20-year-old Goaltender Brayden Evans arrived from Edmonton and will be a huge component of the Panthers success moving forward

September 17th, 2020
North Saanich, B.C.

Brayden Evans was a goaltender playing Junior Hockey in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta and decided that in his last year of eligibility he would like to have an adventure.  The 20-year-old stopper decided to make the move to the Greater Victoria area and the 'Cats' were quick to pounce on the opportunity to add the veteran.

"We lost Connor McKillop at the end of last season and so we were in the market looking for a veteran who could come in and give us a chance to win every night," quipped GM Pete Zubersky.

"Brayden surfaced and we quickly jumped to add him," continued Zubersky.  "We will be going with three goaltenders this season and all three will be able to earn minutes.  I am pretty sure that Brad (Tippett) will be giving Evans the first shot between the pipes when we open against Victoria in a couple of weeks.  He looks good in practice and he is getting settled in here and starting to feel a bit more comfortable with each passing day.  He will be jumping right into the fire and I think that will be a good measuring stick of what type of Goaltender he is.  I know he is excited to get going."

Evans has already found a job working for a company here in Victoria but his real love and the reason he is here is for the game.

"When I walked into the dressing room for the first time with these guys it felt like I’d been playing with them my whole life. They are easily the most welcoming group of guys I’ve played with in my hockey career and that will help a lot with my performance with the team.  I expect us to grow and learn from each other and make each other better so that we are able to achieve our team and personal goals. Everyone in the room, whether a first-year rookie or a 20-year-old vet, we all know the only goal at the end of the year is to win a championship and no one will settle for anything less.  Having the first few official practices under our feet, I see how skilled our whole group is and how committed and determined our veterans are.  Having such a tightly knit team is going to be key for us to accomplish the goals we have set for the year and to send off our veterans with a championship title."

Head Coach Brad Tippett on Evans:

"Brayden contacted us late last season about his possible relocation to Victoria and joining the Panthers. We knew our goaltending shelf in the cupboard was bare so we began our due diligence. I spoke with his coach and some Alberta based contacts and heard positive things. We finalized the transfer in August.  He is composed in the crease and positioning is good. He plays the puck well and seems to be getting comfortable with communicating with our defence. He also is a lefty which presents a bit of a change for opposition shooters. I know he is impressed with the caliber of the league.  With the VIJHL having no exhibition games due to Covid19 and seeing the Cougars first up will be a baptism under fire."