A small army of lakecity minor and junior hockey talent is receiving plenty of opportunity throughout the province this season.
In the Wednesday, Sept. 12 edition of the Williams Lake Tribune we had a look at six Williams Lake girls who have embarked on a journey north to play for the BC Female Midget AAA Northern Capitals of Prince George.
READ MORE: Northern Capitals to have lakecity connection
Today, we’re providing a rundown of homegrown skill in the BC Hockey League (junior A), Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (junior B), Western Hockey League (major junior), BC Major Midget League and, at the minor midget level, the North Central Zone Team and the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
In the WHL, 20-year-old Griffen Outhouse will look to provide leadership to a young Victoria Royals squad. Outhouse, now in his fourth season with the Royals, has set multiple franchise records with the team including all-time franchise career wins and most victories in a single season. In the 2017/18 season he recorded 35 wins in 60 games played with a 3.08 goals against average and a 0.914 save percentage.
BC HOCKEY LEAGUE (junior A)
Landon Fuller: Nineteen-year-old Landon Fuller brings his six-foot-five, 225-pound frame to the Vernon Vipers for the 2018/19 season. Fuller, in previous seasons, suited up for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in 2016/17 and the Coquitlam Express in 2017/18. In three seasons in the BCHL, the lakecity defenceman has amassed nine points in 82 games, along with 140 penalty minutes.
Chase Dubois: Twenty-year-old Chase Dubois returns to the West Kelowna Warriors for his third season in 2018/19. Dubois has consistently been one of the team’s top scorers in his past two seasons with the club, and has already amassed five points in six games on the campaign.
ALBERTA JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE (junior A)
Daine Dubois: Daine Dubois, 19, has taken his talents east of B.C. to play for the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Daine joined the BC Major Midget League’s Cariboo Cougars in 2015 for two seasons, then moved on to play for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL in his previous two seasons.
KOOTENA INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE (junior B)
A large contingent of Williams Lake hockey players are suiting up in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League for the 2018/19 season. Among those, six from Williams Lake will play for the KIJHL’s Summerland Steam.
Brothers Cody Swan and Justin Swan and Brody Conroy and Tyson Conroy, plus Raeyden Beauchamp and Cory Loring, have already shown chemistry early in the season for the Steam. Cody (1G, 4A, 5PTS) and Loring (2G, 3A, 5PTS) lead the team in points, while Justin (2G, 1A, 3PTS) and Tyson (1G) have also both contributed early on in the campaign.
Meanwhile, in 100 Mile House, the Wranglers are sporting a one, two punch from Williams Lake. Both Jaxon Passeri and Nic Flinton have joined the team for this year’s season. Passeri captained the 2017/18 Williams Lake Midget Timberwolves last year, and is entering the KIJHL as a rookie.
Also a member of the Wranglers is Cade Enns, who will be an affiliate player for the team.
In Kelowna, Lane Paddison is suiting up for the Kelowna Chiefs, as the team is off to a blazing start to the season with seven wins and no losses.
Paddison is off to a remarkable start to the year amassing 13 points (5G, 8A, 13PTS) in just seven games.
Seventeen-year-old Andrew Berkelaar — a six-foot-two, 180-pound defenceman — also heads back to Mission City to play for the Outlaws for his second season.
BC MAJOR MIDGET LEAGUE
Grady Thomas, 17, of Williams Lake will captain the BC Major Midget League’s Cariboo Cougars for the 2018/19 season. Joining him on the club will be 17-year-old Brendan Pigeon, now in his second stint with the club.
Thomas is entering his third year with the Cougars, and has 29 points in 39 games played (9G, 20A).
READ MORE: Cariboo Cougars call Grady Thomas
Pigeon, meanwhile, returns to the Cougars for his second year in the league. In 2017/18 he tallied seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points.
BC MINOR MIDGET LEAGUE (North Central Zone)
Two Williams Lake Midget Timberwolves have made the trek north to play for the Prince George-based BC Minor Midget North Central Zone team. Sam Chabot and Nick Wright will suit up for the club, which competes against zone teams from East Kootenay, Okanagan - Central, Okanagan - North, Okanagan - South and Okanagan - Thompson.
CANADIAN SPORT SCHOOL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Derek Rispin, a 15-year-old forward who played his last season with the Williams Lake Bantam Timberwolves, has joined the Pursuit of Excellence Elite of Kelowna this season.
After spending a large amount of time recovering from a broken collar bone last season, Rispin garnered the attention of POE at the Global Sports camp in Langley this past spring.
Rispin is currently leading the team in hits and blocked shots.
sports@wltribune.com
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