A pair of Cowichan Valley-raised hockey players have attracted attention in the Western Hockey League in recent weeks.
Corson Hopwo, a rookie forward with the Medicine Hat Tigers, scored his first career WHL goal on Nov. 4, when he intercepted a pass early in his team’s 5-4 win over the Calgary Hitmen and skated down the ice to beat goalie Jack McNaughton.
Hopwo, 17, has played 13 games with the Tigers this season after spending the last four seasons with the Delta Hockey Academy. He posted 19 goals and 25 assists in 34 games with Delta’s prep team last season.
Goalie Will Gurski was called up to the WHL’s Kootenay Ice from Shawnigan Lake School’s prep team in late October. Although he didn’t see any action, the 16-year-old Gurski got a taste of major junior hockey as he filled the backup role for the Ice.
In six games with the Shawnigan prep team this season, Gurski has four wins, one loss and one tie, a 2.73 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.