One of the newest recruits to the Cowichan Valley Capitals comes with bona fide National Hockey League bloodlines.
Oliver Salo, a 2003-born forward from Kaarina, Finland, is the son of Sami Salo, who played 878 games on defence in the NHL, including 566 on the Vancouver Canucks’ blueline.
The younger Salo has spent the last two seasons playing prep hockey at Rothesay Netherwood School in Rothesay, New Brunswick. He finished the 2021-22 season with 26 goals and 28 assists for a team-best 54 points in 33 games. Only one player on the team had more points than Salo had assists. Salo added two goals and three assists in three playoff games.
“Oliver is a highly skilled winger with great vision and creativity,” Capitals head coach and general manager Brian Passmore said. “Oliver creates plays and provides offence, he reads the play well and anticipates really well. He is talented, has good size and a great shot. Oliver will be a fun player to watch for the 2022-23 Capitals team.”
Salo’s Rothesay Netherwood teammate Brandon Clarke, who finished first on the team with 27 goals and second with 40 points, has also committed to Cowichan for next season, as has Kai Dunits, a 2004-born forward from Ridley College, the same program that produced 2021-22 Capitals standout Luke Haymes. Dunits led Ridley College with 11 goals and 23 points in 2021-22.
Another addition to the list is 2004-born forward Greye Rampton, who had 20 goals and 33 points in 35 games with Yale Hockey Academy last season.
Previously announced commitments to the 2022-23 Capitals include 2003-born forward Andrew Haxton of Noble & Greenough School, 2003-born forward Jacob Ierfino of Portsmouth Abbey School, 2004-born forward Dawson Lukey of Gilmour Academy, and 2004-born defenceman Saxen Robertson of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Jr. Program and Selects Hockey Academy.
