John Evans just wants to play hockey.
Even if that means moving to Iowa.
With the BC Hockey League still in a holding pattern due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related provincial health orders, the 18-year-old South Surrey resident and budding BC Hockey League star recently left the West 麻豆精选 Warriors 鈥� where he was waiting to start his second season 鈥� for the United States Hockey League鈥檚 Dubuque Fighting Saints.
While the BCHL has repeatedly had to push its start date forward 鈥� original plays to drop the puck in December have now been pushed to early February 鈥� the USHL has been playing since November.
鈥淚t was definitely a pretty tough decision. I loved playing in West 麻豆精选,鈥� Evans told Black Press Media Wednesday afternoon from Dubuque.
鈥淚 loved the city, I loved the staff and everyone involved with the organization. It was a tough decision to come to Dubuque, but I felt that in order to keep improving and keep playing this season, it had to be done.鈥�
Evans noted that it was Dubuque that reached out to him 鈥� they acquired his rights and arranged a transfer-fee to be paid to the Warriors 鈥� but had the team not done so just before Christmas, he would have started to explore his hockey-playing options.
ROSTER UPDATE: The Fighting Saints have added John Evans from the BCHL. Evans had 50 points in 57 games with the West 麻豆精选 Warriors last year.
鈥� Dubuque Fighting Saints (@fightingsaints) January 4, 2021
馃摳 : Tami Quan Photography pic.twitter.com/km62XfdF0P
Time was especially of the essence for Evans considering this is his final year of junior hockey; he鈥檚 set to play this fall at the University of New Hampshire.
鈥淢y rights were held by any other USHL team, and I just got off the ice one day and my advisor called me and told me that Dubuque had picked up my rights. It was pretty surprising 鈥� I didn鈥檛 have any idea.
鈥淎fter that, things started happening pretty quickly. I talked to the team twice and then decided I wanted to come down there.鈥�
Last season with the Warriors, Evans scored 22 goals and added 28 assists in 57 games, and in this year鈥檚 exhibition season, he tallied 15 points in 13 games before the league shut down.
From mid-November until heading to Iowa, Evans had been skating three times a week with a small group of players in South Surrey.
Evans said his teammates in West 麻豆精选 鈥� as well as his head coach and team owner 鈥� were supportive of his decision to move south.
鈥滿y coach and owner realized that this was a good opportunity for me鈥� and my teammates know that not everyone gets the opportunity to come down here and play, so they were supportive as well,鈥� Evans said.
鈥淚 still keep in touch with all of them, and I鈥檒l be following the progress of their season if it does end up getting going.鈥�
His parents were supportive of the decision to join the Fighting Saints too, he said.
鈥淥bviously, they were pretty sad when I left but they know that it鈥檚 important for me to play, and they know how badly I wanted to play hockey this season,鈥� Evans said.
鈥淭hey know this is the best opportunity for me to play 鈥� especially at a high level.鈥�
First USHL game 鉁�
鈥� Dubuque Fighting Saints (@fightingsaints) January 12, 2021
First USHL goal 鉁�
John Evans didn't wait to get things started! pic.twitter.com/qYiLcJIJO9
Evans isn鈥檛 the only high-profile BCHL player to leave for the USHL.
While transaction lists and rosters haven鈥檛 been routinely updated while the junior circuit is on hiatus, it鈥檚 estimated that about two dozen players have left for the U.S. 鈥� either to join teams in other junior leagues like the USHL or to start their NCAA careers early.
Some teams 鈥� the Penticton Vees and Nanaimo Clippers chief among them 鈥� have lost multiple players.
In mid-December, the owner of the Clippers made a plea to the province to let the league begin play.
鈥淒r. Bonnie Henry decided to shut us down on no evidence or science,鈥� Wes Mussio said in a press release issued shortly after the BCHL鈥檚 exhibition season was shut down. 鈥淪imply put, this decision is hard to understand.
鈥淚 doubt anyone can argue, in good conscience, that destroying careers of young (athletes) is perfectly acceptable for the greater good.鈥�
That plea was followed by letters written by some of the team鈥檚 players 鈥� many of whom are in their final seasons of junior hockey.
鈥淲ithout being able to practise or compete and prove myself deserving of a scholarship, I feel my dream slipping away,鈥� Clippers goaltender Jordan Naylor wrote.
鈥淎s a 20-year-old, I have no more time. It鈥檚 now or never for me.鈥�
Though he isn鈥檛 at the end of his junior-hockey eligibility, Evans said he had similar feelings 鈥� he didn鈥檛 want to move up to the NCAA ranks without having played a real game for months. Evans told PAN it鈥檚 a sentiment shared by one of his new teammates, 17-year-old Matthew Savoie 鈥� who was expected to play with the Western Hockey League鈥檚 Winnipeg Ice this season, but came south in search of a season.
鈥淚鈥檝e talked to Matt about it since I鈥檝e been down here, and he鈥檚 in the same boat as me. He just wanted to develop more and get a chance to play. That鈥檚 the most important thing 鈥� to be able to play. Practising just isn鈥檛 the same,鈥� Evans said.
Before joining his new team, Evans said any concerns he had about moving to the United States in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic were calmed after a discussion with the team鈥檚 general manager, who told Evans players and staff are testing every week, among other precautions.
鈥淚 was assured that they were doing everything they can to keep everyone safe, and I just have to do my part too,鈥� he said. 鈥淗onestly, after that (talk), I wasn鈥檛 really too worried about it.鈥�
He鈥檚 fit in well with his new club, with one goal and two assists in four games.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been great. All the guys are great and I鈥檝e started to adjust to the league now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just excited to keep playing, and we鈥檒l see how things go.鈥�
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鈥� with files from the Nanaimo News-Bulletin
