High-end talent will be on display as the Canadian Sport School Hockey League playoffs begin in Penticton Thursday.
Among the talent that has played in the league are Curtis Lazar of the Ottawa Senators, who captained Canada to gold in the 2015 World Junior Championship along with Detroit Red Wings prospect Joe Hicketts, and Minnesota Wild rookie defenceman Matt Dumba.
This year the championship will feature players who will move onto junior A, the Western Hockey League and potentially the NHL. This season’s crop of Prep division players might be the best yet as nine of 21 players were selected in the first round of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft. More than 20 were taken in later rounds. Also, over a dozen current players have seen action in the WHL and BCHL this season with a few already receiving National Collegiate Athletic Association scholarships.
Here are five players to watch from the prep division:
Jordy Bellerive, Okanagan Hockey Academy White: One of the most highly touted players to enter the CSSHL this season, Bellerive, 1999-born, hasn’t disappointed as he racked up 30 goals in 26 games. The North Vancouver product was drafted second overall by the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft. He has played in three games with the Penticton Vees this season, scoring his first BCHL goal on Dec. 3.
Kohen Olischefski, Yale Hockey Academy:
One of the model student athletes in the CSSHL the past two seasons, Olischefski has followed up his 2013-14 Elite 15s Division MVP season with a league-leading 71 points (29-42-70) through 28 games this season. Committed to the Chilliwack Chiefs for the 2015-16 campaign, he has played seven games with the Chiefs and the Abbotsford product has already received an National Collegiate Athletic Association scholarship to the University of Wisconsin.
Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Edge School for Athletes:
Selected 14th overall at the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft, Anderson-Dolan has produced 30 points (13-17-30) in 25 games so far with Edge as the only ‘99-born on the roster. The Calgary product has already laced up the skates for the Spokane Chiefs three times this season.
Michael Rasmussen, Okanagan Hockey Academy White:
The six-foot-four, ‘99-born Rasmussen has enjoyed a successful season with OHA White, leading the team with 45 points (24-21-43) in 27 games. Drafted seventh overall in 2014 by the Tri-City Americans, the Surrey product made his WHL debut on Jan. 21 and has also played one game for the Vees this season.
Rasmussen is confident in his team and said they have had a good season going 22-4-1 in 27 games.
“We are the youngest in the league. Our results have been really good,” he said of their second-place spot in the division. “We’re hoping to win it all. We have been doing good, just a bit of a rough patch (2-1 loss to Pursuit of Excellence, then a 3-2 win against them) and in the past couple games.”
Rasmussen said he doesn’t know what to expect of the playoffs, but has experience from competing in provincials in the Surrey Minor Hockey Association. The OHA Prep Division team are the defending champions after breaking the Edge School’s four-year reign.
Tak Anholt, Yale Hockey Academy:
The ‘98-born Anholt leads the entire CSSHL in points per-game (2.7) as he has accumulated 64 points (28-36-62) in just 24 games. The North Vancouver product is committed to the Vees for the 2015-16 season. He has suited up in five games with Penticton this season.
Tickets are on sale and available at www.valleyfirsttix.com, in person at the Valley First Box Office at the SOEC or the Wine Country Visitor Centre. All 34 games will be streamed on www.fasthockey.com. The is $9.99 per day, which gives fans unlimited access to all FASTHockey broadcasts for a particular day. Games will be played at the South Okanagan Events Centre, the OHS Training Centre, Memorial Arena, McLaren Park Arena and one in the Summerland Arena.
The Prep Division quarter-final starts March 13 at 1 p.m. with Yale hosting Burnaby in the OHS Training Centre, Pursuit of Excellence hosts Edge at McLaren Park Arena and Delta hosting Okanagan White at Memorial Arena. At 3:30 p.m., Okanagan White hosts Banff at Memorial Arena, at McLaren Arena, Pursuit of Excellence faces Edge Prep. At 6 p.m., OHA Red hosts Delta at the OHS Training Centre.A full schedule can be found at www.csshl.ca on the main page by clicking on schedules on t he left side.
In the Varsity Division quarter-final, the Okanagan Hockey Academy opens up against Banff at 9:30 a.m. in the SOEC.
OHA goalie Arjun Ollek is looking forward to his first playoff run. In talking to older players on the team, the 16-year-old has learned that the playoffs goes fast with the single game knockout.
"We're pretty confident the way we are playing right now," said Ollek, who finished his rookie season with a 5-11 record. "We have had our ups and downs. We have really come around since January."
A full schedule of action can be found at www.csshl.ca and clicking on schedules on the left side of the main page.
The Okanagan Hockey Red Team has won the Varsity Division the last two seasons. The Yale Hockey Academy won the first Elite 15s hockey championship.