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In the weeks leading up to the start of the 2024-25 season, we will go team-by-team to profile new players entering the league, as well as offseason acquisitions through trades. We speak with the coach/GM of each team to get their thoughts on the new crop of players.
Next up are the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
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The Alberni Valley Bulldogs closed out the 2023-24 regular season in third place in the Coastal Conference with a record of 33-20-1-0. They defeated the Coquitlam Express in seven games of the first round, then swept the Chilliwack Chiefs as the lower seed in Round 2. This setup a matchup with the number-one overall seeded Surrey Eagles for the second year in a row, which the Bulldogs dropped in seven games.
After two years of playoff success, including a trip to the Fred Page Cup Finals in 2023 and reaching the seventh game of the Conference Finals in 2024, head coach and general manager Joe Martin has retooled his squad with the hopes of getting over the hump and winning a championship this year. We spoke with him about his new recruits this offseason.
New recruits
Colin Winn (2004, G)
Hometown: Westford, Mass.- Previous team: Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
- College commitment: St. Lawrence University
Winn spent the past two seasons with Youngstown of the USHL, making 48 appearances with a record of 19-18-2.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s an experienced goaltender that has been in the USHL finals. He really wants an opportunity to be the guy and have a great season before he goes to school.”
Ryder Shea (2006, G)
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.- Previous team: St. George’s School (USHS-Prep)
- College commitment: University of Maine
Shea owned a .928 save percentage in 28 games with St. George’s last season, which was his third year with the team.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s a top-notch person and someone who has worked with [fellow incoming goalie] Colin Winn in the past. Three years ago, they were teammates in a similar scenario. I can’t say enough about how good of a person he is. In his age group, he’s one of the top goalies from his area. We’re really lucky to have him. It’s always great to have two guys in net that can play any night.”
Antoine Gauthier (2006, F)
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.- Previous team: Berkshire School (USHS-Prep)
- College commitment: Dartmouth College
Gauthier was Berkshire’s top scorer in 2023-24 with 50 points in 29 games, scoring 21 goals and adding a team-best 29 helpers. He also has junior experience, having played for the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) as a 16-year-old during the 2022-23 campaign, winning a league title and competing in the national championship tournament.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He had a great year in prep school last year and got a scholarship. He’s already played a year of junior, so we think it will be a smooth transition for him. He’s a very driven athlete. We’re looking forward to seeing him.”
Will Mitchell (2005, F)
Hometown: Kingston, Ont.- Previous team: Wellington Dukes (OJHL)
Mitchell brings three years of experience in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, mostly with Wellington, but with a stop to play for the Lindsay Muskies as well. Last year with the Dukes, he put up 45 points in 56 games.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He has really quick feet. He’s an aggressive player, but his speed is the biggest thing for me. It fits the way we want to play. He’s also a great person and teammate. He just wants to win and wants to keep moving up.”
Jesse Allecia (2005, F)
Hometown: New York, N.Y.- Previous team: Salisbury School (USHS-Prep)
- College commitment: University of New Hampshire
Allecia scored 17 goals in 26 games for Salisbury last year, adding eight assists to finish with 25 points on the campaign. He also totaled 30 points in 38 games while playing for the Yale Jr. Bulldogs 18U program in 2023-24.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s a mature kid who just wants to get better every day and make sure he’s ready to be impactful when he eventually gets to New Hampshire. We’re excited about him. He’s coming is as a rookie, but an older one at 19, so I don’t think the transition will take very long.”
Evan Stastny (2006, D)
Hometown: Glen Ellyn, Ill.- Previous team: Lake Forest Academy (USHS-Prep)
- College commitment: Lake Superior State University
Stastny spent the past four season with Lake Forest Academy in his home state of Illinois. In 2023-24, he had a career-best 31 points in 37 games.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s a young player who had an injury a couple years ago and missed some time. This will be his first year of junior. He’s a tall kid and might be considered a late-bloomer. We expect to have him around for a couple of seasons. He’s athletic and a great teammate.”
Gianni DiVita (2005, F)
Hometown: Grosse Point Farms, Mich.- Previous team: Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL)
- College commitment: Lake Superior State University
DiVita totaled 12 goals, 14 assists and 26 points in 51 games for Trenton of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He also suited up for 20 postseason games for the Golden Hawks who made the league championship series.
Martin’s scouting report:
“Last year in Trenton, he played on a good team with a lot of good forwards. He’s looking to have another big season with a winning team. He’s a centreman and a big kid. We’ve moved on a bunch of centres from last year, so we’re excited to fill a spot with a player whose best hockey is still ahead of him. He’s a bit of a late-bloomer and developer, but he’s a massive kid and is very athletic.”
McCarthy Richardson (2006, F)
Hometown: New Westminster, B.C.- Previous team: RINK Hockey Academy Prep (CSSHL U18)
Richardson totaled 17 goals, 22 assists and 39 points in 22 games for RINK Academy last year, good enough for third in team scoring.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s a strong kid who practiced with us a few times last year. He’s what we’re always looking for. He’s competitive with a chip on his shoulder. He skates well, shoots the puck hard and likes to be physical. He’s a B.C. kid that will probably be with us for a couple years. He should get fans excited about his game.”
Alexi Grégoire (2007, D)
Hometown: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.- Previous team: Gilmour Academy (16U AAA)
His 34 points in 57 games made Grégoire the top-scoring defenceman on his under-16 team last season.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s a young defenceman who is big and long. He was at our last two camps. There’s a lot of potential with him. He’s about 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and has a right shot. He skates really well. He’s a little bit raw, but we think he’s a hidden gem. There will be some work to do with him as a young kid, but he’s very coachable. There’s a bright future for him.”
Calle Sandstrom (2004, D)
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden- Previous team: Brynäs IF (J20 Nationell)
Sandstrom came up through the Brynäs system in Sweden and suited up for the under-20 team the last two years, playing in 83 games and contributing 32 points.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s an experienced defenceman. With the departure of some of our guys, we felt like we needed to get some experience back there. He’s a guy that will play in a lot of situations. He’s a big, tall kid that can really move and handle the puck. There’s always a transition coming over from Europe, but his experience was something that we really targeted.”
Jacob Wingfield (2006, F)
Hometown: Danbury, Conn.- Previous team: Kerry Park Islanders (VIJHL)
He is the son of Brad Wingfield who played in the BCHL for four seasons with five different teams and went on to play professionally for 12 years. Jacob played the past two seasons with Kerry Park of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. In 2023-24, he led the team with 28 goals and finished second in points with 53 in 44 games.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He was born in Connecticut, but his mom is from Powell River and he grew up on the Coast. His been on the Island for the last two years and I’ve seen him at different camps and watched some games and I’ve really noticed his development. He reminds me of a few players that we moved on from last year’s team. We’re excited to see where he goes. He’s got a heavy shot and he likes to be physical.”
Alexander Ståhl (2005, D)
Hometown: Ljungby, Sweden- Previous team: Rögle BK (J20 Nationell)
Ståhl had been with Rögle since the 2020-21 season when he played for their under-16 team. As a full-time player with their under-20 squad last year, he suited up for 43 games and added five assists.
Martin’s scouting report:
“He’s looking to come over here and get some college interest. He’s a two-way defenceman who is going to help us replace some of our guys who left. He will contribute on the penalty kill and go up against the opposition’s top guys.”
Cullen Emery (2005, F)
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.- Previous team: Dexter Southfield School (USHS-Prep)
Emery was the leading scorer on his prep school team last year, putting up 44 points in 30 games, including a team-high 18 goals and 26 assists. He also brings some BCHL experience, having played one game for the Victoria Grizzlies and another five with the Merritt Centennials last season before returning to school.
Martin’s scouting report:
“We’ve heard a lot of good things about him. He’s got good skill. He went back to prep school and finished off really well. He’s looking to get back in our league and make some noise.”
Jonathan Wong (2004, D)
Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C.- Previous team: Merritt Centennials (BCHL)
Wong played a season-and-a-half with Merritt and suited up for 63 games over that stretch. He has four goals and three assists in his BCHL career.
Martin’s scouting report:
“Jonathan is a great skater and an experienced defenceman who I’ve seen play in the league the last couple of years. He’s another 20-year-old that helps our back end.”
Kenyon McIsaac (2006, D)
Hometown: Prince George, B.C.- Previous team: Cariboo Cougars AAA (BCEHL U18)
McIsaac led the Cougars in points from the back end in 2023-24, notching 30 points in 26 contests. He also played five games for the Chilliwack Chiefs early last season. He is the younger brother of 2004-born Bulldogs forward Brady McIsaac.
Martin’s scouting report:
“We’ve seen him around for a few years. We know him and the family very well. He’s a super competitive kid. We expect to have him around for a couple of seasons. When everything clicks for him, he’s going to be fun to watch. He should be one of the top skaters on our team next year.”
Photo credits: USHL (Winn), Dan Hickling (Gauthier, Allecia, Stastny, Emery), CSSHL (Richardson)
