Six graduating members of the Nanaimo Clippers will be playing their final regular season junior hockey game on March 25. (Gary Dorland)

By Dan Marshall

Looking Back

VIDEO: Departing Clippers reflect on extensive & varied junior careers

Mar 22, 2023 | 11:40 AM

NANAIMO — Six Clipper players are about to conclude their final regular season in junior hockey.

Captain Michael Craig and fellow graduating 2002-born players Brody Waters, Jake Hewitt, Jeremie Payant, Skyler Cameron and Aidan Campbell will suit up for the last BCHL game of the season Saturday, March 25 in Victoria.

Craig said it’s special to be going into his final playoff run as the number one seed in the Coastal Division.

“We grabbed first early in the year and we never looked back. It’s been a pretty cool ride staying at the top of the conference the entire way. It’s not the end goal but it’s something to appreciate and be proud of.”

Soon the players will look forward to the playoff opener against the Langley Rivermen on Friday, March 31 but recently they took time to look back at some memories from their junior hockey journey.

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Craig recalls a little bit about his first ever goal five years ago.

“Somehow I got on a two on one and a guy hit me with a nice pass and I put it five hole. I was pretty happy getting it out of the way because I don’t think I got another one all year.”

Hewitt had an incredibly hot start to his career getting his first goal in his first ever game.

“I was 17 in the North American Hockey League and I actually scored on my first shift. Then later I scored again. That first goal, when I went to celebrate I think I fell over.”

Ahead of the 2021-22 season Cameron was able to return home to play in front of his family. It was a special moment in his career.

“Not many kids in junior hockey get to do that. I’ll take those memories with me always. It’s something great I get to do everyday.”

Waters and Craig are the two 20-year-olds with the most games played in a Clippers jersey.

After more than 115 games with the club Waters said he’ll miss a lot about the team and the city.

“I’m going to miss the boys and everything about Nanaimo. I’m really going to miss those pregame meals together on the road. I want to say thank you to my billets, the coaches and staff. They all do so much.”

Five of the 02’s including Jeremie Payant were a part of Nanaimo’s march to the Fred Page Cup finals in 2022.

Payant said the entire run was special.

“Last year the 12-0 playoff run was my best moment. I’ve never had so much fun playing hockey.”

Aidan Campbell is the only graduating player who wasn’t a part of the Clippers a year ago.

He said there was a stretch of games earlier this season that stood out to him as career highlights.

“The win streak we had earlier in the year. At that point our team was so well molded together. We were so happy to be on the ice playing with each other. That was my best time playing junior hockey right there.”

CLIP NOTES:

Nanaimo will face Langley on March 31 and April 1 to open the BCHL playoffs. The remaining games will be April 3 and 4 with games on April 6,8 and 10 if necessary.

The Clippers clinched their second division title in four seasons with a 5-4 overtime in in West Kelowna on March 18.

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