All summer we’ll be going team-by-team to profile new players coming in for the 2020-21 season with recaps of offseason commits and acquisitions. We will also have interviews and scouting reports from the coaches.
Next up is the Chilliwack Chiefs.
The Chilliwack Chiefs currently have 12 players listed on their roster who were on the 2019-20 edition of the team that finished second in the Mainland Division with 63 points.
According to Chiefs head coach and general manager Brian Maloney, this is somewhat of an anomaly compared to recent years.
“We’re pretty fortunate this year to have all of those players coming back,” said Maloney. “We haven’t had that for a long time. We’re trying to get the right core group in here and instill our values as far as how we want to conduct ourselves on and off the ice. We’re pretty excited about the core group of kids coming back.”
Among those returning players is 18-year-old forward Ethan Bowen. The Chilliwack native has played two full seasons for his hometown Chiefs and put up 70 points in 102 games over that stretch. Bowen is also the BCHL’s highest-ranked prospect ahead of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, scheduled for Oct. 9 and 10.
Needless to say, Maloney and his staff are thrilled to get a player back with as much talent on the ice as Bowen, but they’re equally as happy to have him around for of his off-ice prowess as well.
“Getting him back is, not only great for our guys in the locker room and on the ice, but for our community as well,” said Maloney. “Being a Chilliwack kid, he’s definitely someone that young minor hockey players look up to for a bunch of different reasons – not just because he’s a good hockey player, but because he’s a good kid.”
“I think he’s starting to realize what he really is as a player. When you’re a pretty high-profile kid coming up and scoring at will through the minor-hockey ranks, you think that you’re just going to become a natural goal scorer as you move along into Junior A and college. He can definitely score, but I think he has more to offer than just that.”
New recruits:
Kienan Draper (2002, F)
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.- Previous team: St. Andrew’s College (CAHS)
- College commitment: Miami University (2021-22)
The son of former Detroit Red Wings centre Kris Draper, Kienan had a standout season at St. Andrew’s last year, piling up 58 points in 68 games. He is ranked as the 186th North American skater by NHL Central Scouting ahead of this year’s draft.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He’s made some massive strides this summer in the weight room. I feel that with the pace of our practices and the pace of our league, if he can match that pace and play with more speed, he can be a deadly weapon for us. He’s got a big frame and shoots the puck extremely well. He’s just an outstanding human being as well. He’s been getting some NHL interest with the draft and, just from talking to a lot of guys in the game, his interviews are A+. He’s just a really mature young adult.”
Sasha Teleguine (2002, F)
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.- Previous team: Thayer Academy (USHS-Prep)
- College commitment: Northeastern University (2021-22)
Teleguine was the top scorer on his Thayer Academy team in 2019-20 with 52 points in 26 games. His 21 goals and 31 assists were also most on the team.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“This kid’s pretty dynamic. He’s someone who can lug the puck around the ice, but he comes with a little bit of an edge. He’s not afraid to play in the hard areas. What I love about his game is, he’s not afraid to drive his feet and take defenders wide and take pucks to the net. A lot of times, you see at this level, kids like to stop in open ice or delay and make the soft plays. It’s nice to see him just continue to drive his feet. He’s a little wrecking ball.”
Ray Fust (2002, F)
Hometown: Reverolle, Switzerland- Previous team: Northwood School (USHS-Prep)
Fust is a Swiss-Canadian dual citizen and played the majority of his hockey career with Lausanne in Switzerland before joining Northwood School last season. He also has experience playing for the Swiss national team. The 17-year-old was Northwood’s third-leading scorer last year with 70 points in 56 games.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He’s a really intelligent human being and he’s a really humble, realistic kid. Sometimes these players are quick to jump into decisions, but Ray is a really smart individual, especially when it comes to picking out his school. He hasn’t committed yet, but it’s not because he’s not getting any love. He’s got a lot of schools interested in him, but he wants to make sure it’s the right decision. Him deciding to play in Chilliwack was the same thing. It was a long process, but that’s what we want. We want to make sure we have kids that want to be here and aren’t just here for a pit stop.
Lachlan Getz (2002, D)
Hometown: Northfield, Ill.- Previous team: The Lawrenceville School (USHS-Prep)
- College commitment: Union College (2021-22)
Getz was Lawrenceville’s captain last season and led the team in scoring as a defenceman with 31 points in 31 games. He also had the most assists on the team with 25.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He’s a really well-spoken, mature young man. I think he’s going to be that defenceman back there that can kind of do it all for you. He’s physical. He’s got a big frame. He skates well and he can also lug the puck and do things offensively for us. It will be a big adjustment for these new kids coming in and jumping into our league, but we’re surrounding them with the right people and creating the right culture with a positive atmosphere. I think they can blossom into good players a lot quicker than might be expected.”
Dawson Good (2002, F)
Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C.- Previous team: Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (BC U18)
Good played the last two seasons with the Thunderbirds U18 team. Over his career with Fraser Valley, he put up 98 points in 79 regular-season games, good for a 1.24 points-per-game average. The 18-year-old also has BCHL experience, having suited up as an affiliate for Chilliwack seven times over the last two seasons. He scored two goals in his five games with the team last year.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He had an opportunity to play for a handful of BCHL teams a couple years ago and would have been in our league last year, but we had a conversation where we let him know were pretty deep up front last year. We said, if he was willing to go back to midget and develop and work on his game and practice with us, that we felt like he’d be more game-ready for us this year. He’s another outstanding human being and a really thoughtful and well-mannered kid. He’s willing to learn and just adds to our Chiefs culture.”
Ethan Pearson (2002, G)
Hometown: Quebec, Que.- Previous team: Mount St. Charles Academy U18 (18U AAA)
Pearson had an outstanding year at Mount St. Charles last season. He finished with the second-best goals-against average in his league with a mark of 1.55. He went 24-8-2 on the season with a save percentage of .926.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“It’s a perfect situation for us, having [last year’s starting goalie] Mathieu Caron back and Ethan coming in. They’re different goalies. Ethan has more size and stature to him. He’ll learn a lot from Mathieu as far as athleticism, skating and handling pucks. I think they’ll be a great duo. He’s definitely a big prospect for us. We can see him jumping into our league right away and doing well.”
Frankie Carogioiello (2002, F)
Hometown: Woodbridge, Ont.- Previous team: St. Andrew’s College (CAHS)
- College commitment: Miami University (2021-22)
The 18-year-old spent the last two seasons at St. Andrew’s and put up 58 points in 63 games in 2019-20. He also has Junior A experience having played 10 games for the Toronto Jr. Canadians of the OJHL last year where he scored once and added four assists.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He’s a kid that I’ve been on for a couple years now. I’ve had the pleasure of going to watch him play with the handful of guys we’ve been able to grab out of that program. He doesn’t have the biggest frame, but he competes extremely hard. He’s someone that opposing players are always having to get through, whether it’s from proper angling or sheer work ethic. He stops on a lot of pucks and he creates a lot of loose-puck battles.”
Abram Wiebe (2003, D)
Hometown: Mission, B.C.- Previous team: Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (BC U18)
Wiebe was fourth in defencemen scoring in the entire BC U18 circuit in 2019-20 with 34 points in 39 games. He also played in three games with the Chiefs as an affiliate.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He’s a great, well-spoken kid. He really cares – you can tell. He’s excited to be joining us. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people. He put in a big summer. He’s got some size to him. He’s a really smooth skater and a smart, intelligent player.”
Ty Gagno (2003, F)
Hometown: Langley, B.C.- Previous team: Burnaby Winter Club (CSSHL)
The 16-year-old is the brother of returning Chiefs defenceman Brody Gagno. Ty played last season with the Burnaby Winter Club where he notched 17 points in 23 games. He also played in one contest with the Chiefs as an affiliate.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He just brings a kind of old-school mentality where you get your work boots on and then you get rewarded offensively. I think he’ll surprise a lot of people in his junior career with his offensive numbers. He’s going to come in and bring some depth for us. He’s a kid that will play any role you tell him to. He’s not afraid of using his body and being physical and you definitely need that to round out your roster.”
Acquired via trade:
Ayrton Martino (2002, F)
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.- Previous team: St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL)
- College commitment: Clarkson University (2021-22)
Martino was the OJHL’s third-leading scorer in 2019-20 with 79 points in 48 regular-season games. His 50 assists also put him third in the league. The 17-year-old also suited up for for Canada East at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge where he tied for the team lead in points with five en route to a silver medal.
Maloney’s scouting report:
“He’s a pretty big-time player. I’ve just been blown away by the IQ of this player. He’s going to be able to hold onto pucks and make a lot of other players better around him. I think he’ll help us a lot offensively. We had a lot of talent and skill last year, but we struggled to score goals. Ayrton will be either putting the puck in or being on the other end with an assist.”
Photo credits: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images (Draper, Teleguine, Carogioiello, Martino), Trent Rolfe (Good, Wiebe)
