Warriors get committments

Photo: Contributed

Goaltender Tanner Bugrardt is one of four Saskatchewan products to committ to playing with the West Kelowna Warriors in the upcoming season.

The West Kelowna Warriors have secured four Saskatchewan products for the upcoming BC Hockey League season.

Included in that group are a trio of players from the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos program, forwards Kylar Hope and Adam Osczevski and goaltender Tanner Bugrardt.

As a rookie, Hope finished 11th in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA league in scoring this past season with 25 goals and 26 assists in 43 games. He added seven points in 11 playoff games.

"Kylar is one of the slickest players that I have watched over the course of the year," says Warriors head coach Rylan Ferster.

Osczevski, described as a two-way player who can skate and is tough to play against, added 16 goals and 46 points in 44 games during the regular season and added another eight points in 11 playoff games.

"Adam is a great skater that works hard every shift," adds Ferster. "He is a no nonsense guy that will bring a physical edge every night."

Bugrardt, who just completed his second season with the Mintos, finished fourth among league goaltenders with a 17-4-2 record with two shutouts in 24 games.

He had a goals against average of 2.03 and a save percentage of .919.

"Tanner has just plain and simply stopped pucks the last two years. His calm demeanor in the net is exactly what we were looking for," says Ferster.

The fourth player committing from Saskatchewan is forward Connor Bucsis from the AAA Tisdale Trojans.

Bucsis, a 6'2" power-forward with a good offensive touch, led his team with 20 goals and added 17 assists in 39 regular season games.

"Connor attended main camp last year and put together a very solid year in Tisdale," added Ferster.

All four are 18 and will join the Warriors for the start of main training camp at the end of August.

They will join Liam Blackburn and Brett Mennear who previously committed to joining the Warriors after playing last season in the BC Major Midget Hockey League.

Blackburn finished second in scoring in the BC Major Midget Hockey League this past season with 35 goals and 50 assists in 40 games while Mennear finished ninth with 24 goals and 55 points in 38 games.