Staging the annual sa国际传媒 Hockey League Showcase at the Seattle Kraken NHL training facility seems an odd choice considering one might think it’s something the Vancouver Canucks would benefit from hosting in terms of the obvious connection and provincial goodwill.
There was a BCHL connection to Washington state, however, but that dissipated over the summer when the Wenatchee Wild bolted from the Junior A BCHL to join the major-junior Western Hockey League when the former Winnipeg Ice WHL franchise moved there.
Regardless of location, the BCHL Showcase beginning today at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle, is a pretty big deal for the aspiring junior players as all 17 teams will play two games each in what is essentially a one-stop shopping centre over four days for NHL and NCAA scouts.
The BCHL Showcase has been held in Chilliwack in previous seasons.
“This is an event that brings together members of the amateur, collegiate and professional hockey community as we showcase the talent of tomorrow,” Kraken chief operations officer Rob Lampman said in a statement, when the Showcase move to Seattle was announced.
There were 411 BCHL alumni on U.S. collegiate NCAA rosters last season, which accounted for nearly one-quarter of all the players in Div. 1. A total of 104 former BCHL players skated in the 2023 NCAA Div. 1 tournament, including 14 on the champion Quinnipiac team.
There are 19 BCHL alumni in the NHL this season, including former Victoria Grizzlies players Jamie Benn as captain of the Dallas Stars and 2019 Colorado Avalanche first-round draft pick Alex Newhook, now with the Montreal Canadiens, along with former Cowichan Valley Capitals goaltender Laurent Brossoit of the Winnipeg Jets.
“We are thrilled to be taking our Showcase event to the next level by working with the Seattle Kraken,” said BCHL deputy commissioner and chief operations officer Steven Cocker, at the time the move to the Emerald City was announced.
“This opportunity will allow us to enhance the experience for our players and staff, while not losing sight of the primary purpose of this event, which is to provide exposure for our athletes to scouts and college coaches.”
The Victoria Grizzlies will play two Interior Conference teams in the BCHL Showcase, taking on West Kelowna on Tuesday in what will count as a Warriors home game and the Merritt Centennials on Wednesday in what will count as a Grizzlies home game. Both contests start at 1:50 p.m.
Cowichan Valley gets things underway for Island teams in the Showcase with games tonight at 7 p.m. against the Chilliwack Chiefs and Monday at 1 p.m. against the defending BCHL-champion Penticton Vees.
The defending Coastal Conference-champion Alberni Valley Bulldogs meet the Cranbrook Bucks on Wednesday and the Trail Smoke Eaters on Thursday. The Nanaimo Clippers’ Showcase games are against the Trail Smoke Eaters on Wednesday and versus the Prince George Spruce Kings on Thursday.
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