Beaver Valley Nitehawks


The Beaver Valley Nitehawks are a junior 'B' ice hockey team based in Fruitvale, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Neil Murdoch Division of the Kootenay Conference of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. The Nitehawks play their home games at Beaver Valley Arena. Stephen Piccolo is the team's president and Terry Jones is the general manager and coach. They are currently co-captained by forward Morgan Peace and Angus Amadio
The Nitehawks joined the league in 1981 as an expansion team. In its KIJHL history the team has won the Keystone Cup once in 2014; the Cyclone Taylor Cup four times, in 1997, 2001, 2014 and 2017; and have won the KIJHL Championship eight times, in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2014 and 2017. They won nine division playoff titles as a member of the Neil Murdoch Division from 1996-2014; one conference playoff title as a member of the Kootenay Conference from 2007-2014.
The Nitehawks have retired four players' jerseys in their team history—Rocky Dickson, Barrett Jackman, Adam Deadmarsh and Sam Swanson.

Team history

1979-1981: KIJHL application

The idea of starting a junior hockey team in Fruitvale was born when Shirley Levesque, manager of the Beaver Valley Midgets, and Darrell Dickson, their coach, hosted a Beaver Valley Minor Hockey Tournament. During this tournament they noticed people from the valley, who had never before been inside the 10-year-old building, coming to games at six in the morning to watch the young talent. This was a good indication that there were many local hockey fans just waiting for some exciting and entertaining hockey; Darrell suggested to Shirley that they start a junior team, and the work began.
First they had to convince the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League that there were enough young hockey players in the area to man another junior team. This was not an easy task, as many KIJHL teams at the time were situated within a half-hour of Fruitvale, and a new team might cause them to lose players they had counted on—but on the other hand it was also appealing to them: they knew that great rivalries would begin, bringing new fans to their arenas. Since BVMH was one of the strongest minor hockey programs around at the time, it seemed fitting they should have their own junior team to go with it.
Once the KIJHL accepted, an executive was formed consisting of Darrell Dickson, Shirley Levesque, Roy Taylor, Noel Smith and Stuart McPhee. There was a contest to choose the name, and when Robbie Taylor of Fruitvale suggested Nitehawks the executive knew they had a winner. Kim Campbell of Trail designed the hawk for the jersey crest, the first coaches were Tom Gawryletz and Murry Price, Darrell Dickson was the manager, and the trainers were Barry Marshall and Leo Campeau.

1981–82

The 1981-82 KIJHL season saw the first Beaver Valley Nitehawks hit the ice, led by captain Tyler Bolduc. The first year was very successful: the team went into a wild playoff with the Trail Smoke Eaters, and additional bleachers had to be brought into the arena for these exciting games. The Nitehawks were up two games to none, but when Trail came back to win the series they set the tempo of rivalry for years to come.

1982-present

Over the next three decades the Nitehawks won their division championship nine times, the KIJHL championship five times, and two provincial championships for the Cyclone Taylor Cup. When they won the Cup in 2001, their playoff win-loss record was a perfect 16-0.
Entering the 2013-14 KIJHL Playoffs, the Nitehawks have made nineteen consecutive playoff appearances since the 1995-96 season; winning six-out-of-nine KIJHL Championships and winning one-out-of-four Cyclone Taylor Cups in that span.
They set a record in junior hockey for the longest winning streak, which started in the 1997 season and ended in the 1998 season after 39 straight wins. Many players receive scholarships and continue on to play college hockey but, of course, the pride of Fruitvale and the Nitehawks is Adam Deadmarsh, who not only won the World Cup of Hockey with Team USA but also brought the coveted Stanley Cup home to the Beaver Valley Arena in 1996. Other players drafted by the NHL teams were Ed Cristofoli from the 1983 team, Neil Eisenhut from the 1985 team, and Barrett Jackman from the 1997 team.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, D = Defaults, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Final records as of February 18, 2018.
SeasonGPWLTDOTLPtsGFGAFinishPlayoffs
1981-824219230――382112704th, WestLost to Trail
1982-834221201――432352322nd, West
1983-844025141――512372192nd, West
1984-854013270――262042556th, West
1985-864012280――242012885th, West
1986-87424380――81573834th, West
1987-884215270――302052304th, West
1988-894524210――482052233rd, West
1989-904016240――321692206th, West
1990-914024160――482091633rd, West
1991-923821143――452001912nd, West
1992-934216260――322263065th, West
1993-944018211――372062623rd, WestLost to Nelson
1994-95441428――2321722035th, West
1995-964214271――291592284th, WestLost to Castlegar
1996-974126114――541931471st, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions
Cyclone Taylor Cup Champions
1997-985029183――612282041st, Neil Murdoch
1998-995037112――762191391st, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions
1999-004630133――632871742nd, Neil MurdochLost in Division Finals
2000-01584573―3963381801st, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions, 4-0
Cyclone Taylor Cup Champions
2001-02503793―1782661381st, Neil MurdochLost in Finals, 1-3
2002-03504271―0852691181st, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions, 3-0
2003-04503992―0802391331st, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions, 1-0
2004-055035103―2752551431st, Neil MurdochLost in Finals, 1-4
2005-065035103―2752631591st, Neil MurdochLost in Finals, 1-4
2006-07523514――3732291622nd, Neil MurdochLost in Division Finals, 2-4
2007-08523212――8722111752nd, Neil Murdoch: WestLost in Conference Finals, 2-4
2008-09522616――6581821703rd, Neil MurdochLost in Division Semifinals, 2-4
2009-105023221―4512022034th, Neil MurdochLost in Division Semifinals, 3–4
2010-115032131―4692021702nd, Neil MurdochLost in Division Finals, 1-4
2011-12524270―3873231541st, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions, 4-0
2012-135233153―1702281602nd, Neil MurdochLost in Division Finals, 3-4
2013-145238101―3802291432nd, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions, 4-2
Cyclone Taylor Cup Champions
Keystone Cup Champions
2014-15523512104752081521st, Neil MurdochLost in Conference Finals, 1-4
2015-16523411403752241501st, Neil MurdochLost in Conference Finals, 1-4
2016-1747385103802181051st, Neil MurdochKIJHL Champions, 3-0
Cyclone Taylor Cup Champions
2017-18472715203591701273rd, Neil MurdochLost in Div Semifinal 3-4
2018-19492717302591871533rd of 5, Neil Murdoch
6th of 20 KIJHL		Lost Div Final 1-4

Playoffs

Season1st Round2nd Round3rd RoundFinals
1999–00W, 4-3, OsoyoosL, Nelson——
2000–01W, 4-0, NelsonW, 4-0, Osoyoos—W, 4-0, Revelstoke
2001–02W, 4-0, SpokaneW, 4-1, CastlegarW, 3-0, Columbia ValleyL, 1-3, Sicamous
2002–03W, 4-1, CastlegarW, 4-3, NelsonW, 3-0, KimberleyW, 3-0, Sicamous
2003–04W, 4-0, CastlegarW, 4-0, SpokaneW, 2-1, Round-robinW, 1-0, Osoyoos
2004–05W, 4-0, NelsonW, 4-1, CastlegarW, 3-0, KimberleyL, 1-4, Osoyoos
2005–06W, 4-0, SpokaneW, 4-0, NelsonW, 3-0, FernieL, 1-4, Sicamous
2006–07W, 4-3, CastlegarL, 2-4, Nelson——
2007–08W, 3-0, CastlegarW, 4-3, NelsonL, 2-4, Fernie—
2008–09L, 2-4, Castlegar——―
2009–10L, 3-4, Nelson―――
2010-11W, 4-3, NelsonL, 1-4, Castlegar——
2011-12W, 4-1, SpokaneW, 4-3, CastlegarW, 4-1, FernieW, 4-0, Kelowna
2012-13W, 4-2, NelsonL, 3-4 Castlegar——
2013–14W, 4-0 CastlegarW, 4-2, NelsonW, 4-1, Creston ValleyW 4-2, Kamloops
2014-15W, 4-1, NelsonW, 4-0, CastlegarL, 1-4, Kimberley—
2015–16W, 4-0, NelsonW, 4-1, Grand ForksL, 1-4, Kimberley―
2016–17W, 4-0, Grand ForksW, 4-0, NelsonW, 3-2, KimberleyW, 3-0, Chase
2017-18L, 3-4, Castlegar———
2018-19W, 4-0, Grand ForksW, 4-2, NelsonL, 1-4, Kimberley—

[Cyclone Taylor Cup]

YearFinalsSemifinals
2001W, Campbell RiverW, 2-0, Delta
2003—L, 0-2, Campbell River

Keystone Cup history

Western Canadian Jr. B Championships
Six teams in round robin play. 1st vs 2nd for gold/silver; 3rd vs 4th for bronze.
YearRound RobinRecordStandingBronze Medal GameGold Medal Game
2001L, Ridge Meadows 3-7
T, Assiniboia 1-1
W, Edmonton 5-3
W, St. Malo 10-4
W, Westfort 7-0		3-1-13rd of 6W, Edmonton 5-3
Bronze Medalist		tbd
2014W, Abbotsford 10-2
W, Saskatoon 5-1
W, Blackfalds 5-1
W, Selkirk 3-0
W, Thunder Bay 4-0		5-0-01st of 6n/aW, Abbotsford 5-1
Keystone Champions
2017T, Wainwright 3-3
W, Arborg 9-1
W, Nipigon 10-2
W, Regina 6-1
W, Peguis 8-2		4-0-11st of 6n/aOT LOst, 3-4 Wainwright
Silver Medalist

NHL alumni

Awards and trophies

Cyclone Taylor Cup
Keystone Cup
KIJHL Championship
2016-17
Coach of the Year
Most Sportsmanlike
Most Valuable Player
Rookie of the Year
Top Goaltender
Top Scorer