Alumni Joins Elite Group

OHA Alumni, Mitch MacMillan, has joined an elite group of players. Mitch scored his 50th goal in 49 games this past weekend, an accomplishment that hasn't been achieved since Kyle Turris, a third overall selection of the Phoenix Coyotes did it in 2007.

Chapman Ranked by Central Scouting

Former Okanagan Hockey Academy defenseman, Mitch Chapman, has been ranked 151st overall by central scouting for the 2010 NHL entry draft. Mitch's projected ranking would make him a 6th round selection.

Mitch, a 6'3" defenseman, skates with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. Through 33 games this season, the stay at home defenseman Chapman has 2 assists and 60 minutes in penalties. Last season Mitch suited up for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL.

"Mitch is a really strong player that has shown great development over the past few seasons. He made the transition from our top midget team up to the BCHL with ease, and has adjusted to the rigerous schedule of the WHL quite well this year. Any team that can pick Mitch in a later round will find a steal of a draft pick." Alan Kerr, Vice President

Bulldogs Ranked 11th in the Nation

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs continue to climb the National rankings, moving from 15th up to 11th in this weeks CJHL Power Rankings.

For a complete list of the top 20 teams in the Nation, please visit: http://cjhlhockey.com/standings.html

Walker Wins World Junior Gold Medal

Luke Walker, a former OHA student, has captured a Gold Medal in the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships with Team USA.

Walker, who's club team is the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League, finished the tournament with a + 1 rating through 7 games at the this tournament. Walker will now rejoin the Winter Hawks where he currently has 15 goals and 15 assists through 32 games.

"We are proud of Luke for achieving such a tremendous goal. To capture a gold medal at an event that features the premier junior hockey players in the world is an outstanding achievement. The hardwork and dedication of Luke, and the perseverance to return from a serious injury, shows the kind of character that Luke is." Andy Oakes, President

Congratulations Luke from the Okanagan Hockey Academy.

OHA Alumni Competing for Gold Medal

OHA Alumni, Luke Walker, will compete for a gold medal as his Team USA takes on Team Canada in the World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game on Tuesday.

Walker, a Portland Winter Hawk scoring star, is the perseverance story of the World Junior Championships this year. Returning only 7 days after having a steel plate inserted in his jaw after being struck by a puck, Walker made Team USA after a strong training camp in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The gold medal game is a rematch of the New Years Eve thriller that saw Canada come from behind to beat the American's in a shootout. Game time is 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Blog Message

This is a message for all users of the OHA Blog. This blog is a place for parents, players, alumni, and staff to keep up to date on the latest news happening at the Okanagan Hockey Academy.

There will be no negative comments published about any players, staff, OHA or alumni. If you would like to post a comment, it will be first reviewed to ensure that it maintains the positive atmosphere that this blog is here to provide. The focus will be on the positive acomplishments of our athletes and staff and will maintain this integrity. Only legitimate comments will be accepted so please ensure you attach your name to all posts and we will make sure they are published.

Gill Commits to BU

OHA Alumni, Sahir Gill, commits to Boston University for the 2010-2011 season.

Gill, who is currently playing for the Chicago Steel of the USHL, adds this to a growing list of accomplishments which include a 2008-2009 National Championship with the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. This season, Gill has notched 6 goals and 14 assists through 16 games.

"Commiting to a team like Boston University is very exciting. They have a great program there, and it was just the right fit for me. Playing in Hockey East is something I'm looking forward too, but my focus right now is on the Chicago Steel and working hard every game to help us have success." Sahir Gill

OHA Alumni Explode for 11 Points

Okanagan Hockey Alumni, Mitch MacMillan, Mark MacMillan, Sam Mitchell, Josh Mitchell and Tyler Berkholtz combined last night to notch 11 points in an 8-3 Alberni Valley Bulldog win over the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

Mark MacMillan led the way with 3 assists, while brother Mitch added to his league leading goal total by finding the back of the net twice. Sam Mitchell put up a goal and an assist, Tyler Berkholtz and Josh Mitchell both added two assists in the victory.

Bulldogs Receive Honourable Mention

The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. Last week's rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.

The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, November 9th
1. (2) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
2. (4) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
3. (5) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
4. (1) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
5. (3) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
6. (6) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
7. (8) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
8. (7) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
9. (10) Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
10. (12) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
11. (11) Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
12. (13) Newmarket Hurricanes (CCHL)
13. (14) Wellington Dukes (CCHL)
14. (9) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
15. (15) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
16. (16) Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
17. (HM) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
18. (18) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
19. (19) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
20. (20) Le College Francais de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ)

Honorable mention goes to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL), Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL), Portage Terriers (MJHL), Toronto Jr. Canadiens (CCHL), and Les Pantheres de Saint Jerome (LHJAAAQ)

The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada
http://cjhlhockey.com/standings.html

Alumni Commits to Northeastern

Okanagan Hockey Academy Alumni Mitch MacMillan has committed to attend the Northeastern University in 2010. Mitch will suit up for the Northeastern Huskies of the NCAA Division I Hockey East.

Mitch has had an outstanding start to this years BCHL season as he leads the league in goals with 19 and 9 assists in the first 20 games.

"Mitch is a quality person, who has worked extremely hard for this opportunity. I am proud to see Mitch accomplish his goal of attaining an NCAA Division I scholarship." Nolan Graham, GM/Head Coach Alberni Valley Bulldogs

Alumni Watch!

Sahir Gill, a former OHA sniper, is currently tied for the league lead in scoring in the United States Hockey League.

Gill, a Terrace BC native, joined the Chicago Steel of the USHL this season after capturing a National Championship with the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL last season. This season, Sahir has notched 4 goals and added 13 assists through the Steel's first 10 games. Gill's Steel are currently sitting on top of the East Division of the USHL with 14 points.

Watch highlights from Chicago's 6-5 win over the Cedar Rapids Roughriders on October 31st. Gill helped lead the Steel with 2 assists.

An Entire School Will Learn to Skate!!

Coaches and staff of Okanagan Hockey School along with players of the Penticton Lakers Hockey team are donating their time and talent to teach an entire elementary school to “Learn to Skate”

Every student at Queens Park Elementary will have an opportunity to learn to skate thanks to the generous contributions of the City of Penticton, Global Entertainment, Penticton Minor Hockey, Okanagan Hockey School and the Penticton Lakers.

Skating lessons will be offered to every grade throughout the month of November beginning November 4th. The City of Penticton and Global Entertainment have donated the ice time; PMHA will arrange helmets and protective gear while the Penticton Lakers players and Okanagan Hockey School coaches and staff will provide the on ice instruction.

“Every child deserves a chance to participate – and we think this is an opportunity to introduce a sport to children that may not have been given the chance. We know that junior hockey players are considered role models and kids respond well to them.” says Andy Oakes, President of Okanagan Hockey School..

“The “Learn to Skate” program also pairs nicely with the Daily Physical Activity program the Lakers are operating in local elementary schools”, says Jackie Frederick, volunteer coordinator of the Penticton Lakers community outreach programs.

When the Ministry of Education mandated “Daily Physical Activity” as part of primary schools curriculum, the Lakers saw an opportunity!

“When we heard about the DPA mandate, we knew this was an area where the Lakers players could have a positive influence on youngsters”, says Frederick. “The players will visit schools and participate in whatever activity has been planned for that day and interact with students to show them that being active can be fun!”

The Penticton Lakers will be busy this year with a number of other off-ice initiatives that have been created to integrate the players into the community that supports them.

Frederick has also scheduled players to walk dogs at the SPCA; collect donations for Tim Horton’s Operation Christmas Child; man a Salvation Army kettle, feed the hungry, play a game against the Special Olympics basketball game, greet guests of the Toys for Tots breakfast at the Penticton Lakeside Resort and more!

“This Club knows that in order for the team and its players to be successful they must give back to the community – and that is exactly what they will be doing!”

For more information or to schedule a visit from the players, please contact:

Jackie Frederick
Volunteer Coordinator
Community Programs
250-859-5999

Junior Varsity Winfield Tournament Recap

Friday October 23, 2009 vs. Winfield
Result 4-1 Loss

The Okanagan Hockey Academy Junior Varsity Squad kicked off their weekend tournament in Winfield with a loss to the host team. Hayden Town scored the lone goal for the JV team on a set up by Linden Horswill and Phillip Siutz.

Cole Hensen turned aside 26 shots in the loss.

Friday October 23, 2009 vs. 100 Mile House
Result 3-1 Win

Sion Park, Dallas Barker, and Linden Horswill all contributed goals in the second game of the day for the JV team. Jonathan Tetrault, Sasha Hahn, and Hayden Town all picked up assists. Jesse Gordichuk picked up the win, kicking aside 17 shots in the OHA goal.

Saturday October 24, 2009 vs. Ridge Meadows
Result 6-4 Loss

Despite being down 4-1 after two periods, the JV team responded in the third to make the game close. Hayden Town kicked off the scoring for OHA. Jonathan Tetrault, Dallas Barker and Linden Horswill rounded out the scoring. Matt Wesley, Cam Rout, Ryan Swain, Town, Barker, and Tetrault all chipped in assists.

Cole Hensen was busy in the OHA net, turning aside 30 shots in the loss.

Saturday October 24, 2009 vs. Cranbrook
Result 3-1 Win

Linden Horswill, Ryan Swain and Jonathan Tetrault all scored in the win. Matt Wesley closed out his weekend with a strong performance, tallying 2 assists. Sion Park, Turner Krechel and Jonathan Tetrault also added assists.

Jesse Gordichuk picked up the win for OHA, stopping 23 shots.

“We did a lot of good things this weekend, but also showed some areas that we need to focus on and improve in the coming weeks. Our boys were competitive in every game and showed up with a desire to win. We will continue to work hard in practice and see the dividends it pays in game situations.” Rob McLaughlin, Head Coach

Walker Commits to Northern Michigan

Former Okanagan Hockey Academy defenseman Eric Walker has committed to the NCAA Division 1 Northern Michigan Wildcats.

Walker, a 16 year old rookie with the Trail Smoke Eaters this season, spent one season playing for the OHA Prep Team. This season, through 16 games, Walker has contributed 3 assists. The talented defenseman will be joining the Wildcats in the 2011-2012 season.

Junior Varsity Recap

October 18, 2009 vs Nelson
Result 7-2 Win

The Okanagan Hockey Academy Junior Varsity team had an offensive explosion, receiving multiple goals from Sasha Hahn, Turner Krechel and Cameron Dobransky. Hayden Town continued his hot streak notching his team leading 6th goal to round out the scoring.
Dan Fuller, Sion Park, Ryan Swain and Luke Ripley all added 2 assists for OHA. Dallas Barker, Jonathan Tetrault and Krechel all added single helpers.

Jesse Gordichuk kicked aside 17 shots sent his way including some key stops when called upon.

October 17, 2009 vs Nelson
Result 4-2 Loss

OHA got off to a quick start going up on the strength of goals first period goals from Dallas Barker and Turner Krechel. Unfortunately that was all the offense the JV squad could produce, with Nelson scoring 4 unanswered goals.

Cole Henson was tagged with the loss despite his strong play in turning aside 30 shots through 60 minutes.

"Overall we are pleased with the weekend. Our boys showed that when faced with adversity they can rebound quickly. We are continuing to find our team buying into our team systems and showing great improvement night in and night out." Rob McLaughlin, Head Coach

OHA Prep Team Cleveland Trip

Okanagan Hockey academy Prep team came away with a silver medal at the Team Ohio Invitational over the weekend. The team finished first overall in the tournament after the round robin, and advanced to the final by beating the Pittsburgh Predators in the semi final. Prep opened the scoring in the final game on a nice 2 on 1 pass by Brett Harding to Marcus Dahl would tiped into top shelf on the Michigan Elite goalie. Prep lead 1-0 after the first. The second saw the Prep team getting into penalty trouble. Michigan never capitalized on there oppurtunites that period but they gained a shift in momentum with the man adavantage for most of the second. In the 3rd Michigan took the lead and never looked back. Their second goalie come off a point shot early in the 3rd that beat a screaned Christian Kames. Michigan took a 2 goal lead shortly after on a identical point shot from a Michigan defender.

"On the big scale the tournament was a huge success for this group, we improved in all areas of our game. The only dissapointment was not winning gold, but with the continued development of this group we will be stronger as the year moves on" Doug Jackman, Assistant Coach

Alumni Leading USHL

Okanagan Hockey Academy Alumnist, Sahir Gill, is currently leading the United States Hockey League scoring leaders. Gill has amassed 2 goals and 7 assists in 4 games this season for the Chicago Steel.

Prior to joining the Steel, Gill helped lead the Vernon Vipers to a National Championship, capturing the Royal Bank Cup last season. A prolific scorer, Gill has excelled at every level.

"We are proud of Sahir's development over the years. He had a strong season last year as a rookie in the BCHL and continues to prove that he can play at the highest levels. He has dedicated himself to working out extremely hard on and off ice and is having that hard work pay off." Alan Kerr, Vice President Okanagan Hockey Academy

OHA Adds Bantam Program

The Okanagan Hockey Academy is pleased to announce the addition of a Bantam program for the 2010-2011 season. This program will be available to players born in 1996-1997. We are excited to add this level to our existing Academy programs and it will follow the same philosophy that we have employed since OHA’s inception in 2002.

The Okanagan Hockey Academy currently operates with five teams. A midget ‘AAAA' team, a midget ‘AAA’, and a midget ‘AA’ team. We also have two junior teams; the Penticton Lakers, that will play out of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey league and the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Junior ‘A’ team. The Bulldogs play in the esteemed BCHL based out of Port Alberni, BC. Okanagan Hockey Academy is located in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.

The city of Penticton is located in the Okanagan Valley and has a population of 43,000. Penticton is a four season’s destination for vacationers and business travelers. Cradled between tree trimmed mountain slopes, dramatic cliffs and bordered by two pristine lakes, Penticton offers her natural beauty all year round.Okanagan Hockey Academy provides an environment where young hockey players can receive a high quality of education, while developing their hockey skills on a daily basis with our high level coaching and training staff. The positive personal growth of the players on an individual basis is encouraged through our coaches, teachers, trainers, billets, and management staff.Each player is treated as an individual within a team atmosphere.

It is the goal of Okanagan Hockey Academy to develop each player’s individual and team skills in order to place each one of them in a league for which they are best suited. Players will be exposed to Junior A, Major Junior, College and Pro teams through a variety of methods.The educational program at Penticton High is designed to prepare students for university entrance, while developing each student’s self-confidence and self-discipline, along with an inquiring and creative mind. The school community creates a secure and inspiring educational environment and encourages students to strive for excellence in every aspect of their lives. Players are billeted with local families that are screened thoroughly to ensure that each family’s values meet the values set out by OHA. This is a great experience for players to learn how to adapt to new surroundings and how to live within another family’s home. Billeting is something that most hockey players experience in their career at one time or another.

For more information regarding any of our Academy programs, please contact Dixon Ward at your convenience at dixonward@hockeyschools.com or 250-493-1408 ext.3355.

Junior Varsity Recap

October 3, 2009 vs. Merritt
Result 3-3 Tie

The OHA JV Team kicked off their season with a tie against long time rival Merritt. OHA was led by Hayden Town with a two goal, 1 assist effort. Linden Horswill added the other OHA goal, set up by Town and Luke Ripley.

October 10, 2009 vs. Portland
Result 6-5 Win

Starting a two game in two night weekend, OHA received strong performances from several players on route to their first win of the season. Linden Horswill and Hayden Town continued to lead the OHA attack with each posting 5 point nights. Dan Fuller, Ryan Swain and goaltender Jesse Gordichuk all tallied assists.

October 11, 2009 vs. Westside
Result 5-2 Win

Rounding out their weekend the Junior Varsity squad took on a spirited Westside team. OHA balanced their offensive attack with 5 different goal scorers. Cam Rout, Dallas Barker, Philip Siutz, Sasha Hahn and Hayden Town, with his team leading 5th goal, were the OHA goal scorers. Linden Horswill added 2 assists while Luke Ripley, Ryan Swain, Turner Krechel, Sion Park, Siutz, Rout and Barker all added helpers.

“This early into the season, we are really pleased with what we are seeing from our team. They are competing well and each game they have improved their team game. We expect them to keep progressing as the season moves forward and having continued success.” Rob McLaughlin, Head Coach

Prep Team Recap

October 8, 2009 vs. POE
Result 6-4 loss

Heading into the Thanksgiving long weekend, the OHA Prep Team travelled to Kelowna to take on Pursuit of Excellence in a matinee. Despite a two goal, 1 assist effort from Filip Starzynski, the Prep squad wound up on the wrong side of the decision. Jackson Playfair and Jake Plant also added goals for OHA’s top team. Ivan Reitmayer, Michael Sandor, Nicholas Luthi also added assists for OHA.

“The team showed signs of what we are capable of, but we have to improve our physical play, play without the puck, team discipline and puck movement in order to be where we’d like this team to be.” Doug Jackman, Assistant Coach