With the uncertainty of whether or not there will be a regular-season and the fact that there is at least another month of “skills and drills” due to a Provincial Health Order, the Nanaimo Clippers have been busy acquiring the playing rights to a number of local hockey talents to increase the local presence on the team. The Clippers have added 17-year-old defenceman, Brandon Carlson, to the team. For the last two seasons, he was playing for the U18 North Island Silvertips in the CSSHL U18 program. He also suited up for 7 games last season for the Junior B Nanaimo Buccaneers.
Wes Mussio, owner of the Clippers, explained the addition; “Brendan had a strong camp with us and played a couple of exhibition games. He showed himself very well as a future Junior A player but we thought he needed another year of development with his peers to make an impact at the Junior A level. With the loss of a few of our players to the USHL recently, where hockey games are being played, we had some roster spots come free and I thought it would be a great idea to bring in some local talent in order to aid in the development at the local level.”
Head Coach and GM, Darren Naylor added; “I’ve been watching Brendan for a few years now and his game has been on a steady rise to the point where he is now capable of playing at the Junior A level. He is a smooth-skating player that was very close to making the team this year out of the extended training camp. I wanted to get him into our program this year so he can get used to the systems and get some reps. I see Brendan as a 2-3 year guy that will contribute on the back end.”
