Kai Daniells' junior hockey career is over, as is the season for his Nanaimo Clippers.
On April 23, the Clippers dropped a 5-0 decision to the Chilliwack Chiefs in game 6 of their British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) second-round playoff matchup. Having already won the first three games of the series at that point, the Chiefs advanced to the Coastal Final against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Daniells lit the lamp five times and added eight helpers in 12 postseason appearances this year. The six-foot-tall, 180-pound forward was fifth in BCHL regular-season scoring (35 goals, 36 assists and 71 points in 54 games), and performed a key role in the Clippers' six-game playoff triumph over the Langley Rivermen in the first round.
Moreover, Daniells stood out at the BCHL's All-Star weekend in late January, captaining Team West in the Top Prospects game and scoring 10 times in the 3-on-3 outdoor tournament.
The Whistler native won't get to hoist a Fred Page Cup after all, but bigger things are ahead. Daniells committed to Princeton University last winter and is looking ahead to his first taste of NCAA Division I hockey with a program that has developed eight NHL players, including All-Star centre Syl Apps Jr.
As for the Clippers, last month's setback against Chilliwack was no doubt an underwhelming result for a team that finished atop the BCHL's Coastal Conference in regular-season standings at 37-14-3.
