There will be plenty of new faces in the Victoria GrizzliesB次元官网网址� lineup next season, but it appears they will still have a Welsh and a Guiney as part of their top 12 forwards.
Nolan Welsh, younger brother of the departing Tyler Welsh, played 68 games between the regular season and playoffs last year and is likely to receive an increased role up front in his age-18 season next year.
West Shore native Jordan Guiney, Nick GuineyB次元官网网址檚 junior, spent most of his season with the Westshore Wolves but played 10 games with the Grizz, including four in the post-season. The 18-year-old was one of three commitments the Grizzlies made last week following their April 7-9 spring camp.
B次元官网网址淚 think heB次元官网网址檚 ready to contribute. HeB次元官网网址檚 a strong player offensively and defensively,B次元官网网址� said head coach and general manager Craig Didmon. B次元官网网址淗e played centre for the Wolves in Junior B this year and I think that was a good development phase for him.B次元官网网址�
Forwards Lach Hadley and Tanner Hopps, who each had short stints with the Grizzlies this year, were also given commitments last week.
Hadley, another Victoria product, spent his 2016/17 season with the Shawnigan Lake School prep team. Meanwhile, Hopps played academy-level hockey in Delta.
B次元官网网址淭hese are two young guys that are going to come and learn the ropes as underage players,B次元官网网址� Didmon said of the two players born in 2000.
B次元官网网址�(HadleyB次元官网网址檚) got a huge level of compete in him. A very intelligent playerB次元官网网址 expect Lach to be around for a few years and be a very well-known face in the community.B次元官网网址�
Hopps is in a similar mold, Didmon noted, and has produced offensively at every level that heB次元官网网址檚 played.
The trio joins defenceman Jacson Alexander and goaltender Zach Rose as prospect commitments for the club.
Alexander wonB次元官网网址檛 turn 17 until February of 2018 but Didmon expects that the skilled defender will step into the GrizzliesB次元官网网址� lineup immediately.
B次元官网网址淚 think heB次元官网网址檚 going to carry a bigger load than most people think. I watched him in spring camp and he was outstanding. He competes extremely hard and has a great skillset,B次元官网网址� he said.
Asked to compare the Victoria native to a player heB次元官网网址檚 coached in the past, he said Alexander reminds him of ex-Juan de Fuca Grizzlies star and current Colorado Avalanche defender Tyson Barrie, who Didmon coached at Spencer Hockey Academy.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a great skater and just knows how to get the job doneB次元官网网址e plays with that kind of energy and that type of speed. He makes plays that are high level,B次元官网网址� he said.
Rose figures to compete with Tony Rehm and Shawn Parkinson for the task to replace departing goaltender Matthew Galajda.
B次元官网网址淚 think theyB次元官网网址檙e all competitive goalies and theyB次元官网网址檙e all Junior A-calibre goalies,B次元官网网址� Didmon said.
The Grizzlies will host their next prospects camp from July 21-23 in Whistler.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
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