Vancouver, BC - The UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey team is pleased to announce the commitment of two BC products; Greg Fraser, a savvy two-way forward, and Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, a strong stay at home defenceman.
Fraser, from Nanaimo, BC, is currently gearing up for the Western Canada Cup as a member of the BCHL host Nanaimo Clippers. The 6'1, 180 lbs forward racked up 19 goals and 40 assists in 54 regular season games with his hometown Clippers in 2012-13. Prior to that he played four seasons in the WHL with the Prince George Cougars. The 20 year old played in 252 career regular season games in the Western Hockey League, scoring 45 goals and adding another 28 assists for 73 points and 180 penalty minutes.
"I'm very excited about attending UBC and playing for the Thunderbirds," said Greg Fraser. "The legacy from the 2010 Olympics has provided the program with world class facilities both on and off the ice and I look forward to becoming a student athlete."
"Greg is a hard nosed power forward with a scoring touch," said UBC head coat Milan Dragicevic. "He has been a leader on his previous teams and will add grit, toughness, and a willingness to go to the dirty areas to get pucks."
Fraser will be studying Kinesiology.
Vannieuwenhuizen is no stranger to hockey fans in the lower mainland. He was the Vancouver Giants captain in 2012-13, wrapping up four seasons with the WHL club. The Chilliwack, BC native stands 6'3, 208 lbs and played 191 regular season games with the Giants over four seasons, chipping in with five goals and 26 assists for 31 points. He also had 416 career penalty minutes.
"Wes is a big steady tough blueliner that is hard to play against," said Dragicevic. "He was the captain of the Giants and played in all key situations. I like the aggressiveness and leadership that he brings to each game and the fact he is a big body that protects the front of the net and is tough in the corners."
"UBC is the right fit for me because it is a great university with a solid hockey team and is close to my hometown, which should make for a comfortable transition from the WHL to the CIS," said Wes Vannieuwenhuizen.
Vannieuwenhuizen, who turned 21 on April 20, will be reunited with his former Giants teammate and his old defence partner Neil Manning.
"Neil has give me a lot of advice and help during the application process," said Vannieuwenhuizen. "It will definitely be nice to have a familiar face on the team and somebody to show me around campus."
Vannieuwenhuizen will enter the faculty of Arts.
