The Clippers are back to work this week as hopefuls for the 2019-20 roster look to earn they way in to the opening day roster (Dan Marshall)

By Dan Marshall

Clippers Training Camp

Clippers training camp signals start of hockey season

Aug 22, 2019 | 5:27 PM

NANAIMO – The end of August summons thoughts of final summer camping trips and the VIEX, but it also marks the beginning of Nanaimo Clippers training camp.

The Clippers started ice sessions on Monday Aug. 19 with four teams, and by mid week had worked down to two squads.

The team will continue to whittle down numbers through a string of four exhibition games between Aug. 23 and Aug. 31.

Coach Darren Naylor said the Clippers wanted a larger sized main camp.

“Our philosophy was to get lots of players in and give them the experience of a main camp. At the beginning a lot of the ’02’s, ’03’s, and ’04’s were here so it gave us a good chance to look at those guys.”

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There are fewer questions leading into this season than at this point twelve months ago.

At that time Nanaimo was only returning two players, Josh Bourne and Brady Lynn.

There could be as many as 13 veterans on the Clippers roster for this season.

There is optimism as well as many of those players are set to be in key roles.

Last year’s starting goalie and team Rookie of the Year Jordan Naylor is back, although he’s nursing an injury that will keep him sidelined until Sept. 19.

A potential first line is the veteran trio of Tyler Williams, Ethan Scardina, and Josh Bourne.

Williams was the sixth highest scoring rookie in the BCHL last year, Scardina was the Clippers points leader in 18-19 and Bourne is the longest serving Clipper who has averaged nearly a point per game in his career.

On the blue line Nanaimo returns its top pairing of Aidan Hansen-Bukata and Devon Mussio.

Hansen-Bukata was named the Clippers Top Defencemen last year, while Mussio is the club’s most experienced BCHLer with 162 games played.

Kyler Kovich, Robby Drazer, and Thomas Samuelsen are returnees slated to have a large role on the squad.

Two newcomers poised to be mainstays are newly acquired Scott Mahovlich and Travis Walton.

The pair played together in Kamloops and combined 292 WHL games experience. Both already have taken on leadership roles with the team during the first week of camp.

Mahovlich said it’s his goal to earn a championship in his final year of junior hockey, and he feels comfortable in Nanaimo already.

“I’ve played with most of these guys on different teams. It’s comforting knowing you’re coming to a team that you pretty much know.”

New additions up front are also poised for big roles.

Liam Ryan and Sean Donaldson bring BCHL experience from Surrey and Prince George respectively Tim Washe, an NCAA commit to Western Michigan, was recruited from the Victory Honda U-18 program.

On defence Trevor LeDonne, and Mike Kennedy will likely eat up significant minutes.

LeDonne comes from Brantford in the OJHL and also played for Team Canada East at the last World Junior A Challenge.

Kennedy comes from the Northfield Mount Hermon school and already has an NCAA commitment to Princeton.

Perhaps the most intriguing of all the new Clippers is 2003 born Jack O’Brien.

The team committed to O’Brien very early, and he actually saw five games as affiliate at the age of 15 last season.

Where O’Brien starts on the depth chart is still up for debate, but consensus among the coaches is that the Clippers youngest player will become a mainstay on the Nanaimo blue line before too long.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77