Andy Hellweger and Nicole Branbenburg usher in a new era of Nanaimo Buccaneers hockey. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

new ownership

Nanaimo Buccaneers sold, new owner vows to turn ship around

Apr 2, 2022 | 5:35 PM

NANAIMO — A new owner is on board with intentions of strengthening Nanaimo’s junior B hockey team following a difficult season.

The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League franchise has been sold by Carl and Marnie Ollech to Nicole Branbenburg of Maple Ridge.

She intends to move to the Nanaimo area shortly, while her son Andy Hellweger will serve as the organization’s head coach and general manager.

Following two years of owning the club, Carl Ollech said the team required the support of a group that can offer its undivided attention.

“I feel for these kids, I needed to go to the next level and find another family/group of ownership that we can turn around and make this franchise the best of the best,” Ollech told NanaimoNewsNOW.

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Ollech, a longtime Nanaimo resident, said he will provide a support role for the Bucs moving forward, primarily by assisting with game night operations at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.

Following several years living in Germany, Branbenburg wanted to get more involved with hockey in Canada.

“I decided to come back to my home country and there was an opportunity to buy this team and I’m so lucky to be involved with ice hockey again,” she said.

Branbenburg intends to be a long-term owner and said she has the required finances to provide continued stability to the organization.

Branbenburg becomes the fourth owner of the Buccaneers, which was established as a model franchise immediately following its inception as an expansion team ahead of the 2012/13 season.

Following several successful years, the club has fallen on hard times, plummeting to one victory during the recent 2021/22 campaign and multiple different coaches.

Hellweger is the current video and assistant coach of the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. He recently secured a home in Parksville and will move to the island permanently after Coquitlam’s season concludes.

He and his mother are fully committed to immersing themselves in the Nanaimo community by backing the sporting scene and other local causes, Hellweger said.

“She has completely bought into it. She doesn’t just want to be the owner who’s the owner and that’s about it, she wants to help, she wants to be involved in the community.”

Hellweger has held his position with the Express for two seasons and has several years of competitive minor hockey coaching experience on the Lower Mainland and at the Banff Hockey Academy.

He envisions a Bucs roster next season heavily involving Nanaimo based players with a mix of veterans and younger players.

“We’ve come out of a bad season with only one win, it can’t get that much worse. It’s going to be a process. If you come in here and think you’re going to change everything in like two days kind of thing you’re wrong.”

Hellweger, 28, has playing experience in the pro ranks as a goaltender in Germany.

He said a consistent off-ice schedule will be implemented to give Buccaneers’ players the best chance of excelling at higher levels.

“A lot of players struggle especially at the start in junior A with the schedule, not necessarily with the speed or the level it’s more the schedule and workload they have every single day.”

Hellweger said forging strong relationships with Nanaimo Minor Hockey and the BCHL’s Clippers and many other junior A teams are priorities.

He said Garrett Dunlop will return as an associate coach with the Bucs next season.

The Buccaneers are scheduled to host a development camp later this month and an identification camp in June.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes