John Evans just wants to play hockey.
Even if that means moving to Iowa.
With the BC Hockey League still in a holding pattern due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related provincial health orders, the 18-year-old South Surrey resident and budding BC Hockey League star recently left the West Kelowna Warriors 乌鸦传媒� where he was waiting to start his second season 乌鸦传媒� for the United States Hockey League乌鸦传媒檚 Dubuque Fighting Saints.
While the BCHL has repeatedly had to push its start date forward 乌鸦传媒� original plays to drop the puck in December have now been 乌鸦传媒� the USHL has been playing since November.
乌鸦传媒淚t was definitely a pretty tough decision. I loved playing in West Kelowna,乌鸦传媒� Evans told Black Press Media Wednesday afternoon from Dubuque.
乌鸦传媒淚 loved the city, I loved the staff and everyone involved with the organization. It was a tough decision to come to Dubuque, but I felt that in order to keep improving and keep playing this season, it had to be done.乌鸦传媒�
Evans noted that it was Dubuque that reached out to him 乌鸦传媒� they acquired his rights and arranged a transfer-fee to be paid to the Warriors 乌鸦传媒� but had the team not done so just before Christmas, he would have started to explore his hockey-playing options.
ROSTER UPDATE: The Fighting Saints have added John Evans from the BCHL. Evans had 50 points in 57 games with the West Kelowna Warriors last year.
乌鸦传媒� Dubuque Fighting Saints (@fightingsaints)
馃摳 : Tami Quan Photography
Time was especially of the essence for Evans considering this is his final year of junior hockey; he乌鸦传媒檚 set to play this fall at the University of New Hampshire.
乌鸦传媒淢y rights were held by any other USHL team, and I just got off the ice one day and my advisor called me and told me that Dubuque had picked up my rights. It was pretty surprising 乌鸦传媒� I didn乌鸦传媒檛 have any idea.
乌鸦传媒淎fter that, things started happening pretty quickly. I talked to the team twice and then decided I wanted to come down there.乌鸦传媒�
Last season with the Warriors, Evans scored 22 goals and added 28 assists in 57 games, and in this year乌鸦传媒檚 exhibition season, he tallied 15 points in 13 games before the league shut down.
From mid-November until heading to Iowa, Evans had been skating three times a week with a small group of players in South Surrey.
Evans said his teammates in West Kelowna 乌鸦传媒� as well as his head coach and team owner 乌鸦传媒� were supportive of his decision to move south.
乌鸦传媒滿y coach and owner realized that this was a good opportunity for me乌鸦传媒� and my teammates know that not everyone gets the opportunity to come down here and play, so they were supportive as well,乌鸦传媒� Evans said.
乌鸦传媒淚 still keep in touch with all of them, and I乌鸦传媒檒l be following the progress of their season if it does end up getting going.乌鸦传媒�
His parents were supportive of the decision to join the Fighting Saints too, he said.
乌鸦传媒淥bviously, they were pretty sad when I left but they know that it乌鸦传媒檚 important for me to play, and they know how badly I wanted to play hockey this season,乌鸦传媒� Evans said.
乌鸦传媒淭hey know this is the best opportunity for me to play 乌鸦传媒� especially at a high level.乌鸦传媒�
First USHL game 鉁�
乌鸦传媒� Dubuque Fighting Saints (@fightingsaints)
First USHL goal 鉁�
John Evans didn't wait to get things started!
Evans isn乌鸦传媒檛 the only high-profile BCHL player to leave for the USHL.
While transaction lists and rosters haven乌鸦传媒檛 been routinely updated while the junior circuit is on hiatus, it乌鸦传媒檚 estimated that about two dozen players have left for the U.S. 乌鸦传媒� either to join teams in other junior leagues like the USHL or to start their NCAA careers early.
Some teams 乌鸦传媒� the Penticton Vees and Nanaimo Clippers chief among them 乌鸦传媒� have lost multiple players.
In mid-December, the owner of the Clippers to let the league begin play.
乌鸦传媒淒r. Bonnie Henry decided to shut us down on no evidence or science,乌鸦传媒� Wes Mussio said in a press release issued shortly after the BCHL乌鸦传媒檚 exhibition season was shut down. 乌鸦传媒淪imply put, this decision is hard to understand.
乌鸦传媒淚 doubt anyone can argue, in good conscience, that destroying careers of young (athletes) is perfectly acceptable for the greater good.乌鸦传媒�
That plea was followed by letters written by some of the team乌鸦传媒檚 players 乌鸦传媒� many of whom are in their final seasons of junior hockey.
乌鸦传媒淲ithout being able to practise or compete and prove myself deserving of a scholarship, I feel my dream slipping away,乌鸦传媒� Clippers goaltender Jordan Naylor wrote.
乌鸦传媒淎s a 20-year-old, I have no more time. It乌鸦传媒檚 now or never for me.乌鸦传媒�
Though he isn乌鸦传媒檛 at the end of his junior-hockey eligibility, Evans said he had similar feelings 乌鸦传媒� he didn乌鸦传媒檛 want to move up to the NCAA ranks without having played a real game for months. Evans told PAN it乌鸦传媒檚 a sentiment shared by one of his new teammates, 17-year-old Matthew Savoie 乌鸦传媒� who was expected to play with the Western Hockey League乌鸦传媒檚 Winnipeg Ice this season, but came south in search of a season.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e talked to Matt about it since I乌鸦传媒檝e been down here, and he乌鸦传媒檚 in the same boat as me. He just wanted to develop more and get a chance to play. That乌鸦传媒檚 the most important thing 乌鸦传媒� to be able to play. Practising just isn乌鸦传媒檛 the same,乌鸦传媒� Evans said.
Before joining his new team, Evans said any concerns he had about moving to the United States in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic were calmed after a discussion with the team乌鸦传媒檚 general manager, who told Evans players and staff are testing every week, among other precautions.
乌鸦传媒淚 was assured that they were doing everything they can to keep everyone safe, and I just have to do my part too,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淗onestly, after that (talk), I wasn乌鸦传媒檛 really too worried about it.乌鸦传媒�
He乌鸦传媒檚 fit in well with his new club, with one goal and two assists in four games.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 been great. All the guys are great and I乌鸦传媒檝e started to adjust to the league now,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 just excited to keep playing, and we乌鸦传媒檒l see how things go.乌鸦传媒�
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乌鸦传媒� with files from the Nanaimo News-Bulletin
