It’s a trade that has so far worked out very well for Tyler Anderson.
Last year, the former Niverville Clippers defenseman registered 3 goals and 8 assists in 48 games with the Kindersley Klippers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), his first season of Junior A hockey. He wouldn’t get a second season with the team, however, as he was traded to the West Kelowna Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in the summer.
So far, Anderson has greatly benefited from the trade. With a record of 19 wins, 13 losses, and 2 overtime losses, the Warriors currently sit third in the Interior Division. Although he only has one assist in those 34 games, the defensive stalwart has been making an impact for the Warriors after a short adjustment period to the Junior A league.
“It was tough at first, just because it was a different league with a new team, new friends, and just everything was different,” Anderson recalled of the transition from the SJHL to the BCHL. “It’s a faster and better league, and I think I’ve adjusted pretty well so far.”
Anderson also had to undergo a large adjustment off the ice, as he was no longer in a small town. With a population of 4,600 people, Kindersley is a similar size to Niverville. West Kelowna, however, is a city of over 30,000 people in the Okanagan Valley, a highly populated urban area. With that said, the change was one Anderson is greatly in favour of.
“I love the Okanagan. I live in Peachland, which is right on the water,” he noted. “I get to wake up and see the lake every morning. Kindersley was a good town too, but it was pretty small. Here we’re in West Kelowna which has Kelowna [metro population 180,000] right next to it, there’s Vernon [population 40,000] just down the road, and other big cities. You meet a lot of people and it has a big impact.”
After arriving in West Kelowna in August, Anderson immediately fell in love with the region. While he had been to B.C. before, it was his first time experiencing the Okanagan. He noted the valley is quite beautiful, particularly in winter. He joked the coldest winter day is like a spring day back in Manitoba. He also credits his billet family for helping him make the adjustment to life halfway across the continent. Their continuous support of him has been a great factor in helping him settle in.
The trade has not only gone well for Anderson off the ice, but also on it. He has nothing but positive things to say about the Warriors organization, particularly the coaching staff, whom he noted has helped him elevate his game.
“Definitely speed for sure,” Anderson said, describing how he has improved as a player since coming to B.C. “I’ve turned more into a leader for this season I think. I’m a veteran guy and hopefully I’ve helped the young guys mature.”
With one year of Junior eligibility remaining, Anderson would ideally love to earn a scholarship to an NCAA school to not only continue playing hockey at a high level, but also begin working on his post-secondary education. If that doesn’t work out, he would like to play for a CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) school such as the University of Manitoba.
Those goals are still 2 years down the road, however. For now, Anderson is focusing on one thing: helping the West Kelowna Warriors win as many games as possible.
