The Coquitlam Express has its first European player.
Kasper Walther-Sneve will join the BC Hockey League team at its main training camp that begins Sept. 2.
The 19-year-old forward from Oslo, Norway, scored 18 goals and added 23 assists in 29 games last season with Valerenga in Norway’s U20 league.
He also played two games with the club’s entry in Norway’s elite Fjordkraft-ligaen, scoring three times in his debut last January, a 4-2 win over cross-town rival Gruner.
Afterward, he told the Norwegian hockey blog nitten.no that the experience was “a dream come true. That there were three scores in addition is just a bonus.”
In a news release, Express general manager Tali Campbell said the 5’10”, 179 lb Walther-Sneve’s “impressive skill set, speed and strength on the ice make him a formidable opponent for any team he faces.”
Campbell said since the BCHL implemented new roster rules on June 1 as part of its break from Hockey Canada, Express scouts “have been working hard to find the right player who will make a big impact on our team.”
He said Walther-Sneve “ticked off all the boxes.”
With the BCHL no longer constrained by Hockey Canada regulations that prevented teams from recruiting U18 players from outside British Columbia, the league has expanded rosters to 25 active players; at least five players on its 17 Canadian teams must be from B.C., 13 must be from Canada and a maximum of two players from outside North America are now permitted.
Campbell said the team continues to work with agents and scouts familiar with players in Sweden, Germany and other European hockey countries to find another non-North American prospect.
While independence from Hockey Canada creates new opportunities for more players looking to leverage their hockey skills into a post-secondary education, it’s come at a price.
BCHL players are no longer able to participate in Hockey Canada-sanctioned events or leagues. That means they can’t be named to Canada’s team at the World Junior Hockey Championships and teams have had to make new arrangements for affiliate players that can be called up to fill roster spots created by injuries or absences, many of whom play in established Junior B and top Major Midget leagues.
Earlier this month, the Express announced the formation of a new affiliate team for U18 players, Coquitlam HC. The developmental squad will play in the 13-team academy-based Junior Prospects Hockey League that operates in B.C. and Alberta. Players will attend Centennial Secondary School.
At a more grassroots level, in an FAQ posted on its website, the BCHL said its coaches, officials and players have also been barred by BC Hockey from working with minor teams and associations under its umbrella. That means BCHL coaches can’t coach their own kids in minor hockey and players won’t be able to help out at minor practices nor will minor hockey players be able to participate in pre-game and intermission actives at BCHL games.
“Many of our teams are deeply ingrained with their local minor hockey associations,” said the league in a statement. “The BCHL believes the relationship with our communities and minor hockey associations is imperative to the development of those young B.C. athletes.”
Earlier, Campbell said he hopes cooler heads ultimately prevail.
“I’d hope there’s some common sense at the board level at Hockey Canada and BC Hockey that’s it’s all about the kids.”
