The B.C. Hockey League has seen almost as much upheaval as when continental plates collide. The earthquakes of the tumultuous last two years have seen the league bolt from Hockey Canada to go independent only to be followed by the ruling allowing major-junior players into the U.S. collegiate NCAA, undercutting what was the BCHL’s main advantage over major-junior. This week it was announced the BCHL flagship Penticton Vees will be jumping to the WHL with a Chilliwack franchise to follow the season after.
Even if it’s just the reverberations of the past, the BCHL is still holding its own this season in terms of players in the NCAA championship tournament with 93 BCHL graduates — 30 from Island teams and Powell River — in the Sweet Sixteen that began Thursday and continues through the weekend leading to the Frozen Four next month in St. Louis.
“No matter what is being said about our league from the outside, we as a team are still producing scholarship athletes, including seven Grizzlies on this year’s roster committed to Ivy League schools,” said Victoria Grizzlies interim head coach Geoff Grimwood.
“It’s business as usual for us.”
Matthew Wood of Nanaimo, a former power-forward with the Victoria Grizzlies drafted 15th overall in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft by the Nashville Predators, and Liam Souliere out of the Grizzlies lead the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers against a UMass team with four BCHL alumni.
Other former Grizzlies in the Sweet Sixteen include Hoyt Stanley with Cornell, which upset Michigan State on Thursday to advance, Jack Gorton with Boston University, which defeated Ohio State in their opener Thursday, and Drew Hockley with Quinnipiac.
“We are incredibly proud of those guys, some who go back to the [former head coach] Craig Didmon era,” said Grimwood.
Representing the Nanaimo Clippers are Kyler Kovich, Jack O’Brien and Sean Donaldson with the Cornell Big Red, Aiden Hansen-Bukata with Ohio State, Tim Washe and Robby Drazner with Western Michigan and Tristan Fraser and Mike Murtagh with UConn.
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are well represented with Braden Blace, Aaron Bohlinger with Quinnipiac, Callum Tung on UConn, Will Elger on Providence, Stephen Castagna, Ryan Nause and Arlo Merritt on first-time entry Bentley and Jimmy Rayhill on Cornell. The Cowichan Valley Capitals have representation through graduates Luc Wilson of Minnesota State, Oliver Salo of Bentley, Zach Borgiel with Providence and Hugh Larkin and Owen Simpson with UConn. The Powell River Kings have Noah Eyre on Quinnipiac, Casey Aman on the Penn State Nittany Lions, Justin Katz on Cornell and Jacob Bonkowski with Minnesota State.
Meanwhile, three teams are tied for second place in the Coastal Conference heading into the final weekend of the regular season with the Grizzlies, Capitals and Surrey Eagles all on 63 points and the Clippers three points behind.
The Grizzlies are closing with some momentum with two consecutive wins following five consecutive losses.
“Our guys showed up ready to compete last weekend [in sweeping two games against Alberni Valley] and I see that carrying forward,” said Grimwood.
“It’s a pivotal weekend that will decide playoff match-ups but we can’t decipher the standings at this point. We just focus on ourselves and play our game.”
It will all be settled by Saturday night after the Grizzlies close out in Chilliwack tonight against the conference-champion Chiefs and Saturday in Coquitlam against the sixth-place Express. The Clippers and Capitals meet tonight in Duncan while Surrey visits seventh-place Alberni Valley. The Clippers host Surrey on Saturday in Nanaimo while Alberni Valley travels to Duncan to play the Capitals.
The playoffs begin next week with the Grizzlies, Capitals, Clippers and Bulldogs all qualified with the Coastal seedings to be settled this weekend. Powell River will miss the playoffs.
