Panthers are going to be running with the Ball

As the Peninsula Panthers make ready to travel to Archie Browning Arena tomorrow evening to take on the Victoria Cougars, the Club had other irons in the fire.  The team had added Alex Milligan and Tylor Branzsen on January 8th and it appears as though they have added another bullet up front.  Yes the Panthers are hoping to run with the Ball in the playoffs.  After numerous conversations with 18-year-old Rylan Ball over the past two weeks, the product from Powell River has agreed to join the Panthers and is expected to be in town next Monday and at practice on Tuesday evening.

Ball can play both defence and forward however, the Panthers have him slotted in to be up front and playing in the top 6.  Ball formally toiled with the Comox Valley Glacier Kings last season before joining the Cowichan Capitals of the BCHL for the start of this season.  He was traded to the Trail Smokeeaters of the BCHL however, was at home when the Panthers came calling.

"We are pretty excited to add Rylan," explained Panthers owner Pete Zubersky.  He might be the strongest kid in the VIJHL and has one of the best shots in our League.  I know that Rylan would like to be back in the BCHL for the start of the next season and he sees this as a great opportunity to show that he belongs at the next level.  I plan on doing everything I can to help him get back there."

Zubersky - who is also the General Manager of the BCHL Victoria Grizzlies - explained that the plans for Ball are short term.  "I really want to move this young fellow along at the end of this year.  He sees it as an opportunity to be here but we do as well.  We have a really good squad and I feel we have a lot of depth both up front and on the back end.  It's funny, we have Grayson Vickers and Brett Sjerven playing up front and they are both defencemen.  We moved Adam Page to Kerry Park in the Milligan and Branzsen deal and he was a defenceman playing forward at the time.  We have seven really good defence right now.  Rylan is a defenceman who will be up front and will probably be a staple on our power play.  If this works and we can do some winning in the playoffs, well who knows......maybe next year we go with 20 defencemen."

The Panthers will play next at home on Friday when the visiting Kerry Park Islanders come in for their 3rd visit of the season.  And Rylan Ball will be in the lineup next week when the North Island leading Campbell River Storm blow into town.

Yes the Panthers would like to have a protracted playoff run and they are hoping that Rylan will help carry the Ball.