The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are looking strong for another season.
The team has signed some promising new players and made a trade for a standout goalie for the 2023/24 BC Hockey League season, the first in which the league will play independent of Hockey Canada.
READ MORE: BCHL splits from Hockey Canada, forms independent league
From a June 5 Silverbacks website post, the team confirmed a commitment from Marcus Broberg, a 19-year-old defenceman from the Springfield Jr. Blues, a North American Hockey League team. The Swedish player finished his last season with two goals and 12 assists, for a total of 14 points. In the post, Broberg expressed excitement to join the team and Silverbacks general manager Brooks Christensen said adding a veteran defenceman like Broberg was important for the team.
The Silverbacks finalized a trade in mid-June to receive goaltender Eli Pulver from the Langley Rivermen for a player development fee, after Pulver had been traded between the Surrey Eagles and the Rivermen. The Silverbacks said Pulver had “a standout season” in 2022/23, posting a 23-8-3 record with a .930 save percentage and six shutouts in 35 games.
“Finding someone with junior experience was essential and we feel we found the perfect fit with Eli,” said Christensen.
Defenceman Nathaniel Davis has also committed to the team, coming off a 36-point season from 45 games with the Burlington Cougars (Ontario Junior Hockey League).
“I’ve only heard great things about the organization and team so I am really excited to join the Silverbacks,” said Davis in a June 13 post.
Two players, Lynden Hanvold and Nic Leggett, were traded to the Merritt Centennials as part of a futures deal, which completes the Jan. 10 Tristan Allen trade from the 2022/23 season, reads the Silverbacks’ update.
“Moving Lynden and Nic is the tough part of the business,” said Christensen. “Both players have left an impact with our organization.”
The most recent announcement comes in the form of Chris Kobelka’s commitment to the team. From the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Kobelka was second total in points and first in assists (42 and 32 respectively) for the team throughout 57 regular season games.
“I have spent every summer since I was born on Shuswap Lake and in the surrounding area of Salmon Arm,” said Kobelka. “Salmon Arm has always been a place of high interest for me.”
The team will be ready to hit home ice for the BCHL opening night on Friday, Sept. 22 against the Vernon Vipers at 7 p.m. The rest of the regular season schedule is available at bchl.ca.
READ MORE: West Kelowna versus Penticton, Vernon against Salmon Arm on BCHL opening night
The Silverbacks are also actively recruiting billet families in the area to host players and support the team through time at the rink, volunteering and helping with road trips. Interested families can contact Christensen at opsmanager@sasilverbacks.com.
@willson_becca
rebecca.willson@saobserver.net
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