Whistler is known for producing skiers, snowboarders and mountain bikers (including Olympians) at a robust clip. It’s also one of the few places in Canada where hockey isn’t a primary factor on the local athletic scene. No NHL players have been born in the town in its short history, but that didn’t stop Kai Daniells from discovering his passion early in life.
Now 19 years of age, with a decorated junior career in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) on his resume, the Whistler kid is Ivy League bound.
On Dec. 15, the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers announced that Daniells has committed to Princeton University. The six-foot-tall, 180-pound forward will join the Tigers for the 2023-24 season. The NCAA Division I men’s hockey program at Princeton has produced eight NHLers, including former All-Star Syl Apps Jr., checking centre Jeff Halpern, journeyman defender Taylor Fedun and goalie Mike Condon. Hockey Hall of Famer and First World War veteran Hobey Baker also called Princeton his alma mater.
Daniells felt that the prospect of an Ivy League education and a campus visit in early December helped Princeton distinguish itself from other schools he was considering.
“The [campus tour] was awesome. Everyone was super nice, and they really, really sold the place,” he said. “Between that and the education, it was too good to turn down.”
“[Kai] came to Nanaimo a couple of years ago and earned everything he got the old-fashioned way,” remarked head coach Colin Birkas in a statement on the Clippers website. “His hard work and loyalty come to mind when I think of his off-ice traits. We all see his clutch ability and high-end skill set on the ice. Very happy for both Kai and his great family.”
Describing himself as a two-way centre who looks to create offense with his passing and playmaking skills, Daniells has notched a very respectable 39 goals and 84 points in 100 career games with Nanaimo. He was named the BCHL’s Third Star of the Month in November, and should turn out to be a very solid acquisition for Princeton. Not bad for a young man born in a ski town.
‘Just playing a game’
Daniells doesn’t credit the Whistler Minor Hockey Association for helping him discover the sport. Instead, he thinks back to long days spent on rinks and frozen ponds playing shinny with his father and friends. The opportunity to just have fun and connect with his buddies over a shared hobby is what got him going.
“It was just being out there having fun without any worries, and just playing a game that we all ended up falling in love with,” Daniells reminisced.
That said, it quickly became obvious how good he was at the game he loved. In order to maximize his athletic trajectory, Daniells headed to the Lower Mainland to attend the Delta Hockey Academy. 2016 to 2020 were “probably the best four years of [his] life” as he spent time with dozens of like-minded teammates. They played hockey and attended school together, bonding on lengthy road trips as they journeyed around playing high-level opponents across Western Canada.
Daniells’ hockey skills grew by leaps and bounds under the tutelage of respectable coaches, including Shane Kuss, the BCHL’s all-time leading scorer. Active with the Surrey Eagles from 1993 to 1997, Kuss registered 418 points in 238 regular season games and wrapped up his junior career with a Fred Page Cup championship. He was coaching Delta’s bantam team during Daniells’ second season at the academy.
“The biggest thing he taught me was probably his goal-scoring,” Daniells said of Kuss. “Little ways to score around the net, how to position your stick and be in the right place at the right time. [He also taught me] how to carry myself off the ice.”
Those lessons proved vital when Daniells entered the BCHL as a 17-year-old in 2020—right when a global pandemic froze the entire sporting world. He, like all other athletes, needed to find unorthodox ways to train and stay motivated during the worst of the lockdowns, an ordeal he believes made him stronger and wiser.
“It was definitely a tough start,” Daniells admitted. “I was probably one of the youngest players in the league coming in there at 17, so the whole year is kind of a learning experience. It wasn’t the best, to be honest, but I’m really happy I went through it and got it over with, because I think it really helped me down the road.”
Hey now, you’re an All-Star
The Whistler native emerged as a top-line forward for Nanaimo in 2021-22. He was third in club scoring with 22 goals, while only three teammates bested his statistical output of 42 points in 54 games. The Clippers entered the BCHL playoffs that year as a No. 3 seed in the Coastal Conference and swept their first three postseason opponents with 12 straight wins before the Penticton Vees bested them in four games in the league final.
There’s one major item left on Daniells’ wish list before he departs for Princeton next September: a Fred Page Cup win with his Clippers brotherhood in honour of the teammates who aged out of junior hockey last season. As of Dec. 30, Nanaimo leads the Coastal Conference with a 23-4-1 record and should be a lock for the playoffs. Only the Vees are ranked higher, at 27-2-0, and this year’s BCHL postseason final could see a rematch between the two clubs.
Daniells has also had a banner year individually, leading the Clippers with 16 goals and 37 points through 28 games. He was one of 18 skaters initially named to the BCHL’s annual three-on-three outdoor All-Star Tournament on Jan. 21 in Penticton, while his teammate Ethan Mistry was also chosen for the event through a fan vote.
“It’s going to be super cool playing outdoors with all the best players in the league,” Daniells said. “It’s an honour, a chance to have fun and kind of mess around and show off your skill with some of the best.”
As he prepares to move on to the biggest hockey stage of his life, the Clippers forward hopes to have shown at least a few young Whistlerites that they need not limit their athletic pursuits to skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking (as amazing as those sports are). Grateful for the position he’s in, Daniells now looks ahead to a potential-filled future.
