Eli Vickers, Liam Bordt headline standouts from the 2026 BC Cup
Salmon Arm, B.C. – The BC Cup is an invitational camp that identifies the top 160 players from all regions across the province. Representing your hometown is a big deal for athletes. It fills them with pride. It becomes an ever bigger deal to represent your home province.
There were players from as far north as Fort St. James, players from the heart of the interior in the Kootenays, and many from the Okanagan and Lower Mainland. The Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island also sent their top prospects to compete in one event. The talent level is as high as it gets for this age group. Players arrive with dreams of donning the BC Hockey jersey and representing their communities at the Canada Winter Games in Quebec next February.
Over the course of the weekend, players were afforded one final chance to boost their draft stock in front of a packed house of scouts. Players from lower leagues were able to show how they stacked up against the best players the province has to offer. Some players who were playing depth roles on their club teams were able to break their mould and show out, while others showcased how their game has improved and developed over the course of the season. These twelve players were the ones who had the biggest impact on games. These names are ones to keep note of heading into the WHL draft, and to look out for on the Team BC final roster.
Eli Vickers, LD, Delta Hockey Academy
If you’re looking for the next possession-dominating defenceman, you’ve found him. Eli Vickers controls the game like few others can, using his elite edgework and puck control to calmly and effectively traverse the ice. His skating is top-notch, maintaining perfect balance through all sorts of contact. He’s able to slice through opponents at will, pairing his phenomenal skating with high-end puck skill. The physical tools are elite here, but somehow aren’t his greatest asset. Vickers thinks the game at an incredibly high level. He uses his physical tools to manipulate opponents, and then attacks the open space he’s created. He will deceive opponents with his hands, feet, head, and shoulders to really keep them guessing. His head is always up, scanning for the next great pass, or reading the momentum and positioning of defenders to understand how he needs to attack them to get into a dangerous spot. His shot is also a weapon, allowing him to be a dual threat in the offensive zone.
Vickers is the rare player who can seemingly slow the game down, but before you know it, he’s beaten you and generated a high-danger chance. Defensively, he’s no slouch. His elite physical tools allow him to eliminate opposing chances by rapidly taking away time and space. He does a good job being physical as well, both by hitting and with how he engages his opponents before getting to loose pucks, ensuring he has inside body positioning and can easily win the puck battle. For Vickers, hockey is easy.
Teagan Dernisky, C, Yale Hockey Academy
With pace, playmaking, and a deadly shot, Teagan Dernisky has the physical tools to be an impact player at the next level. He’s a total puck-hound, using his great skating ability to attack opponents constantly. His high puck-skill, shooting, and skating all benefit from his brain, which is the star of his show. He has a wonderful hockey IQ, as shown by how he can decipher his opponents' defensive structure and thread passes through them to create high-danger chances. While carrying the puck, he will constantly scan to understand how to attack. He has the skill to attack players head-on, and pairs that with his skating to explode laterally to escape pressure. He can delay, cut, and spin away from opponents all thanks to his deep knee bend and balance. The trait that elevates him from great to elite is the pace at which he can play. All these great things he does, he does at lightning speed. He keeps that pace up without the puck, turning into a fore-checking demon. Dernisky plays with the tenacity and pace of your favourite fourth-liner, but with the skill and smarts of a star.
Kristian Lima, RW/C, Burnaby Winter Club
Kristian Lima’s improvement from the beginning of the season to now has been awesome to watch. He displayed it all in this camp, starting with the elite shot that he’s possessed since day one. The kid can rip it. His release is incredibly quick, and he launches the puck with accuracy and velocity that can beat goalies clean from distance. He can shoot off either foot and can release it mid-stride. But we already knew that. His game has improved in the playmaking area, reading the play and making smart passes to beat defencemen. He has begun attacking the middle of the ice more, getting into dangerous areas to unleash his shot. He gets there with good puck-skill and an understanding of how to attack against an opponent's momentum. His pre-contact skills have come along, allowing him to win more puck battles before he even gets to the loose puck. Add all this to his large frame and desire to be physical, and you have the makings of a first-round pick.
Liam Bordt, RW/C, Northern Alberta Xtreme
In the second half of the season, Liam Bordt turned up the tempo. With his elite skating, his ability to push the pace became a real problem for opponents, which was no different here. He might be the fastest player in the province, getting deep knee bend and full extension with every stride. He has great edgework to go with it, turning quickly both to take space away from opponents and to create space when he has the puck. His puck-hound mentality made him a problem and had opposing defenders constantly looking over their shoulders. All this is good, but you can’t talk about Bordt and not mention his shot. While his playmaking and puck-handling are both good, his shot is next-level. He can score from seemingly anywhere on the ice, unloading quickly and with power. Bordt was limited to just two games this weekend due to injury, but his place on the team is all but guaranteed. If you want him on your favourite WHL team, you’d better hope they have a high pick.
Gavin Craig, G, Yale Hockey Academy
Gavin Craig was in full control every second he spent manning the crease. His pushes are powerful, but he doesn’t slide out of position. He clearly understands his angles in the crease, positioning himself perfectly to cut them down. He seemed to snap back up every time he went down, preparing himself for the next save. His great skating ability allows him to traverse his crease effectively, making micro-adjustments as needed to remain positioned properly. His skating aids his puck-playing ability, as he gets out to pucks and back quickly. He makes good breakout passes and makes life easier for his defencemen. His hands were solid, tracking effectively. He didn’t need to make any highlight reel saves this weekend, as he wasn't caught out of position. When he’s in the net, there’s a level of calm amongst his team which only happens when they fully trust their netminder. Craig was the most polished goaltender at camp and deserves to be in the crease at the Winter Games.
Theodore Kim, C/RW, Langley Hockey Academy
Coming from a lower level, Theodore Kim had a lot to prove against the province’s best. He has elite edgework and the skill to complement it. He’s nearly impossible to pin to the wall, as he spins and evades opponents. His slippery nature shows all over the ice, as he has the four-way mobility needed to slice through the neutral zone. He can double back quickly and will use any open ice he can find. You can often find him seemingly heading the wrong way up the ice, as he doesn’t care where the open ice is; he’ll find it. His skill showed up in a big way this weekend, making moves to beat defenders one-on-one and executing high-end dekes several times that are rare at this level. He displayed a high level of deception and pre-contact skills to make his playmaking even better. Kim has definitely opened a lot of eyes after this event and proved himself worthy of the Team BC sweater.
Nathan Roberts, RD, Delta Hockey Academy
No one player benefited more from this event than Nathan Roberts. He was allowed to run free and made the most of his freedom. He was always due to get drafted based on his physical skills. His range when defending makes him difficult to beat, and it pairs with his solid skating to defend the rush at a high level. He has always made good breakout passes, so no surprise to see that again, but the new development was the offensive ability he displayed. He became his team's number one play driver, able to wheel the puck out of his own zone and deep into the other end of the ice. He worked several give-and-gos to get around defenders, and would also hold the puck out of danger and just power around them. He looked awesome on the offensive blueline, walking it with confidence and unleashing powerful shots from the point. He knew when to pinch and when to activate offensively down low. The raw production from Roberts was evident, but it was the change in his style to become more of a two-way defender that got attention.
Kenzo Gibson, C, Burnaby Winter Club
Kenzo Gibson is a physical freak. He has incredible power in his lower half, exploding with every step. His acceleration and top speed are both at the top of the scale, which pair with his shot and skill to make him a top prospect in the upcoming draft. The pace at this camp was higher than we saw throughout the season, which played right into Gibson’s wheelhouse. During the year, he would often find himself ahead of the play or attacking alone as his teammates hadn’t caught up yet. But here, his insane pace was perfect. He can put tons of pressure on opposing defencemen, both with the puck and attacking, and without when he’s fore-checking. Putting pressure on them off the rush allowed him to take advantage of his explosive lateral ability, as once his opponents were off balance, he could step to the side and create space for him to unleash his weapon of a shot. Gibson’s floor is incredibly high, as he looks like he could step into WHL hockey as soon as next year.
Ronan Gow, C, Delta Hockey Academy
Take a bow, Ronan Gow. He was electric from game one onwards. He has terrific skill and skating, allowing him to attack open ice and keep the puck out of danger as he flies into the offensive zone. His game has come a long way since the start of the season. He has developed more poise with the puck, no longer jamming the puck into the first option he sees. His engagement level has also ticked up, as he now uses the speed he has in all scenarios. Gow sees the offensive zone well, keeping his head up and scanning to find a good passing option, but also possesses a strong shot to be a dual threat. He flashed elite skill, making several high-end moves to beat defenders and walk right into the heart of the ice. What looked like a toolsy developmental project has turned into a bona fide top prospect. Skill, speed, awareness, physicality… he’s got it all.
Noah Carignan, C/LW, Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
Noah Carignan came into camp fresh off a BCEHL MVP season. While it took a game for him to adjust to the speed of the camp, once he did, he was dynamite. He has a great feel for time and space, knowing when he has to rush a play and when he can slow it down. He reads the ice well, attacking open lanes with both passes and his feet. His good edgework allows him to escape pressure, spinning away from danger and resetting to attack again, but on his terms. He possesses high-end skill, making several highlight reel plays to burn defenders. He plays off both hands of his stick, able to make accurate passes and shoot consistently off his backhand. The skill and skating are just the appetizer of his game, and his brain is the main course. He’s just so smart with the puck. Carignan’s stock is no doubt boosted after his showing in Salmon Arm.
Ryson Barker, RD, Burnaby Winter Club
Ryson Barker can play any role that is asked of him. Need a shutdown defender? Barker’s edgework and defensive awareness can shut down plays before they even get developed, while his in-zone positioning and poise can handle the best cycle game you can throw at him. He kills plays in the neutral zone, and has the ability to step up and lay the heavy hit that you hear your grandfather reminisce on. You need a puck mover? He can do that too, with a combination of simple breakout passes, quick-strike stretch passes, and a good skating and skill combo that allows him to carry the puck out of his own zone. What about offence, you ask? Check. Over the course of the season, he developed a better offensive game that now sees him lead the rush, make high-skill plays, and create high-danger chances with strong passes. He also developed a better sense of when to engage offensively, and scored once when he jumped up to be the trailer off the rush. Barker has the makings of a top-four defenceman at the next level.
Jace Zemanek, G, Delta Hockey Academy
Jace Zemanek’s raw tools are what make him a top prospect. He has incredible power in his pushes and can explode across the crease. His lower half is smooth and strong, recovering quickly once he's down. His skating and edgework are a strength, allowing him to get out on top of his crease and be aggressive. He takes shooting angles away from his opponents with how aggressively he challenges them. He’s also a vocal netminder, commanding traffic and being a huge asset to his teammates. Zemanek’s athleticism and raw power are what set him apart in this WHL draft class, as he should be one of the first goaltenders off the board.
