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Willick sets his sights on making BCHL’s Warriors |
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Written by JASON PETERS
Citizen staff
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
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Willick, a 15-year-old forward, spent this past weekend in Kelowna, at an identification camp for the B.C. Hockey League’s Westside Warriors. Later this week, on Thursday, he’ll be on ice in Mission, site of the Under-17 B.C. Cup tournament. Willick will be in uniform for the Stars during the six-team event, part of B.C. Hockey’s high performance program.
All six teams in the U-17 B.C. Cup feature a mix of players from throughout the province. Willick will play alongside at least two familiar guys -- Prince George minor hockey products Tim Zwiers and Carson Grolla. Zwiers, a goaltender, now lives in Williams Lake. Grolla, a defenceman, attends the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask., and plays for the Notre Dame Hounds.
Willick, slightly weary from his work with the Warriors, is looking forward to the B.C. Cup.
“There are a lot of different playing styles from a whole bunch of different regions,” said Willick, an assistant captain for the Coast Inn of the North midget triple-A Cougars this past season, even though he was in his first year in the age group. “I’ll get to play with some new players so it should be fun.”
Other local players, or players with local connections, who earned invitations to the U-17 Cup are: Chris Allbee (Team Avalanche at the tournament); Dan Gibb and Brett Bulmer (Canucks); Marcus Beesley (Maple Leafs); and Hayden Long and Brett Connolly (Thrashers). Prince George residents Brad Crossan and Marcel Profeit are the assistant coach and manager, respectively, for the Thrashers.
Part of Wednesday and most of Thursday has been set aside for practices. The first game, between the Avalanche and Bruins, will be Thursday night. Games will continue through the weekend, with the championship final set for Sunday afternoon.
Willick, five-foot-nine and 150 pounds, attended the U-16 B.C. Cup last year. Junior hockey scouts typically flock to B.C. Cup gatherings, and the current one should be no different.
“There are always a lot of scouts down there,” Willick said. “The better you do, the better you get seen. You should have been seen a couple times this year, and (scouts) will know most of the guys they want to see by now. It’s important. With so many scouts down there, you can’t do bad.”
Sticking with the junior hockey angle, Willick put his best skate forward for the staff of the Warriors.
“I had a decent weekend -- no points -- but I played how I can, so I can’t complain,” said Willick, a Grade 10 French immersion student at Duchess Park secondary school. “They were happy with how I performed down there.
“Afterwards, they said they’ll give us a call in two to three weeks and tell us how we did. They’ve got some extra time to evaluate so they make the right choices, I guess.”
Willick had already participated in identification camps with the Prince George Spruce Kings and Quesnel Millionaires. Both teams have invited him back to their main camps in the fall.
Based on his weekend experience, Willick would prefer to start his junior career in the southern interior.
“I’d like to play in Westside,” he said. “It’s somewhere new to play, it’s a really good organization. But if I don’t get an invite back with them, then I’ll probably just stick with the Spruce Kings.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 October 2008 )
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