VANCOUVER – The defending Canada West Champion UBC Thunderbirds are adding a pair of proven, high calibre defencemen for the coming fall in what will be a significant boost to their blue line for years to come.
Former Tri-City Americans captain Alex Serraglio and NCAA transfer Nick Ardanaz will both don the blue and gold come September as the T-Birds begin their conference title defence, and a run at yet another berth at the University Cup.
For a program that lost a pair of veteran defenceman to graduation this past spring in
Jonathan Smart and
Ryan Pouliot, Serraglio and Ardanaz have big shoes to fill, but both seem poised to fit in tremendously with a veteran group that has further championship aspirations.
Spending his last season with Tri-City as captain, Serraglio completed his three year WHL career with a combined 55 points in 209 regular season games, all with the Americans. At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, the Langley, B.C. native brings some size and physicality along with the always coveted high hockey IQ, and the ability to chip in on offence.
"I think my whole junior career was based on my work ethic and compete level. I think every time I come to the rink I bring that with me and it's something I hang my pride on," Serraglio said. "I'm a big, physical defenceman who defends hard and I'm excited to bring that to the team this year."
Having played with current T-Birds
Sasha Mutala and
Sam Huo during his rookie WHL season, Serraglio is thrilled to be reunited with his former teammates at UBC.
"Sasha and Sam were big in welcoming me to the WHL, they were there when I first got to Tri and I played a couple seasons with them and they both played a big part in getting me comfortable in the locker room, with the league and how everything worked," Serraglio added. "They're some of my best friends from my junior career so I can't be more excited to get to play with them again."
From a coaching perspective, Serraglio brings the prefect combination of on and off-ice attributes which will continue to build on UBC's ever-growing list of leaders.
"I think he's going to fit in great. He's another mature, smart individual that can play hockey the right way," said UBC head coach Sven Butenshon who heads into his ninth season at the helm. "When we watched him this year we saw a tall, rangy defenceman which is an area that we can definitely improve at. He adds that maturity of a WHL veteran on the backend, but mostly he's just a high quality human being that we're really starting to look for at UBC. We're confident in the culture and the skill development aspect of things that when you get a great human being, the rest kind of takes care of itself, and that's what we see with Alex."
Ardanaz heads to Point Grey already with two years of collegiate experience under his belt having played with the RPI Engineers of the ECAC. Prior to beginning his NCAA career, the Surrey product spent three seasons with the BCHL's West Kelowna Warriors where he amassed 77 points in 131 games along with another five points in 19 playoff appearances.
"I'm a puck moving defenceman and a strong skater, those are kind of the centrepieces of my game," said the 5-foot-10, 180 pound blueliner. "I try to contribute on the offensive side as much as I can and be there on the defensive side as well."
"Watching him on video, getting the scouting reports, talking to people, we're getting an impact player immediately," said Butenschon of what he's adding in Ardanaz. "He comes from that NCAA environment where you're training and preparing every day to play the Bostons and the Michigans and Wisconsins and those teams, so you're getting a guy who has been in that setting for two years and you can see it in his details and skills and habits which are phenomenal. He's another high, high character human. It's just awesome to continue to fill that dressing room with guys like that."
While he enjoyed his time in New York state, Ardanaz was ready for a change and he expects his collegiate experience will be a big benefit to T-Birds dressing room.
"I had a great experience down there, I met some great friends, great teammates but I felt I wanted a different opportunity hockey wise," Ardanaz said. "I think UBC was a no-brainer for me being a Vancouver guy and growing up seeing UBC; not only the success they've had sports wise but academically too which has always been paramount for me. My parents have made a lot of sacrifices for me throughout my career and to be able to have them come out a short 30 minute drive to come watch me play is pretty cool. I think it'll be nice to see some familiar faces in the crowd and not only my parents but my grandparents, aunts and uncles, I'm definitely fortunate there and I'm super excited."
Serraglio and Ardanaz join forward Carson Latimer as confirmed recruits ahead of the 2024-25 Canada West season which gets underway in early October.
