BCHL FortisBC 3 Stars of the Month

 CRANSTON, SCHWARTZ, KIM NAMED FORTISBC 3 STARS OF THE MONTH

Photo credits: Liz Wolter (Cranston, Kim), Garrett James Photography (Schwartz)

Surrey Eagles forwards Caden Cranston and Aaron Schwartz and Vernon Vipers forward Owen Kim have been named the FortisBC 3 Stars of the Month.

1st Star – Caden Cranston (F) – Surrey Eagles

Cranston tied for the league lead in points during the month with 19 and posted the most goals with 10 in nine games.

The Rochester, N.Y. product had at least a point in every game in October and registered multiple points in six of nine games. His best stretch came from Oct. 6 to 24 where he piled up 14 points in five games, capped off by his first-career BCHL hat trick in a 7-3 win over the Vernon Vipers at the BCHL Showcase in Seattle.

Four of Cranston’s 10 goals came with the man advantage and two of them were game-winners.

The 19-year-old is second in BCHL scoring with 22 points in 12 games on the season and has a league-best 12 goals for the 12-0-0 Eagles.

2nd Star – Aaron Schwartz (F) – Surrey Eagles

Schwartz tied for the league high in points in October with 19 in nine games, while his 14 assists were tops among his competitors.

The second-year BCHL forward had a point in every game during the month and is riding a 12-game streak to start the season. Schwartz put up four points in a 7-2 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs on Oct. 6, scoring two goals and adding a pair of assists. He followed that up with a three-assist effort the next night against the Langley Rivermen in a 3-2 road win.

Schwartz had multiple points in five straight games during the month and in seven of nine contests overall.

He is the league’s leading scorer with 23 points in 12 games and has a league-best tying 16 assists.

3rd Star – Owen Kim (F) – Vernon Vipers

Kim had 16 points during the month on four goals and 12 assists over 10 games.

The College of the Holy Cross commit had a point in eight of 10 October games, including six multi-point outings. He saved his best for last, closing out the month with nine points in the final four contests. His biggest performances came in a three-point effort against the Coquitlam Express at the BCHL Showcase on Oct. 23 where he had a goal and three assists in an 8-1 win and a three-assist afternoon on Oct. 29 in a 4-1 victory over the Merritt Centennials.

Kim has 19 points on the year, which puts him in fourth place in the BCHL scoring race, while his 15 assists are third most in the league.

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Honourable mentions:

Powell River Kings F Anthony Yu: 9GP – 3G – 12A – 15PTS
Vernon Vipers D Anthony Cliche: 10GP – 4G – 10A – 14PTS
West Kelowna Warriors F Felix Caron: 9GP – 8G – 5A – 13PTS
Merritt Centennials G Karlis Mezsargs: 4GP – 3W – .940 SV% – 2.50 GAA
Surrey Eagles G Ajeet Gundarah: 6GP – 6W – .938 SV% – 2.00 GAA
Alberni Valley Bulldogs G Callum Tung: 6GP – 4W – SO – .939 SV% – 2.05 GAA
Vernon Vipers G Colin Reay: 4GP – 3W – .939 SV% – 1.85 GAA

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About the BCHL: 

Sending more players on to Division I college hockey every season than any other hockey league in Canada, the BCHL has established itself as a national leader in the development of young student athletes. Considering approximately a third of today’s NHL is made up of NCAA alumni, the BCHL has become a breeding ground for some the sport’s most elite and successful players. In 2022-23 alone, there were a league-record 190 players in the league with NCAA Division I scholarships. The BCHL is also a leader in player safety, with a full-time Department of Player Safety, the toughest rules on fighting in North American junior hockey, as well as a league-wide independent Safe Sport Officer and an individual Athlete Advocate assigned to all 17 teams.  

The BCHL is: Modern Hockey.

Media Contact: 

Jesse Adamson
Director, Communications & Events
BC Hockey League
604-354-0035
jadamson@bchl.ca