Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

HOCKEY SEASON IS COMING!

Kamloops hockey products skating together ahead of upcoming training camps

Aug 14, 2019 | 5:09 PM

KAMLOOPS — Summer is still in full swing. Just ask the teachers, students, and administrators who will soon be heading back for another school year. But one sure sign that cooler temperatures are on the way is the fact local hockey players are skating, as they prepare for their upcoming season.

One of those camps — the BC Interior Hockey Program (BCIHP) — includes some of the best players to come out of Kamloops Minor Hockey in recent years. One of those guys is New York Rangers 2015 2nd Round Pick Ryan Gropp, who says he’s ready to take that next step in his hockey career.

“I’ve played two years pro now, and kind of got the feel of it,” Gropp explained. “I’m looking to expand on myself as a player and at the end of the day make that jump. That’s what I’m working towards.”

Gropp was part of one of the most influential groups of players to come out of Kamloops Minor Hockey. That group won KIBIHT in 2011, includes a handful of players who played Major Junior, including Gropp, as well as current Detroit Red Wings prospect Joe Hicketts.

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Another member of that team was Chad Butcher, who spent five years in Medicine Hat before playing a couple of seasons in the ECHL.

“A bunch of us are still best buddies to this day,” Butcher told CFJC Today. “It was definitely a fun year. There were a lot of memories we cherished together, and I’ll cherish those forever.”

Butcher is making a move to USports. He’ll be suiting up for the University of Alberta Golden Bears in the 2019-2020 season.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

“That scholarship option they have with the Western League is really good,” Butcher said. “It’s really hard not to take advantage of it, so I’m excited.”

There are a handful of student-athletes in this BCHIP group. Tyler Ward is preparing for his second season in the NCAA, with the University of Denver Pioneers.

“Definitely school comes first,” Ward explained. “There are a lot of rules; if you don’t have the grades, you’re not playing. Definitely, you’ve got to take ownership of your school work and then you can play hockey after.”

He says guys like Gropp and Butcher were the players he looked up to after they had moved on into the Major Junior ranks. For many Kamloops players, coming back to the city in the summer helps keep them connected with a reason they fell in love with the game of hockey in the first place.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

“I love being from Kamloops,” Ward said through a big grin. “I always say it down south. I’m from Kamloops; I’m proud of where I come from and proud of the history that’s come through Kamloops.”

Gropp agrees: “I’m really proud of where I cam from and where I started out playing hockey. There are lots of guys who started their career here and moved on to do good things. It’s pretty cool saying I’m from here and I’m going to come back here for the majority of my summers. It’s great.”