The Nanaimo Clippers have signed Nanaimo born Brett Merner, a 2004 born defenceman, for the 2021-2022 hockey season. Merner was most recently playing in the BC Major Midget League with the North Island Silvertips over the last two seasons. He also participated in the Clippers U18 Spring Program where he was first introduced to the coaching staff who were able to have a careful look at his upside potential for the BCHL. This is now the third player in recent years from the Clippers U18 spring program that has moved on to the BCHL through the Clippers program. This commitment exemplifies the importance of players attending the Clippers’ ID Camps.
Head coach and GM Darren Naylor said; “Brett is a player who has come a long ways in the last couple seasons after recruiting him to our spring program 2 years ago. He has worked extremely hard at his game. He is a smooth skating, high IQ D man who over time will be a force in the BCHL.”
Associate Coach Colin Birkas added; “Brett is a player whom I will enjoy coaching for a few seasons to come. He is an eager quick learner whom I see becoming a key player for the Clippers. He has all the tools needed to eventually become a NCAA D1 player”.
Wes Mussio, President of the Clippers noted, “The focus of our program is to ensure that we bring local players into the BCHL that have the talent to compete at this high level. We also have been developing an excellent spring program that allows us to observe the local talent as well as develop these players. This is a good example of why attending our ID camps and participating in the spring programs is so important. For players aspiring to get to the BCHL from the Island, this should be positive evidence to show that we are serious about developing local talent in the Clipper program.”
