Two players from the Comox Valley Glacier Kings have been selected to compete in the 2018 Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League Prospects Game.
Forward Finn Withey and defenceman Mauro D’Alessandro will join 40 of the VIJHL’s other top young players Jan. 7 for a matchup between lineups from the north and south divisions.
Withey and D’Alessandro will suit up for the north division squad.
Though the Glacier Kings have struggled to win games this year and sit last in the VIJHL north division, Withey has proven to be a strong attacking threat. The 18-year-old Whistler native has registered 13 goals and 18 assists in 31 games so far this year.
A season highlight for Withey came on Nov. 4 against the Nanaimo Buccaneers. Even though the Glacier Kings lost 7-4, Withey scored two goals and earned the game’s first star.
At the other end of the ice, D’Alessandro has proven to be a reliable defensive force for the team. Despite his youth, the 17-year-old has shown his defensive confidence in his first season with the Yetis. A season highlight was his performance in a hard-fought 4-2 loss to then league-leading Campbell River Storm on Oct. 21. D’Alessandro earned the game’s first star.
First VIJHL Prospects Game since 2013
Coming back after a five-year hiatus, the VIJHL Prospects Game will offer the Junior B league’s top young talents a chance to showcase their skills in front of university and Junior A scouts.
“It’s a truly special experience for the players assembled from across the VIJHL who have the opportunity to showcase their skills before hundreds of the passionate hockey fans in Campbell River and the scouting staff in attendance,” VIJHL president Barb Byrne said in a statement.
The selection process for the game involved all nine member organizations of the VIJHL nominating players born between 1999 and 2001. A five-person selection committee reviewed each team’s submissions.
The Campbell River Storm (north division) and the Peninsula Panthers (south division) will be the best-represented teams at the game. Both teams will have nine players competing.
Coaching staff for the two teams will be assigned by Christmas.
The Prospects Game will be broadcast live on HockeyTV as the free VIJHL “Game of the Week.”