The Nanaimo Clippers turned heads at the BCHL Showcase by beating Cranbrook and Trail. Nanaimo heads into game ten of their season with an 8-1 record as they prepare to host the Victoria Grizzlies on Oct. 21. (Gary Dorland)

By Dan Marshall

College Dreams

VIDEO: Clippers shine at BCHL Showcase, draw attention from NCAA scouts

Oct 21, 2022 | 12:18 PM

NANAIMO — The Clippers have returned home from the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack with a pair of wins and a lot of interest in their players from U.S. colleges.

Nanaimo beat Cranbrook 4-2 and Trail 7-3 to extend the club’s winning streak to six games.

Assistant coach Bob Beatty said after a strong performance against the Bucks NCAA scouts descended on the Clippers dressing room.

“There was a tremendous amount of traffic. The line up was very long for guys like Waters, Daniells, Cameron and many others. Our players are getting a lot of attention and deservedly so.”

Cameron is one of three NCAA eligible players in his final year of junior hockey.

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A strong showing at the showcase was a priority for the Nanaimo veteran.

“It’s super important for any kid looking for a scholarship. You have to think about it as another two games and not get too stressed out about it. There’s a lot of eyes on you so you’ve got to be ready to go. I’ve tried to stay patient and play my best hockey.”

Rookie defender Lukas Klemm could still play junior hockey for two more years but he wanted to make an impression in his first every showcase appearance.

“I think it was a good first step for me and I’m continuing to play better. I was able to open up some dialogue with some schools.”

BCHL communications director Jesse Adamson said players on the Clippers and around the league had a lot of eyes on them at the Chilliwack based showcase..

“Last year we had all 60-something NCAA Division 1 schools in attendance and we were expecting the same thing this year. Also last year we had nearly every NHL team represented. There were only one or two teams that didn’t send someone and we’re expecting that again. There’s also people on the scouting media side as well.”

Adamson noted the league has a heavy rate of roster turnover and having all 18 clubs in one place for a four day span allows scouts to get a grasp of all of the new players and follow the athletes who impress them the most.

“For a lot Clippers players who don’t have a college commitment yet, a lot of them have their first conversations with NCAA Division 1 schools at this event. In my experience talking with players many times you hear them talk about how the scouts and coaches connected with them and their families on a personal level and how their values match the schools they’re committed to.”

Seven Nanaimo Clippers are currently committed to NCAA Division 1 programs over the next two years.

ICE CLIPS:

The Clippers have their busiest week of the season Oct, 18-22. In that five day span Nanaimo has four games. Nanaimo beat Cranbrook and Trail at the showcase and return to Vancouver Island to host Victoria on Oct. 21 and visit Cowichan Valley on Oct. 22.

Brody Waters left the showcase sitting third overall in BCHL scoring. He had 16 points in his first nine games while riding a six game point streak with 11 points in that span.

Kai Daniells is tied for second in BCHL goal scoring with eight. His 13 points are the sixth most in the league and he is enjoying a four game point streak including back to back multi point games.

Nanaimo is tied with Cranbrook as the least penalized team in the league. The Clippers have been a man down 26 times in 9 games.

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