Josh Bourne is one of six Nanaimo Clippers from the 2019-2020 team who graduated from junior hockey but hasn't played since March. (Gary Dorland/Nanaimo Clippers).

By Dan Marshall

2020 in Review

Top Stories 2020: Graduating Clippers find new homes after COVID-19 ends their junior careers

Dec 30, 2020 | 6:34 PM

NANAIMO — Junior hockey athletes face an uncertain future after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The six graduating players from the Nanaimo Clippers all had aspirations of continuing on in hockey, but several haven’t played a competitive game since March.

2019-20 leading scorer Josh Bourne hoped to win a championship in his final season of Junior A eligibility but COVID-19 shut down the playoffs immediately following a Clippers first round sweep of Alberni Valley.

“When I think back to when we were told the season was over it’s still pretty painful. I felt like we had such a special group who were capable of making a strong push and had it taken away without the chance to fight for it.”

Bourne is currently enrolled at Brock University in Ontario.

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He will be able to begin his university career when games resume again, which is tentatively slated for September, 2021.

Teammate 20-year-old Travis Walton signed on to play with Trinity Western of the BCIHL, a league which has also cancelled the 2020-2021 season.

Three more players had plans to play south of the border in the NCAA.

Steven Agriogianis managed to get his season underway with Northeastern University on Dec. 12.

He picked up two goals and an assist in his Division 1 debut.

It was more of a roller coaster for the Clippers top two defencemen from last season.

Devon Mussio committed to Alaska Anchorage but their hockey program was closed down for the year due to COVID-19.

Mussio was able to find a new home quickly and is slated to suit up for the Mercyhurst Lakers in Erie, Pennsylvania as soon as the Christmas break is over.

The college hockey dream for Aidan Hansen-Bukata appeared to stuck on pause when the Rochester Institute of Technology announced in early November it was shutting down the men’s hockey program for the season.

Just one week later, university president David Munson said in a statement games would be played after all.

“While we remain concerned about the increase in COVID-19, we also realize that the RIT campus will be only lightly populated from Thanksgiving through late January, providing a period where play will be safer.”

Hansen-Bukata had one assist in his first seven games while sporting a +6 plus/minus rating.

The Clippers other 20-year-old Scott Mahovlich had looked for opportunities in Europe but nothing has materialized so far.

With the current BCHL season in limbo until at least the second week of January, the club’s new graduating 20-year-olds are in the same position of uncertainty as their former teammates.

Jordan Naylor and Trevor LeDonne still hope to show off their talents to NCAA scouts in order to secure a college commitment for the fall of 2021.

New Clipper Matt Nastasiuk is in the same boat while major junior alumni Liam Ryan and Baxter Anderson are eligible for Canadian university or pro hockey spots once their BCHL careers have concluded.

Clippers coach Darren Naylor commented there could be BCHL regular season hockey as soon as the end of January if the Provincial Health Office eases restrictions which are set to expire on Jan. 8.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @danmarshall77