The Langley Rivermen are set to begin the Bauer BCHL Showcase this week taking place at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack, BC.
2015 marks the fourth consecutive year that the BCHL has put on this one stop shop for fans and scouts alike. This year’s event begins on a Thursday, which will allow 16 of the 17 games scheduled to be played on the main ice sheet at Prospera Centre. Like in years past, expect over 200 talent evaluators representing both the NHL and collegiate level taking in the event.
“The Showcase is an exciting four days for both players and coaches. Our players get an opportunity to play in front of numerous NCAA programs, and we get to watch the other 16 teams in our league right away and see where we match up against them”, said Rivermen Associate Head Coach and Assistant GM Kurt Astle.
Each team will once again play two games during the BCHL Showcase, which count towards the regular season standings. The Rivermen begin their Showcase on Thursday, September 24th against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at 1:00PM and end the event on Sunday, September 27th at 7:30 PM against the West Kelowna Warriors.
“Salmon Arm is having success early. They are an older group that is well coached. Their forward group is well balanced and have shown the ability to score. West Kelowna on the other hand, has a group of highly skilled forwards that like to play at a high pace. Both games will be a good test for us”, Astle continued.
Since the first Showcase was held, the BCHL has had 12 players selected in the NHL Entry Draft with another five projected to be drafted this June. Over the last three seasons, the league has also averaged 132 players with college commitments, 114 of those to the NCAA Division I level. Rivermen Director of Operations Taylor Henderson admits that the Bauer BCHL Showcase is always at the top of the agenda at league meetings,
“I believe the Showcase is the most important thing the league does as a whole. We look at it as purely helping the kids and that is the most important part of it all. We brand ourselves ‘Smart Hockey’ and this is just an extension of our brand to ensure that our players get a college education”.
Three games into the BCHL season, the Rivermen sit at 2-1-0-0. Entering the Showcase, Langley leads the league in NCAA committed players on their roster with nine.
