Anhorn joins Union College
If you liked watching Dylan Anhorn play defence for the Prince George Spruce Kings it might be wise to buy a season ticket.
Because after next season he’ll be playing on the other side of the continent.
The Spruce Kings announced Friday that Anhorn has agreed to scholarship terms to play at NCAA Division 1 Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., starting in the 2019-20 season.
Anhorn, who turned 19 in January, joined the Spruce Kings last summer after two seasons with the Calgary Buffaloes midget team. The five-foot-11, 157-pound Calgary native played all 58 games in his rookie BCHL season and picked up five goals and 20 assists for 25 points and 30 penalty minutes. In 24 playoff games he finished with a goal and 10 assists.
“Dylan exemplifies what we value to be a Spruce King player,” said Spruce Kings head coach Adam Maglio. “His foundations – attention to detail, work ethic, skill, and high level of compete – have solidified him as one of our top defencemen. He is every bit worthy of this commitment and we couldn’t be happier for Dylan.”
The Spruce Kings, whose season ended last week in a five-game BCHL championship series loss to the Wenatchee Wild, produced a record number of scholarships this season with 10 players now committed to NCAA teams.
That list includes goalie Evan DeBrouwer (Arizona State), forwards Blake Hayward (Union), Kyle Johnson (Yale), and Ethan de Jong (Quinnipiac), all of whom begin their NCAA careers next season.
Anhorn and fellow defencemen Layton Ahac (Ohio State) and Liam Watson-Brawn (Colgate), as well as forwards Dustin Manz (Lake Superior State), Patrick Cozzi (Colorado College) and Brady Bjork (Notre Dame), will defer their scholarships to 2019.
hired former NHL forward Jeff Tambellini as their head coach and general manager. Tambellini, 34, retired in 2017 after a 12-year pro career with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and in the Swedish Hockey League. The Calgary native played two seasons in the BCHL with the Chilliwack Chiefs and was the league’s MVP and scoring champion in 2001-02. He captured the Canadian Junior A player of the year award in 2002 and led the Chiefs to Fred Page Cup and Doyle Cup championships that season.
Tambellini returned to the University of Michigan to finish his degree and was an assistant coach for the Wolverines this past season.
The Smoke Eaters fired Cam Keith on April 9, right after they were eliminated in the third round of the playoffs by Wenatchee. Keith, 37, was hired as head coach and GM in 2016 and in two seasons compiled a 58-57-2-5 regular-season record and a 15-12 playoff record. He brought the Smokies to the third round for the first time since 2003.