The West Kelowna Warriors are back in action as they get ready for the 2022-23 season.
After an outstanding 37-win season that came up short when they were ousted by the Penticton Vees in the Interior Conference finals, the Warriors saw a lot of turnover on their roster throughout the offseason.
14 members of the 2021-22 team committed to post-secondary school and their hockey programs for this fall, forcing the team to experience a great amount of roster turnover. Despite that, the warriors put together a good offseason as they signed 10 new recruits and made various trades to bring in the players they wanted to fill the holes on the roster.
One of the most notable new members of the team is forward Luke Devlin, who put up 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) in 44 games for the St Andrew’s College Saints (CAHS) in the Greater Toronto Area. Through the first two games of the preseason, the Memphis, TN born player has led the team with four points (two goals and two assists). He was also drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Devlin is also the son of Sportsnet broadcaster Matt Devlin, who is most notable for being the voice of the Toronto Raptors.
The Warriors also acquired forward Chris Duclair late in the offseason, who is the younger brother of Florida Panthers forward Anthony Duclair. He hasn’t recorded a point in the preseason.
Lots of local talent joined West Kelowna for the upcoming season as well including Kelowna’s Kailus Green and goaltender Cayden Hamming from Vernon.
If you like offense, the warriors preseason has been for you. Through the first two games, they beat the Chilliwack Chiefs 9-7 but fell to the Vernon Vipers 5-2. The team has one last preseason game on Wednesday, Sept 14 at Vernon.
While lots of fan favorites have advanced on their careers, the Warriors’ roster turnover brings in new faces for the fans to fall in love with.
The puck drops on the Warriors season on Friday, Sept 23 at Cowichan Valley.
READ MORE: Vernon Vipers down Warriors, Vees in BCHL pre-season
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