What a Night for Alumni!
I got a text message on Monday asking me if I saw former Nanaimo Clipper Byron Bitz get into a fight in an NHL preseason game. As I was watching the highlights of that game between Boston and Montreal it got me thinking just how many BCHL alumni are playing in the NHL right now. Bitz is trying to make the Bruins this season and the other Vancouver Island connection in that game is former Salsa and Clipper defenseman Ryan O’Byrne who was suited up for Montreal. Unfortunately the NHL did not publish the full rosters of that game so I’m not sure if other BCHL grads Milan Lucic and Chuck Kobasew played for Boston, but ex-Quesnel Millionaire goalie Carey Price did not suit up for the Habs.
Let’s look at some of the other alumni who played that night. There was only one ex-BCHLer in the Devils/Flyers game and that’s former Eagle Tyler Eckford. Once the regular season starts New Jersey will also have Salmon Arm alum Travis Zajac and quite possibly ex-Viper and Spruce King Rod Pelley on the team.
At Madison Square Garden there were three BCHL alumni on the Rangers' roster for the game against the Senators. The man wearing the `C’ was Scott Gomez, former Victoria forward Aaron Voros was playing up front and ex-Viper and Panther Matt Zaba played in goal.
Staying in the east former Penticton Panther Mike Card suited up for the Sabres against Toronto while the Leafs had ex-Langley Hornet Ryan Hollweg up front and former Quesnel goalie Justin Pogge in net (Yes, Pogge did play one game for Quesnel).
There was only one player in the Tampa/Pittsburgh game and that was goalie Olaf Kolzig. You have to back to 1988 for the last time he played in the BCHL for Abbotsford.
The LA Kings actually had two squads playing on Monday and the best BCHL matchup was in their game against Phoenix That game was a battle of phenom Kyle Turris against former Salmon Arm sniper Brady Murray.
There was no roster update from the other LA game with St. Louis, but Penticton fans will be happy to know that ex-Panther Paul Kariya scored in that one.
Not surprisingly the Canucks and Oilers game had quite a BCHL flavour. Vancouver had Willie Mitchell, Matt Pettinger and Jason Krog (Kelowna, Victoria and Chilliwack respectively) on the roster and Krog had the shootout winner. The Oilers meanwhile had smooth centre and ex-Chief Shawn Horcoff.
For fans around North America that September Monday was just another night of preseason action – but it’s a pretty neat advertisement for the BCHL.
