The Powell River Kings are pleased to announce the commitments of forward Rowan Miller and defenceman Brenden Saether to the team for the 2018/2019 BC Hockey League season.
Saether, a 6’4, 205lb blue liner from Abbotsford suited up with the Mission City Outlaws in the PJHL last season, contributing 4 goals and 5 assists in 42 games. In addition, Saether also played in 14 regular season, and all 13 playoff games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles.
For Saether, the decision to commit to Powell River was made easier after a meeting with Head Coach Tyler Kuntz.
“We went over my game film and he highlighted a few things that he felt he could help me improve on,” said Saether. “He showed me the program that he’s implementing in Powell River and I was really impressed with how organized and detailed it was. I’ve also heard great things about Powell River, the fans, the community and the support of the team.”
Saether, a 2000-born player, describes himself as a stay at home defensive defenceman, however Kuntz believes there is more to Saether’s game.
“What I see is a big player with a long reach, a big stick, he’s mobile and can turn to get pucks,” said Kuntz. “He played in two game sevens last year (with Surrey), and playing here on the smaller ice is going to be beneficial for him. He’s extremely fit and a real worker, and off the ice he’s a great kid who is really hungry to get better.”
Kuntz added that Saether’s mobility with his size was very impressive and feels that he has a solid foundation to succeed at the Junior A level.
Also joining the Kings ahead of the team’s 30th anniversary season is 2001-born forward Rowan Miller. Born in Arizona, but a long-time resident of Vernon, Miller played last year with the South Island Royals in the BC Major Midget League, scoring 14 goals and 14 assists in 39 games. Miller also affiliated in 8 games with the VIJHL’s Victoria Cougars, collecting 2 goals and 2 assists in 8 games.
The connection to Powell River came through Miller’s coach while affiliating with the Cougars, Kings assistant coach Suneil Karod.
“I really wanted to play Junior A hockey this year, and use that experience to improve as a player by playing against bigger, stronger, faster guys,” said Miller. “Suneil encouraged me to go to Powell River’s camp in Kamloops and by the end of it I knew I wanted to be a King. I learned so much in those few days from the coaches, and I knew I could improve as a player if I was in that situation full time.”
Miller’s addition to the team provides more options up front, and a player who has showcased the ability to fit into the Kings system.
“We had him at camp and tried to do some different things,” said Kuntz. “We gave Rowan an information overload as to what our team wants to look like and how it wants to play, and he grasped things really quickly and showcased a lot of the things we’d discussed in the camp games.”
Kuntz added that he’s keen to offer Miller the support to develop, noting that patience is needed when it comes to younger players at the Junior level.
“We see him as a player that will just continue to get better,” added Kuntz. “He can skate, he’s got skill and he’s intelligent. He wants to do those things to get better, he wants to improve and our goal is to guide him along that path.”
Both Miller and Saether will train at home ahead of their arrival in Powell River in mid-August for Kings Main Camp, and the 30th anniversary season for the Powell River Kings beginning in September.
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A special Early Bird rate for 2018/2019 Season Tickets is available until May 25th. Renewals must be processed via the Kings office, open 10am – 4pm weekdays. New purchases can be done online by visiting tickets.powellriverkings.com.
