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Clippers add forwards Pion and Donnelly

Jul 30, 2016 | 8:25 AM

NANAIMO — A busy start to the long weekend for the Nanaimo Clippers.

Coach Mike Vandekamp made a pair of acquisitions as the Clippers continue to revamp their forward group after losing key players to graduation and NCAA commitments.

1998 born forward Danny Pion joins the club from Thetford Mines of the CGEP League.

He had 10 goals and 10 assists in 30 games last season, in the same league that the Clippers recruited Yanni Kaldis and Nicolas Carrier two seasons ago.

Coach Mike Vandekamp believes that Pion will be a good fit.

“Danny is a strong forward. He has excellent speed, plays with tenacity, and can make plays at top speed. He brings a solid work ethic to the table everyday and considering his age he has a bright future here with the Clippers,” said Vandekamp.

Clipper fans will already be very familiar with Adam Donnelly as he played for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs last season.

He had 27 points in 56 games before being dealt to Steinbach in the MJHL in the offseason.

Vandekamp is happy to have Donnelly switching sides in the Nanaimo versus Alberni Valley rivalry.

“We found Adam to be hard to play against last season. We felt that we needed some size and strength down the middle and he will add that.  He will add experience, character and leadership to our forward group.”

In the case of Donnelly, Nanaimo will owe future considerations to Steinbach.

One of the key areas the Clippers still need to address with their recruiting is goaltending.

Number one goaltender Evan Johnson has moved on to university, and Nanaimo will be looking for a veteran to fill the void.