Meet Lucas Crescenzo and Nicolas Lee, who will make the jump to the newly promoted Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) in the fall.
The Port Moody Panthers have turned to Burnaby to strengthen their next core of young hockey talent.
Local athletes Lucas Crescenzo and Nicolas Lee both recently signed contracts with the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) franchise for the 2023-24 season.
And the 16-year-olds could also get a taste of potentially faster and more competitive ice hockey.
The PJHL is now at Junior A status with BC Hockey after the provincial athletic association and its stakeholders unanimously approved promotion in July.
Crescenzo and Lee said they look forward to experiencing a different kind of intensity on the ice.
“The chance to play at a higher level of competition is a great opportunity,” said Crescenzo.
“My goal is to challenge myself and contribute positively to the success of the team.”
“I’m really excited to be playing with the Panthers this year because the amazing coaching staff can help me get to the next level,” Lee added.
“Some of the goals I have set for the upcoming season relate to my role as an energy guy. I’m not afraid to go into the corners to get the puck and be physically present.”
Crescenzo, a defenseman, spent last season with the U18 A1 Bulldogs of the Burnaby Minor Hockey Association.
He also has experience in BC’s premier league minor hockey, scoring a goal in the only game he played during the 2021-22 season when he was named to the Vancouver North East Chiefs Under-17 AAA roster.
“I want to keep improving and learning defensive positioning,” he explained, “and using my size and agility to effectively take out strikers and protect our zone.”
Lee, a forward, played 33 games with the Langley Hockey Academy under-18 team of the Junior Prospects Hockey League last year.
One of the youngest players in the division, he had eight points, including three goals.
“My playstyle is a high-energy guy who wants to be both physically active and want to be a goalscorer,” Lee said.
“I can create space for myself as well as for my teammates.”
In the 2021–22 season, Lee scored five goals and 12 points with the Burnaby Winter Club under-16 preparation team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL).
The 2023-24 PJHL season begins September 6.
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