Gabriel Westling, Noah Alvarez, Luke Buss, Emmett McHardy and Isa Parekh will play their final BCHL game on March 30. The oldest Clippers have built many memories playing junior hockey. (Dan Marshall/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Dan Marshall

20-year-olds

VIDEO: Clippers graduating players reflect on junior careers

Mar 28, 2024 | 9:57 AM

NANAIMO — The Clippers regular season is rapidly coming to a close and for the team’s oldest players, it means their time in a junior hockey is ending.

Emmett McHardy, Luke Buss, Noah Alvarez, Isa Parekh and Gabriel Westling will be moving on to the next chapters of their lives at the conclusion of this spring’s BCHL playoffs.

McHardy’s future is not set in stone yet but the other four will all be playing for NCAA Division 1 programs next year.

As the group reflected on some junior hockey memories, McHardy recalled his first game in the BCHL when he was playing for Coquitlam..

“It was in Surrey. I had just made the team out of main camp so I was excited to be on the team and get to dress for our first game.”

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His first goal was against Chilliwack several weeks later, in what was a memorable game.

“I was on a two on one with Matthew Campbell. He slid it over to me and I put it five hole and I think I later ended up getting kicked out of that game and getting suspended.”

Luke Buss recalls being a bit intimidated in his first BCHL game against the Penticton Vees, when he was a member of the Vernon Vipers.

“It was a very fast paced game and they were the best team in the league that year, but I was excited to begin my junior career.”

Buss is expected to play in his 100th career regular season game in the on Saturday, March 30 and he feels the Clippers are poised to extend his time in junior with a long playoff run.”

“I think we’re one of the most skilled teams in the league. I think we’ve shown that. With our team chemistry we’re really a really tight group and nobody here thinks they’re above the team.”

Noah Alvarez has played over 150 games of junior hockey, including 106 in the AJHL with Camrose.

He credits strong coaching for a lot of his career development.

“I’d like to shout out my coaches in Camrose Boris Rybalka and Clayton Jardine and the coaches here Colin and Gaelan, they’ve really impacted me.

He said he’ll also miss many things about the junior hockey experience.

“I’m going to miss the freedom and hanging out with the guys. We spend a lot of time in the room and get to joke around with each other.”

Parekh said one his fondest junior hockey memories from a road trip was the Clippers longest travel day of the season going to Trail.

“We had maybe a 13 hour road trip and I think for ten hours me, Haynes, McHardy and Semeniuk played poker.”

On the ice Parekh played a key role on a special promotional night and it was one of his on ice career highlights.

“I scored a goal on Star Wars night. It was a big crowd, we had sick jerseys and we went up a goal there. The crowd was pretty into it.”

Westling began his junior career in Sweden, moved on to Maryland of the NAHL last season and then came to the Clippers in the summer.

“Moving from Sweden I’ve been learning so much especially coming here to Canada. I think it’s very important to try new things and it’s been a game changer for me to change environments.”

The regular season will end at the end of March but all five of the Clippers 2003 born players are hopeful their careers will extend long into May and culminate with a Fred Page Cup.

Nanaimo will play Victoria in the first round of the BCHL playoffs with home ice advantage still up for grabs in the series.

The Clippers do know Game 1 will be played on April 5.

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