Merritt Centennials opt-in to 2021 season

The Centennials confirmed this afternoon (March 13) that they are opting in to the BCHL’s return to play plans.

Head Coach and General Manager Derek Sweet-Coulter says that it truly was a team effort that helped make this happen.

“It starts with our Governor and President at the league level and all the hard work that was done there, filters down to our Board of Directors who supported rewarding our players and their families who have worked so hard and stuck with the program all year. Our staff has done an incredible job working within the guidelines we’ve been given to try and make coming to the rink every day exciting for our players”

Sweet-Coulter adds that the support of the team’s billet families this year was also instrumental to the teams success.

“Our billet coordinator Andrea Barnes did an incredible job all year of keeping our billet homes safe, and the players and families happy. It was no small feat managing the pandemic this year and she’s helped to keep everyone informed and on track. Every Junior team knows that without Billets there can be no team.”

At the end of the day, the Cents bench boss is just happy that the team’s 20 year olds will get some crucial playing time in to impress scouts.

“That’s one of the most important things for me is that our guys get to finish off their Junior careers the right way.”

The Centennials will enter a two week quarantine period before taking the ice as part of the Chilliwack pod in April.