A young forward who was due to join the Chilliwack Chiefs next season has opted to spend the rest of this season with the BCHL club.
On Wednesday the junior A team announced the commitment of Liam Tanner. The 2003-born player got into one game last season as an affiliate player, and spent most of 2019-20 lighting it up with the Fraser Valley U18 Thunderbirds. Tanner, who hails from Langley, collected 23 goals and 48 points in 40 games for the T-Birds.
The teenager fills one of the spots vacated by players who left for the USHL.
“We have been fans of Liam’s game for some time now.” said Chiefs head coach and general manager Brian Maloney. “He really impressed me in the game we called him up last season with his stick position, reads, and awareness on the ice. It is obvious to us that he has been well coached and that he has the skill-set and intangibles required to have success in the BCHL.”
Tanner’s eliteprospects.com page lists the 17-year-old at six-foot-two and 174 pounds.
Like everyone else in the Chiefs organization, he’ll be hoping for an easing of provincial health orders in early March, allowing the BCHL to squeeze in some form of shortened season.
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