The Swan Valley Stampeders have traded the CJHL rights of 19 year old Tristen Mullin to the BCHL's Powell River Kings for a pair of quality players. Coming back in return the Valley will see 19 year old Ross Hnidy; a veteran defenceman who is highly skilled and can be an impact player. Also in the deal is 20 year old forward Adam Tracey; an american with plenty of size and grit to get to the net. The Stampeders wish Tristen all the best and thank him for his time in the Valley. We would also like to welcome Ross and Adam to the Stampeder family!

The Swan Valley Stampeders are pleased to announce Bo Sigurdson has accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Victoria Vikes for the 2015-16 season! Bo had an impressive season with the Stamps putting up 12 goals, 22 assists for a total of 34 points. He did this while wearing the "C" and leading one of the youngest teams throughout the season into a top tier playoff birth, avoiding a survivor series.  Bo will be playing against former Stamp BJ Avery next season who also signed in the BCIHL with Selkirk College. We thank Bo for his time here in the Valley and wish him all the best out west!  

Selkirk College has bolstered its 2015/16 roster with the addition of hulking forward BJ Avery, who has committed to playing in the upcoming British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League season. Avery is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward who recently completed his final season with the Swan Valley Stampeders of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. A strong presence down the middle, the Clearwater, Manitoba native spent three seasons with Swan Valley posting 30 goals and 35 assists in 118 career games at the Junior A level. This past season saw Avery set career highs in goals (18), assists (18), and points (36). “I hope to be a go-to guy on the ice and in the locker room that will help the team in any way possible,” the towering Avery says of joining the three-time defending BCIHL champion Saints. Recruited by former Saints head coach Alex Evin, Avery will bring something the team was missing during the 2014-2015 season. “BJ will bring size and strength to an already skilled, hardworking forward group,” says Evin, who announced last month that he will be taking up assistant coaching duties with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. “He is a well-rounded player who has no problem going to the tough areas of the rink to score goals and make plays.” Playing in a small town in Manitoba, Avery feels like Selkirk College will be a good fit for him. “I chose Selkirk College because of the great hockey program and I've always wanted to live in BC,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity to get a start on my education and figure out what path I want to go.” During his time in Swan Valley, Avery was popular with his teammates and in the community. “The Stampeders are pleased that Selkirk College had successfully recruited BJ Avery for their upcoming season,” says Stampeders head coach Erik Peterson. “As an organization we wish to thank BJ for his dedication, and wish him success in his education and hockey in the future.” Avery is very appreciative of the opportunity that was given to him in Swan Valley, but is looking forward to his next chapter in British Columbia. “It was a great place where my teammates and I were treated very well,” says Avery. “I’m going to miss the organization and the community.” Avery’s academic goals are to enroll in Selkirk College’s Business Administration Program in the Fall Semester. Avery is the fourth forward to commit to the Saints for the upcoming 2015-2016 season joining Dallas Calvin (Trail BCHL), Troy Maclise (Osoyoos KIJHL) and Marcel Fuchs (Creston KIJHL).

The Swan Valley Stampeders have traded the MJHL list rights of 20 year old defenseman Joseph Sutherland to the Waywayseecappo Wolverines for the MJHL list rights of 17 year old defenseman Ryland Nernberg and future considerations.

The Stampeders shipped 20-year-old forward Brayden MacDonald to the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in exchange for netminder Zach Degraves and future considerations, which are expected to be announced in the early part of the season.    MacDonald, a three year veteran of the Stampeders had requested a trade following this past season and Stampeders Head Coach and General Manager Erik Petersen was able to facilitate one that also met his own needs. With the departure of netminder Graham Hunt to the North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Corpus Christie Stingrays and the potential loss of back-up Lasse Petersen to the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen, securing a capable starting netminder was key.   “We know that losing a 20 goal scorer in MacDonald will leave a void but to get quality, you have to give up something and I’m excited to see Zach come in and show us he’s a capable go to guy between the pipes,” said Petersen. “At the same time, it also gives veteran guys like Cody Ellingson, Colton Brausen and Evan Last, among others, a chance to move up the line up. Our hope is that they all respond to the challenge and become regular contributors. Add in some young talented guys like Josh Tripp and possibly even a 16-year-old like Riley McKay and I still like what we have in front of us.”    MacDonald amassed 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points last season in 59 games played. While the talented scorer was able to increase his point production each year, inconsistency plagued him at times. Overall, MacDonald totalled 50 goals and 61 assists for 111 points in 172 regular season games in a Stampeder uniform. In 15 playoff contests, he picked up two goals and two assists.   In Degraves, the Stampeders receive a 20-year-old Edmonton, Alta. native who is excited for the opportunity to battle for a number one spot. With the Mustangs last season, Degraves sported a 9-4-1 record to go along with a solid 2.09 goals against average and .912 save percentage. The 6’1”, 174 pound puck stopper also gained valuable learning experience in the Mustangs run to the RBC Cup championships held in Portage La Prairie this past spring.   “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play for the Stampeders,” Degraves told the Star and Times. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about both the town and team which gives me a sense of excitement for the upcoming season.”   Heading to training camp with multiple holes to fill and question marks on others headed to WHL camps, Petersen is a busy man this summer scouring camps and players while looking to build off last season’s successes.    The third year coach would have loved to see Carter Johnson, Tristen Mullin and Hunt return for another season but that was out of the teams’ control and those players are taking advantage of opportunities that were presented to them.    “Those losses sting a little bit because of the minimal compensation we’ll get back” said Petersen. “But for guys like Linden McCorrister, Tristin Langan and Lasse Petersen, I’m excited to see if they’re ready to make the leap to the next level.”   That next level for the latter four would be WHL opportunities in Brandon, Moose Jaw, Calgary and Everett, certainly a step up for the young stars. For now, all the Stamps bench boss can focus on are the players that will be here, and not so much the ones that are not. Such is the life of operating a Junior A franchise in a small market. If nothing else, however, it has never been more evident that the Valley is producing plenty of players who are being noticed by teams from other leagues and, evidently, other countries.   “If any of McCorrister, Langan, Petersen or Valentino aren’t fully ready for their WHL opportunity, naturally we’ll welcome them back with open arms,” stated Petersen. “They would definitely be a big part of our offense here and would see huge increases in both playing time and point production. That I have no doubt about.”   Stamps Stuff: The Stampeders main and rookie camps take place the weekend of Sept. 4 with their first exhibition games being played Sept. 7 and 8 in a home and away set with the Dauphin Kings…. Stampeders Assistant Coach and marketing man Landon Kroeker is due back in the Valley anytime now. He has been home recovering from an unfortunate accident in Winnipeg on Canada Day. He is healing and hopes to be back soon.

Pre-season action in the MJHL kicks off Monday, Sept. 7 with Swan Valley Stampeders visiting Dauphin at the Credit Union Place. The exhibition season wraps up on Sept. 19. The complete pre-season schedule can be found on the MJHL website. The Stamps regular season kicks off Friday, Sept. 25 when they host the OCN Blizzard. “The pre-season is an exciting time for both our fans and prospects,” MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis said. “Teams are carefully evaluating their talent, both long-term prospects and those players who could potentially be in the line-up for opening night. Fans get to watch the present and future MJHLers.” For more sports coverage, check out this week's edition of the Star and Times.