It’s never too late to get some good news.
While the new season is already getting close, Cowichan Valley Capitals forward Max Newton recently got confirmation he’s going off to NCAA Div. I hockey at the University of Alaska.
The native of Vancouver notched career highs with 25 goals and 34 assists last season, his 59 points leading the Caps. Newton suited up for all 58 games in 2016-17. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder played the two previous seasons with the Trail Smoke Eaters and in 153 career BCHL games, Newton had 47-76-123 to go along with 135 penalty minutes.
At Alaska, Newton will join a Nanooks program that has recruited heavily from the BCHL in recent seasons. League alums Marcus Basara, Brandon Morley, Chad Staley, Kylar Hope, Jesse Jenks, Jordan Burns and Ross Heidt all played for the Nanooks last season.
Other current BCHLers committed to Alaska, which is located in Fairbanks, are Chris and Steven Jandric and Jimmy Lambert of the Vernon Vipers.
Alaska competes in the NCAA’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) along with Alabama-Huntsville, Bemidji State, Northern Michigan, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Alaska-Anchorage, Minnesota State, Bowling Green and Ferris State.
The Nanooks also recently announced the promotion of Lance West from assistant to head coach. West, a Penticton native, played three BCHL seasons split between the Vernon Lakers and Kelowna Spartans from 1988 to 1991.
