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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 is the Nanaimo Clippers.
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The Nanaimo Clippers closed out the 2023-24 season in fifth place in the Coastal Conference with a record of 27-23-3-1 and were defeated 4-1 by the Victoria Grizzlies in their first-round playoff series.
With the spotlight now focused on 2024-25, head coach and general manager Colin Birkas highlights the team’s new recruits to recap a busy offseason.
New recruits
Kyan Labbé (2007, G)
Hometown: Sherbrooke, Que.- Previous team: Magog Cantonniers (QM18AAA)
- College commitment: Union College
Labbé put up sparkling numbers with his under-18 team the past two years. During the 2023-24 regular season, he posted a .934 save percentage and a 1.98 goals-against average with a 17-6-0 record and two shutouts. In the postseason, he led the Cantonniers to a national championship where he was named the tournament’s top goaltender. He is the son of Jean-François Labbé, a longtime professional goaltender in North America and Europe.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“Kyan has been a very good goalie growing up in Quebec. He’s quite accomplished and was a pretty high draft pick in the QMJHL draft. He’s committed to Union, so he wants to go to college. He’ll probably be here for a couple of years. We’re bringing back [goaltender] Chazz Nixon as a 20-year-old, so we thought it made sense to go with a young number-two goalie that can learn the ropes from him.”
Bowen Burke (2005, D)
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.- Previous team: Colorado Grit (NAHL)
- College commitment: Union College
In his rookie season in junior hockey, Burke led his team in scoring as a defenceman with 28 points in 60 games. The three years prior, he played at Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“He’s very capable of chewing minutes. He’s a two-way defenceman with a good shot from the point. He’s a very high-character kid. We identified him early on in the year. We knew he would need another year of junior and we thought that, with our departures on our right side, he could come in and help the power play and really just play in any situation.”
Hudson Gill (2006, D)
Hometown: Burlington, Ont.- Previous team: Brantford 99ers (OJHL)
Gill was Brantford’s top-scoring blueliner in 2023-24, racking up 34 points in 56 games to finish third overall in team scoring, while his 29 assists were tied for second.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“Hudson is someone we’ve been talking to for two years. He’s coming off a really good year in the OJHL. I think that was the best thing for him because it allowed him to develop his offensive skills at the junior level. We’re hoping he follows in the mold of [former Clippers] Michael Craig and Brett Merner, guys that put up offensive numbers, but first and foremost, are really good defencemen in all three zones.”
Elliot Perreault (2006, F)
Hometown: Winnipeg, Man.- Previous team: Winnipeg Freeze (MJHL)
Perreault played the past two seasons for his hometown team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and led the Freeze with 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points in 56 games.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“We watched him all season. He’s a very high-character kid, which is a theme here. That’s been a big part of our recruiting this season. He comes highly recommended from a really good family. He has lots of junior experience for a 2006-born player. He was the captain and highest-scoring 2006-born player in his previous league. He’s just scratching the surface of how good a player he’s going to be.”
James Marshall (2006, F)
Hometown: Weymouth, Mass.- Previous team: South Kent School (18U AAA)
Marshall was South Kent’s second-leading scorer in 2023-24, averaging exactly a point per game with 72 in 72 contests across all competition.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“He’s grown a lot since we started recruiting him. He’s gotten taller and stronger. He’s a good two-way player who is very skilled, smart and driven. He fits the mold of some of the guys we’ve brought in here in the past. He’s got a lot of character and desire in his game.”
Anthony Biakabutuka (2006, D)
Hometown: Longueuil, Que.- Previous team: Salisbury School (USHS-Prep)
- College commitment: College of the Holy Cross
Biakabutuka was the captain at Salisbury School last year and finished the season tied for the most goals among defencemen with seven and was their second-highest point producer on the back end with 22 points in 27 games.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“It was very competitive to get his services. He was someone we identified early on last season as someone we wanted. He’s a big, strong defenceman that skates well. There’s offence to his game as well. As you see every year, the game gets to be a little different in the playoffs and we like the fact that he brings a good amount of size.”
Ryan Santiago (2006, D)
Hometown: New Lenox, Ill.- Previous team: Bishop Kearney Selects (18U AAA)
Santiago was Bishop Kearney’s top scorer on the back end in 2023-24, finishing his campaign with 35 points in 49 games.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“He has a strong two-way game and looks after his own end of the ice really well, but he also has some offensive flair. He was another early recruit for us this season. Our head scout saw him live a couple times and really felt a strong comparison to [former Clippers captain] Brett Merner.”
Jack O’Donnell (2005, F)
Hometown: Elmira, Ont.- Previous team: Listowel Cyclones (GOJHL)
In his second year with the team, O’Donnell was the Cyclones top goal-scorer with 31 in 50 games and their third-highest point producer with 52. He helped guide his team to a GOJHL championship to close out the 2023-24 season.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“He’s a power forward. He scores goals and plays a lot of his minutes around the net. He’s a big, strong kid with some bite to his game. The fans in Nanaimo will quickly make the comparison to [former Clipper] Brody Waters and it just so happens that they are family friends, which is a big reason why he wanted to be a Clipper.”
Morgan Hackman (2007, F)
Hometown: Vernon, B.C.- Previous team: RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (CSSHL U18)
Hackman totaled 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 29 games last year.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“Morgan is very close to having a 2008 birthday, so he’s a very young 2007-born player. He’s huge and he can skate. He was well-coached by Jarome Iginla at RINK Hockey Academy and played on his son Joe’s line. When I first watched him, I thought he was one of the oldest kids on the ice because he played in straight lines, finished checks and created room for his linemates, but also had good hockey sense and puck touches. He’s going to develop to be a true power forward in this league.”
Julian Brown (2006, D)
Hometown: Montclair, N.J.- Previous team: Philadelphia Rebels (NAHL)
Brown notched a goal and eight assists in 51 North American Hockey League games for the Rebels last season.
Birkas’ scouting report:
“He’s another defenceman with good size. He’s physically-imposing. He’s got some skill as well, but he’s still looking to develop that side of his game, which is a big reason he chose to play in our league – because of the development that our teams provide. We want him to come play hard and play mean with some edge, and we’ll help him enhance his skillset. He’s going to be a well-rounded defenceman.”
Photo credits: Dan Hickling (Marshall, Biakabutuka, Santiago), CSSHL (Hackman)
