Longtime Comox Valley hockey player Logan Nijhoff was drafted by the Regina Pats in the eighth round (165th overall) of the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft on May 5.
The 14-year-old is the first CVMHA player to be drafted into the WHL since Michael Herringer in 2011. Herringer is currently playing for the Kelowna Rockets.
Nijhoff started playing hockey at age five in the Comox Valley and played in the Rep program with a core group of great teammates until his Bantam second year.
This is when he joined OHA program in Penticton to play in the CSSHL. Nijhoff credits many of his CVMHA coaches including: Brent Brucker, Jordan Butcher, Bruce Dyke, Joey Ewing, Louise Gauthier, Orville Harris, Stef Schovanek, Brad Smith, Sean Toal, and Tony Wishart for helping him develop into the player he is today.
Nijhoff had many spring hockey opportunities with the Wild in Cowichan coached by Brett Hopwo, the North Island Shredders coached by Greg Fox and Chris McCartney, as well as the Edgey Islanders of Victoria coached by Jeff Birrell.
Pati Creamer from Leading Edge Hockey has also been an integral part of Nijhoff’s skating development as a result of many early morning power skating sessions.
Nijhoff considers himself to be a power forward whose strength is in his skating, play making and board work down low in the offensive zone. He also doesn’t shy away from the physical play in front of the net.
The WHL draft covers a geographic area that includes players from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and 20 western states.
When asked about being drafted Nijhoff stated, “I am fortunate to be drafted by such a great organization with such a strong hockey tradition. It is still a long road and a lot of hockey until possibly playing for the team at age 17 in 2019.”