Thompson Rivers signs Tylor Branszen from VIJHL's Peninsula Panthers

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Thompson Rivers University has signed their fourth recruit for the upcoming B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season.

The WolfPack and head coach Don Schulz are pleased to announce that 6-foot-1 forward Tylor Branzsen of Cowichan Bay, B.C. has committed to the program.

Branzsen played with the Kerry Park Islanders and the Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League this past season.

"I'm excited to play for TRU," says Branzsen, who will be enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program. "I've heard great things about the school, the hockey program and the city of Kamloops. Being able to complete my final two years of my BBA, while continuing to play competitive hockey is exactly what I was looking for."

Branzsen was the seventh leading scorer in the VIJHL playoffs with the Panthers—scoring seven times and adding eight assists in 18 games. He was 22nd in overall league scoring with 19 goals and 26 assists in 48 games with 130 penalty minutes.

"Tylor is a hard working, reliable right winger with size and speed," said Peninsula head coach Brian Passmore, whose team acquired him from Kerry Park on January 8, 2014 in a four-player blockbuster deal.

"He plays an aggressive style and has a lot of jump in his game. Tylor loves to get in on the forecheck, finish his checks and go hard to the net. He gives second and third efforts all over the ice."

Passmore adds: "Tylor was used as a power forward and he created room for his teammates with his aggressive play and speed on the wing. He is strong in the face-off circle and can be very effective on special teams. The best attribute that Tylor brings is that he is a great teammate and works hard every shift."

Branzsen has career totals of 31 goals, 36 assists for 67 points and 289 minutes in penalty time in 98 career games.

"School is definitely a priority before hockey," he says."I completed my Finance diploma at Camosun College while playing Junior. I am looking at possibly getting a Masters Degree at TRU. The transfer of my courses from Camosun to TRU went as planned allowing for an easier transition. Having fun at hockey makes school easier and finding a balance between school and athletics is huge."

"Tylor is very determined to have success in anything he does," states Passmore. "He's a great student academically and has goals and a work ethic that will make him successful in anything that he does in life. As his coach for the 2014 season, it is very satisfying to see such a classy individual move on from the junior ranks with his hockey and into a great program with TRU for the 2015-16 season."

Says coach Schulz: "I'm very pleased in attaining Tylor's services. Assistant coach Kevin Johnston first saw Tylor in league play while he was on the island on a business trip. I was able to meet Tylor personally when we were over to play UVIC, he came out to watch us play."

"He's been a point/game player most of his junior career both in league play and playoffs. He'll be a great fit in our room and provide much needed depth at the forward position. He's a great fit for our program and a most welcome addition."

Branzsen joins fellow WolfPack recruits Ryan Hanes (Prince George Cougars/WHL), Spencer Schoech (Kamloops Storm/KIJHL) and Andrew Stack (Princeton Posse/KIJHL) as players committing to the TRU program. More signing announcements will come later.

ICE CHIPS: Passmore has this anecdote about Branzsen: "Tylor is a big-game player and he was a huge reason the Peninsula Panthers made it to the finals of the VIJHL last season, when games were tight and on the line, that is when Tylor played his best. In Game #3 of the VIJHL finals vs. the Victoria Cougars Tylor completed a hat trick with an overtime winner, the score was 3-2. Tylor was on a mission in this game and it was a game I will always remember because Tylor dominated the game in every aspect."