The West Kelowna Warriors completed a 4 player swap with the Victoria Grizzlies today.
Coming to the Warriors is a solid goaltender Coach Ferster is familiar with, and a blue-chip defenseman already committed to the NCAA.
The Warriors receive netminder Garrett Rockafellow (’93), and defenseman Braxton Bilous (’94).
While the Grizzlies get goaltender Brady Rouleau (’93), and forward Garrett Skrbich (’93).
Rockafellow posted a 5-15 record in his only season with the Grizzlies last year, but was on the third worst team in the BCHL. Ferster recently took Rockafellow, along with Warriors goalie Tyler Briggs, to Sweden for some exhibition games and is very familiar with him.
“Garrett Rockafellow is a goalie that is the ultimate competitor,” says Warriors Head Coach/GM Rylan Ferster. “He battles every time he steps on the ice. I had the pleasure of coaching him a few years back, and just recently as well. He and Tyler will be nice additions to the crease.”
The 6-foot, 192 pound native of Crossfield, Alberta says he’s eager to join his new squad. “I’m extremely excited to join such a well respected franchise,” said Rockafellow. “I’m just going to work as hard as humanly possible, compete every night, and try my best to fit in with the guys.”
Bilous is 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, and from Langley. He is already committed to Merrimack (NCAA Div.1) where he’ll walk in the footsteps of many former Warriors. (Kyle Singleton, Brendan Ellis, Quinn Gould, and Izaak Berglund)
“In acquiring Braxton Bilous we get a defense man with 90 games experience in the BCHL,” says Ferster. “He can play in all situations and really solidifies our defense core now. He is already committed which is great. Players like him are very hard to acquire.”
Braxton had 3 goals, 13 assists, and 54 penalty minutes in 53 regular season games last year.
Bilous joins a returning West-K defense core that includes: Assistant Captain Josh Monk, Dustin Cave, Adam Plant (Harvard ’14), and Matthew Berry-Lamontagna.
Meanwhile, Rouleau never played a game for the Warriors after being acquired in the offseason. He was the “futures” in the Richard Vanderhoek trade to Cowichan for David Pope during the regular season.
Rouleau had solid numbers last year with a 12-8 record, a 2.81GAA, and a .905SV%.
Garrett Skrbich is the second player headed to the island.
The 6-foot forward from Minnesota played 50 games for the Warriors registering 7 goals, and 5 assists.
PS – The season schedule is now available at www.bchl.ca and will be available on our site shortly.
