Daily Dose

Daily Dose of the DUB: 17 WHL players invited to Hockey Canada U18 camp, Chayka signs with Prince Albert, and more!

Written by Brian Wiebe on

17 WHL players invited to Hockey Canada U18 Summer Development Camp

Hockey Canada announced the 45 players invited to its under-18 summer development camp on Thursday.

17 of the players invited are from the Western Hockey League, including three from the Prince George Cougars and Regina Pats, and two each from the Kamloops Blazers, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Winnipeg ICE.

Chayka signs with Prince Albert

Goaltender Tikhon Chayka signed a WHL standard player agreement with the Prince Albert Raiders on Thursday.

The 2003-born netminder from Minsk, BLR was the Raiders’ first pick, 53rd overall, in this year’s CHL Import Draft. He was 2-1 with a 2.67 goals-against-average and a .911 save percentage with Belarus at the 2021 U18 World Championship.

Chayka played 29 games with Team Belarus U18 in the Belarusian Extraliga B, finishing with a 3.60 goals-against-average and an .870 save percentage.

Sandman Centre to be rebranded in Blazers colours

Kamloops Blazers broadcaster Jon Keen tweeted out on Thursday that Sandman Centre, which is the team’s home rink, is getting a paint job to feature orange and blue.

The colours teal green and yellow on the outside of the arena are being repainted with modern blue and orange to represent the Blazers.

Peacock departs the ICE broadcast booth

On Thursday, the Winnipeg ICE announced that the team’s manager, broadcast and communications Mitch Peacock has left the team for other career opportunities.

Peacock was the radio voice of the ICE for the past two seasons. He will serve as a play-by-play announcer for CBC at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Malenstyn inks an extension with Washington

Forward Beck Malenstyn (65 goals, 63 assists in 238 games with Calgary and Swift Current from 2014-18) signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

The 23-year-old from White Rock, BC missed all of 2020-21 due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered while training during the off-season.

Ully leaves South Carolina for Slovakia

Forward Cole Ully (95 goals, 142 assists in 256 games with Kamloops from 2011-15) has signed with HKM Zvolen of Slovakia’s Tipos Extraliga for 2021-22.

Ully, 26, had 24 goals and 60 points in 55 games with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL in 2020-21. The Calgary, AB product has spent the last six seasons bouncing between the ECHL and American Hockey League.

Burt named head coach of the Rapid City Rush

Scott Burt (85 goals, 87 assists in 254 games with Seattle, Swift Current, Edmonton, and Red Deer from 1994-98) is the new head coach and director of hockey operations for the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush.

Burt, a 44-year-old from Mackenzie, BC, was an assistant coach with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL during the 2020-21 season.

Playfair joins UBC as assistant coach

Jackson Playfair (18 goals, 24 assists in 193 games with Spokane and Tri-City from 2012-15) is the new assistant coach for the University of British Columbia men’s hockey team.

The 27-year-old native of Abbotsford, BC played four seasons of U SPORTS hockey with Dalhousie University before retiring at the end of the 2018-19 season.

Playfair’s role at UBC is his first experience of note in a coaching role.