Saints add two players to roster as preseason preparation ramps up

The Selkirk College Saints head into the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League exhibition schedule with the addition of a pair of players who journeyed to the West Kootenay after spending last season on the other side of the country.

Forward Johnny Foley and defenceman Chris Pedersen have joined the Saints for the 2019/20 season after completing their junior careers in the Maritime Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League respectively. The new recruits arrive with impressive resumes that will help bolster the Saints at both ends of the ice.

“We’re excited to have Johnny and Chris choose Selkirk College as a place to further their education and hockey careers,” says Saints first-year head coach Dave Hnatiuk. “Both have played at high level where they were key contributors to the success of their junior teams. We expect them to make an immediate impact in this league and are a great compliment to the team that arrived here at the start of the semester.”

Foley hails from Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia and spent his final season of junior with the Miramichi Timberwolves where he scored 16 goals and added 20 assists. The six-foot power forward also has major junior experience, having spent part of a season with the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Foley is a student in the School of Academic Upgrading.

Pederson is a towering 6’3” blueliner who will make life uncomfortable for opponents in the Saints defensive zone. After spending a season in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League early in his junior days, Pederson played last season with the Elliot Lake Wildcats. Possessing an excellent first-pass, Pederson is a solid addition to the Saints defensive unit. He is a student in the Law & Justice Program.

“Adding both a proven point producer like Johnny and an imposing defenceman like Chris is important as we head into the season,” says Hnatiuk. “Both have already fit in well to our team which is a great mix of first-year players and league veterans. They will both be important contributors to our success this season.”

The Saints have been on the ice since the first week of September as the team prepares for the upcoming regular season that begins in October. Selkirk College will play three exhibition games at the Castlegar & District Recreation Centre starting on September 21 against the Rossland Sr. Warriors at 7:00 PM.

The team will continue with a weekend series against a pair of Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) squads when the SAIT Trojans visit on September 27 and the Portage College Voyageurs play on September 28. Both games start at 7:15 PM.

The Saints finished second overall in the BCIHL last season with a 13-7-0-4 record and were upset by the Vancouver Island University Mariners in the opening round of the playoffs. The Saints are four-time BCIHL champions having captured the title in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.