Skip to content

BCHL: Alberni Valley Bulldogs pick up new players

Summer season heats up as new coach puts stamp on team
7680726_web1_BDogs-Jackson-Doucet-july13
Jackson Doucet of Shawnigan Lake joins the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for the 2017-18 season. SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are adding offensive punch to their 2017-18 roster with a commitment from Shawnigan Lake Midget Prep forward Jackson Doucet.

Doucet “is a skilled centre” who scored 25 goals and added 24 assists in 30 regular season games with Shawnigan Lake during the 2016-17 Canadian Sport School Hockey League campaign, Bulldogs’ head coach Matt Hughes said.

“Jackson is a dynamic forward whose skating and skill level make him an outstanding BCHL prospect,” Hughes added. “He has consistently produced offence in a very competitive league, and I’ve had the opportunity to see first hand the impact he can have on a game when the puck is on his stick.”

Over three seasons at Shawnigan Lake, Doucet, 18, scored 62 goals and tallied 128 points in 89 CSSHL games.

While the Bulldogs are bolstering their front line, Hughes is also turning his focus to his defensive core. Late last week he announced the Bulldogs have acquired 1998-born goalie Colten Lancaster from the Merritt Centennials in return for 1997-born forward Alex MacDonald and future considerations.

Lancaster has been in the BCHL for two years and posted a 5-15-0 record in 24 appearances with the Cents last season. Despite his modest win-loss record, the 19-year-old finished 11th among BCHL goalies in goals-against average (3.04) and ninth in save percentage (.913).

“Colten is a quality young man who has already proven himself to be a very capable BCHL goaltender during his two seasons in Merritt,” Hughes said.

“We feel that he’s just starting to scratch the surface of his potential and we look forward to seeing his continued development and growth into an elite netminder while in a Bulldogs’ uniform.”

Lancaster is no stranger to Hughes’ playbook: when he was 16 he played for Hughes on the U18 Prep team at Pursuit of Excellence.

“I’m very excited to be coming to the Alberni Valley,” Lancaster said.

ICE CHIPS…Bulldogs’ overage netminder Brody Claeys will sharpen his claws in NCAA Div. 1 next season, playing for the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves...Claeys was the Bulldogs’ team MVP.