VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey team have announced the signing of four recruits for the 2011-12 varsity season. Moving to Vancouver this September are goaltender Steven Stanford (Saskatoon Blades, WHL), defenceman Jason Yee (Powell River Kings, BCHL), and forwards Kyle Johnson (Dauphin Kings, MJHL) and Cole Wilson (Camrose Kodiaks, AJHL).
Stanford, of Calgary, put together an impressive 2010-11 campaign with the Blades as he posted 40 wins in 48 games with a 2.78 GAA and .910 save percentage. It was his second standout season in Saskatoon after being moved early in the 2009-10 from the Prince Albert Raiders. He owns a career 97-53-10 WHL regular season record over four seasons with a 3.16 GAA and a .901 save percentage. His post-season stats were even sharper, with a 2.65 GAA and .924 save percentage in 20 playoff games with Saskatoon.
"Steven's record speaks for itself," said UBC head coach Milan Dragicevic. "We are extremely pleased to be bringing in an outstanding goalie to solidify our tandem in net with Jordan [White] who was great for us last year. It's going to be great competition with both players pushing each other to get better."
Stanford knows he has some work in front of him to continue his success at the CIS level, though he is confident UBC is a great place to pursue his post-secondary career.
"I'm a bit unfamiliar with the style of play in the CIS but in such a short season the margin for error is small so I believe consistency and hard work will create success," said Sanford.
"I wanted to make sure I attended an institution that not only had the potential of a strong hockey club but also a strong academic system. I believe UBC's program gives me the best opportunity to pursue future endeavours. I hope to bring a calming influence to the back end of this team," added the prospective business & computer science student.
Yee, a 6-foot, 195-pound defenceman from Victoria, comes to UBC from a very successful Power River squad that is coming off another BCHL Western Division title. In his third full season with Powell River, Yee tallied one goal and 12 assists in a career high 60 games. He appeared in 164 BCHL regular season games and 41 playoff tilts over his junior career.
"Jason is a solid stay at home defenceman who doesn't make very many mistakes despite regularly playing against the opposing team's top line. You can't have enough guys like that on your roster," observed Dragicevic.
For Yee, who is a certified personal trainer and will be studying Human Kinetics, staying on the West Coast and in Canada was the right fit.
"Most kids that play Junior 'A' dream of going to the NCAA. In the end though, I was pursued by Milan and Tyler [Kuntz, UBC's assistant coach] and it made much more sense to go to a Canadian school. On the ice, I'll be playing with guys my own age and the hockey is top notch with a number of players in the CIS carrying on with pro careers. UBC is one of the best schools in the country and I want to stay on the West Coast when I graduate. Going down to the States to get your education may not apply everywhere in Canada," said Yee.
Johnson, a bruising forward who hails from Buena Vista, Sask, is one of two big bodied forwards signed by the T-Birds. Last season was a breakout year for the 6-foot-2 winger who tallied 74 points (35 goals, 39 assists) in 57 regular season games split between the Estevan Bruins (SJHL) and Kings. He then followed up that campaign with 10 points in the 2011 MJHL playoffs.
"Kyle's your prototypical power forward. He's a guy that can skate, go up and down the wall, and has a good shot. We really wanted to find some forwards that would increase our team speed and size - we found that in Kyle," noted Dragicevic.
Johnson thinks his time in Dauphin will help him take the next step in his hockey career.
"I can't say enough about the Kings or the experience of playing in Dauphin - it was a great fit for me. I can bring some size and speed to the table, but mostly I want to fit into the puzzle and help the Thunderbirds win on the ice and achieve off of it."
Wilson, of Surrey, B.C., is expected to contribute in a similar fashion to Johnson by using his size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and speed to contribute in all three zones.
In the 2010-11 season, he tallied 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists) in 56 regular season games with the Kodiaks, helping Camrose to a spot in the 2011 RBC Cup. Over fours seasons with the Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL), Westside Warriors (BCHL), and Kodiaks, Wilson played in 211 regular season games and tallied 163 points (65 goals, 98 assists).
"Cole has good size and is a strong skater who was a key member of the Camrose run for a national title last year. He has a history of being offensive and producing points which was a key factor in bringing him to UBC," said Dragicevic.
Wilson saw the opportunity to return to his home province in a very positive light.
"UBC is a really good school and it made sense to come back home with a chance to play in a good league and get my education at one of the best schools in Canada. I'm more of an offensive player who likes to have the puck and with my experience last year with Camrose, I hope to bring some of that success with me to Vancouver," said Wilson.
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