Association.
Joining D’Alessandro is Russian defender Daniil Dolzhenko. Dolzhenko has spent the last three seasons playing junior hockey in the United States. He played in the North American Hockey League with the Wisconsin Windigo from 2022-24 and the Minnesota Magicians during the 2021-22 season. Dolzhenko also played six games for the Youngstown Phantoms in 2022-23. From 2018 to 2021, Dolzhenko was part of the Hounds and Argos programs in Notre Dame, Saskatchewan.
The Grizzlies signed Canadian defender Carter Hynes. Last season, Hynes played 56 games for the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He spent time with the U18 AAA and U16 Prep teams at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame between 2021 and 2023. Before coming to Saskatchewan, Hynes played for his hometown St. John’s U15 AAA Hitmen in 2019-20.
As noted above, the Grizzlies have added Jason Cai to the roster. Before joining Victoria, Cai played most of his hockey in his home state of New Jersey, including with the Rockets 18U AAA team and at Delbarton School. Last season, he played 61 games for the Rockets 18U AAA squad, finishing with a record of 37-15-1.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies brought in another player from the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds. Defender Vincent Palmarin was an alternate captain with the Hounds last season and a teammate of Hynes. He also played with the Notre Dame prep school U15, U16, and U18 teams before joining the junior A Hounds in 2022.
Coming from the Vancouver North East Chiefs U18 AAA team in the BC Elite U18 Hockey League is defender Tyler Moss. Before joining the NE Chiefs last season, Moss played for three years in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League at Yale Hockey Academy, representing the U15 Varsity, U15, and U17 teams, respectively.
