Dane Gibson signed by Cowichan Capitals of BCHL

18-year-old Dane Gibson walked into the Powell River Kings Camp in the first week of September feeling that he had a good shot at making the jump to the BCHL.  It took a week or so before the young power forward was released back to the Peninsula Panthers of the VIJHL, and for the first several weeks of the Panthers regular season things did not seem to click for Gibson.  "I could sense that he was frustrated," explained Pete Zubersky.  "The kid has the size, the strength and all the talent to play Junior "A" and it took the wind out of his sails just a bit for two or three weeks."

But in the last month of the season Gibson not only began to put up points on the board and lead the Club to several key victories, but he also was easily the best Panthers player over that period.  And it was about a month ago that the Cowichan Capitals Head Coach and General Manager Jim Ingram began to show some interest in Gibson.  The Caps Organization scouted him at a Panthers 4-2 win in Nanaimo in early October and then dressed Gibson in three Capitals games last month.  Ingram also was at a game in Saanich against the Braves in which the Panthers lost 3-2 in a shootout.  And earlier today, Ingram contacted Panthers Head Coach Rob Armstrong to let him know that the Capitals were ready to pull the trigger on a deal for Gibson.

"I am thrilled for Dane," said Zubersky.  "Yes we lose a top-end forward but these kind of days are the ones that I look most forward to.  I hope that Dane gets up there and kicks the door wide open.  He is good enough that he can move to the next level and get some type of NCAA scholarship opportunities.  This is exactly what our program is about, taking the best young kids, helping them to develop at this level and then getting them out of here and onto the next level.  I watch our coaching staff teaching and running practice and they have to be close to the top of the food chain at the fundamentals of the game.  Congrats to Dane from the Peninsula Panthers Hockey Club!"

Gibson will have one final skate this evening with the Club and will then travel to Cowichan on Thursday where he will be placed in a billet home.  He will have at least one practice before playing Saturday evening as a member of the Cowichan Capitals.

Zubersky had one final comment, "We have another 10 guys who are close or should be playing in Junior A next season.   We have been back at this for less than a year after taking over in December last season and the word is clearly starting to get out.  Dane moving to the next level will help spotlight the program and ultimately the players on our team and I have no doubt good things are on the horizan for many of them."

In other Panthers news, 16-year-old Nathan Looysen, who was recently signed by the Panthers, was added to the Kamloops Blazers 50-man protected list today.  The Blazers will be watching Looysen's development closely and with interest.