Saints announce veteran blueliner Tanner Lenting to bolster roster of current BCIHL champs
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Selkirk Saints are not planning to make it a one-and-done year at the top of the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League.
The current BCIHL champs continue to add to the best team in 2012-13 by announcing a playing commitment from defenceman Tanner Lenting of Richmond to attend Selkirk College beginning in the 2013/14 BCIHL season.
Lenting has spent the past two seasons with the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s North Delta Devils, where he earned a reputation as one of the league’s top defencemen.
He picked up five goals and 27 points in 43 games during the 2012/13 campaign to lead all Devils’ blueliners and served as the team’s captain. In 83 career PJHL games, Lenting totaled 13 goals, 54 points and 70 penalty minutes.
“Tanner is a smart and reliable blueliner with good size who also has the skill to contribute on offense and on the power-play,” sids Saints head coach Jeff Dubois.
“He was a leader and a key player in North Delta this season, and he’s also been gaining some great experience with the Surrey Eagles during their very successful playoff run. He brings all the ingredients to be a successful athlete at the college level.”
The 20-year old also picked up one assist in four games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles during the 2012/13 regular season, and made nine more appearances during the team’s postseason run that ended with a Fred Page Cup championship series win over the Penticton Vees.
He is currently rostered with the Eagles as they represent the BCHL at the Western Canadian Cup in Nanaimo.
Lenting will join a number of fellow Saints recruits in Selkirk’s Business Administration program.
“I chose Selkirk College based on their winning hockey program and from having heard nothing but good things about the experience from my friends on the team,” said Lenting, who describes himself as a solid stay-at-home defenseman who makes a good first pass.
“I’m looking forward to helping the Saints’ capture another BCIHL championship while also continuing to improve my own game.”
Lenting is the fourth defenceman and ninth player overall to commit to the Saints for the 2013/14 season. He joins forwards Darnell Dyck (Langley, BCHL), Markus McCrea (Youngstown, USHL) and Garrett Kucher (Osoyoos, KIJHL), blueliners Stefan Gonzales (Aldergrove, PJHL), Arie Postmus (Beaver Valley, KIJHL) and Ryan Procyshyn (Delta, PJHL) and goaltenders Myles Hovdebo (LaRonge, SJHL) and Marcus Beesley (Nelson, KIJHL).
