The Cowichan Valley Capitals have added another forward to their ranks for the 2014/15 B.C. Hockey League season.
Eighteen-year-old Luke Santerno comes to the Caps after spending 2013/14 with the 100 Mile House Wranglers of the junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, where he was named Rookie of the Year in the Doug Birks Division. In 47 games with the Wranglers, Santerno led the team in goals with 24, points with 45 and powerplay goals with 10. He also chipped in five goals and seven points in eight playoff games.
"Luke is a forward with a great set of hands and good offensive instincts," said Capitals head coach and general manager Bob Beatty. "Luke was coached by former Capitals captain Brendan Hutchinson in midget hockey in Smithers and has a year of junior B under his belt. We like the combination of size and skill that Luke brings and feel he will develop into a top end forward in the BCHL."
A native of Smithers, Santerno checks in at 6-3 and 185 pounds. He is looking forward to the opportunity to make the jump to junior A with the Caps.
"I'm really excited, I'm looking forward to being on the [Capitals] and playing in the [BCHL]," said Santerno. "My coach from midget [Hutchinson] used to play there and he had a bunch of great things to say about the team so we talked about it for a while with my parents and him and decided this was a good choice to make."
Santerno played five BCHL games last season with Merritt, including one in Duncan against the Caps.
"I don't really remember much [about the game] but I remember it was a nice rink with a good atmosphere in it... and I missed on a breakaway, but other than that it was pretty good," he recalled.