#33 Johnny Derrick is looking forward to his final season of junior hockey
Photo Credit: Tami Quan Photography
September 24th, 2021
West Kelowna, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors begin the 2021 preseason with a two game set versus the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Friday September 24th VS Salmon Arm Silverbacks: 7:00pm
Saturday September 25th @ Salmon Arm Silverbacks: 6:00pm
The Warriors finished the BCHL Pod Season with an (8-10-1-1) record. The pod consisted of 10 games versus both the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Vernon Vipers. Both teams didn’t lose much in regards to roster spots but the Warriors elected to give Felix Trudeau, Charles Alexis Legault, John Evans and Pat Lawn game time in other leagues that were playing a full season. Fast forward to September 2021, the Warriors have restored their full roster with all 4 players returning to the lineup. The Warriors are expected to bring in a total 16 returning players which currently sits atop the most in the BCHL with the Prince George Spruce Kings.
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are coming off an impressive Pod season. The best line in the entire BCHL consisted of Sullivan Mack, Noah Serdachny and Simon Tassy. Mack will move on to play his Freshman season in college whereas both Serdachny and Tassy will return to the Silverbacks this season. Unlike the Warriors 16 returning players, the Silverbacks are only expecting 9-10 returning players, which opens the door for new faces to emerge up front. The Warriors know what they get out of the top two forwards of the Silverbacks, they can skate well and immediately create scoring chances transitioning out of their own zone, Warriors defensive core needs to remain cautious when Simon Tassy is looking for those breakaway opportunities.
Puck drop for the Warriors on Friday will be 7:00pm versus the Salmon Arm Silverbacks from Royal LePage Place. Saturday night’s puck drop will be 6:00pm from the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm. Tickets for this game are general admission and only $10 each. All Warriors preseason games will be broadcast on HockeyTV and the Warriors Mixlr internet radio feed. Season Tickets and Single Game Tickets are now available online or direct from the Warriors office. For more info visit the Warriors website or call (250)769-7051.
