Northeastern University’s loss is Cornell’s gain.
That’s the way Reegan Hiscock is looking at it.
The big Victoria Grizzlies forward was “decommitted” by Boston-based Northeastern late last summer, but it didn’t take long for the 6-foot-4 St. John’s, Nfld., product to land with another NCAA school — and Ivy League at that.
“They had to go with a smaller roster because of a new rule and then had more guys coming back then they thought they would so they just basically said there was no room for me,” Hiscock said Thursday on the eve of the Grizzlies’ game tonight against the defending B.C. Hockey League champion Surrey Eagles.
“But I just committed to Cornell last week so I’m really happy about that and excited to get things going there next season.”
He’ll also have a familiar face in Big Red colours as teammate Chase Pirtle is also committed to Ithaca, New York-based Cornell.
“That was a good bonus. Chase is a great teammate and great player,” added Hiscock.
Hiscock, like the rest of his Grizzlies (5-4-1-0) teammates, got off to a fast start this season going 5-1, but have hit a speedbump with three straight losses. The 20-year-old Hiscock is tied for the team lead in goals with teammate Drew Hockley with seven in 10 games.
“I think we got away from playing our systems and doing the little things right like we were at the start of the season, but I think we’re ready to bounce back now and get on another winning streak.”
The Eagles, who knocked the Grizzlies out of the playoffs last season in the conference semifinals, are in rebuild mode but still bring a 6-5 record into The Q Centre tonight.
“They have a lot of new faces but are obviously still doing pretty well and in this league now any team can beat any team on any given night, so we expect them to come in here hungry for a win so we have to be ready.”
The Grizzlies are expected to get an extra boost between the pipes this weekend as 2023 BCHL rookie of the year Oliver Auyeung-Ashton looks ready to return from an injury suffered in the second game of the season.
“Having Oliver back will be huge for us,” Hiscock said. “Obviously, in the last two seasons here, he’s been one of the top goalies in the league so to see him back on the ice is going to be a big plus for us.”
Meanwhile, the injury bug has hit the Grizzlies’ forward group hard. Veterans Julian Cull and Tobias Pitka remain out with injuries, so GM and head coach Rylan Ferster went out and picked up a couple of skilled wingers on Friday, one of them a familiar face.
Alex Hebblethwaite, traded by the Grizzlies to the Trail Smoke Eaters prior to the start of the season, was acquired from Nanaimo Clippers on Friday in exchange for defenceman Brady Smith. Hebblethwaite, who hails from Mississauga, Ont., and is NCAA committed to R.I.T., was traded from Trail to Nanaimo just a few weeks into the season and now he brings his eight goals in 11 games back to Victoria.
The Grizzlies also signed American Seamus Latta from the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. Last season, the St. Paul, Minnesota, product who is NCAA committed to Princeton University, had 28 points in 27 games while captaining Salisbury Prep School.
Following tonight’s game, the Grizzlies welcome another Coastal Conference opponent on Saturday with the Langley Rivermen paying a visit to The Q Centre.
LOOSE PUCKS: NHL Central Scouting released its annual Players to Watch List ahead of the 2025 NHL draft and Grizzlies blue-liner Hockley is ranked for the sixth-to-seventh rounds. The 19-year-old from Kentville, N.S., has 15 points this season, good for sixth best in the league. Eight other BCHL players had similar rankings including forward Max Heise of the Penticton Vees and defenceman Cooper Cleaves of the Vernon Vipers. … The Powell River Kings have a new head coach after former Edmonton Oilers great and six time Stanley Cup champion Glenn Anderson stepped down as the Kings bench boss on Friday for personal reason. Current general manager Stephan Seeger Jr. will now take on both the GM and head coaching duties for the club.
