A good week off the ice continues for Vernon Vipers forward Shea Busch.
A day after landing on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's Preliminary Players to Watch list, Busch was named the B.C. Hockey League's Napa Auto Parts Third Star of the Week.
Busch totalled six points in three games last week after piling up four goals and two assists.
He finished off his BCHL Showcase experience with a career-best performance, notching his first hat trick in the league and adding an assist for a four-point outing in a 6-4 win over the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
In Vernon’s next game on Saturday night in Cranbrook, he registered another multi-point performance, this time with a goal and an assist, in their 5-2 victory over the Bucks.
Busch was then held off the scoresheet on Saturday in a 4-3 road defeat at the hands of the Okotoks Oilers.
He is the Vipers' leading scorer this year with 11 points in 11 games on a team-high seven goals and four assists, and has committed to Penn State's men's college hockey program.
The First Star of the Week is Cowichan Valley Capitals forward Darius Bachler, who had five goals in three Caps' wins, leading all BCHL scorers over the week, and has scored in five straight games.
Second Star is Salmon Arm Silverbacks goalie Ryan Grout. He won both of his starts last week, stopping 46 of the 47 shots he faced to post a .979 save percentage, a 0.50 goals-against average and one shutout.
Busch and defenceman teammate Cooper Cleaves were two of nine league players named to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau list.
Both players were given W rankings, meaning they are potential sixth or seventh round picks for the 2025 NHL Draft.
Cleaves has six assists in 11 games, tops among Vernon defenceman for points.
The Vipers (3-7-1-0) occupy the basement of the five-team Interior West Division, and wrap up a four-game road swing with visits to the top-two teams in the division.
Vernon takes on second-place Salmon Arm (8-2-1-0) at the Rogers Rink Friday, Oct. 25, then head south Saturday, Oct. 26, to face the Vees (9-2-0-0) in Penticton at the South Okanagan Event Centre.
The Vipers' next home game is a mid-week encounter with the Victoria Grizzlies (5-4-1-0) Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. at Kal Tire Place.
