LANGLEY, B.C. – Friday, January 10th marked the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s trade deadline, and the Langley Trappers were busy up until the final moments of the deadline shoring up their roster for the stretch drive towards the postseason.
The first domino in the set was a trade with the White Rock Whalers of the Tom Shaw Conference, from whom the Trappers acquired forward Maxwell Kovach in return for defenceman Isaac Zed. Kovach, a 2005-born forward from Cloverdale, made his team and Trapphouse debuts on January 8th against the North Vancouver Wolf Pack, while Zed, a 2006-born defender from Delta, stepped directly into the lineup for White Rock the night before, on January 7th versus the Delta Ice Hawks.
Bolstering the blue line is the first of two free agent acquisitions, with Kieran Lige stepping into the lineup on January 8th at home versus the North Vancouver Wolf Pack. Lige, a 2005-born defenceman hailing from Maple Ridge, had previously suited up for the Ridge Meadows Flames and White Rock Whalers.
The Trappers arranged a deal with the Grandview Steelers that saw Ritchie Riumin head off to continue his PJHL tenure in Burnaby. Riumin, a 2006-born forward from Coquitlam, amassed 57 regular season games and two playoff matches with the Trappers over the previous two seasons, notching 13 goals and 10 assists. He also appeared in four games with the Port Moody Panthers as an affiliate in 2022-23.
The next move was a deal made with the Aldergrove Kodiaks to bring in Bergen George in return for a player development fee. George, a Langley-born-and-raised defenceman, is a PJHL veteran, appearing in 130 games with the Mission City Outlaws, North Vancouver Wolf Pack, and Aldergrove Kodiaks alongside four playoff contests with Mission.
Cole Perry, a Cloverdale product, signed with the Trappers following a stint with the Ridge Meadows Flames in the 2022-23 campaign. He is the second free agent signing of a 2005-born defender with experience in the Ridge Meadows Flames system.
The next deal made was a veritable blockbuster, with the Trappers and Flames linking up for a major trade. The Trappers acquired forward Dalton Toma and defenceman James Campbell in exchange for forward Matteo Appezzato and defenceman Justin Sumners.
Toma, born in 2007 from Langley, posted eight goals and 11 assists in his rookie season with Ridge Meadows, appearing also in the 2024 BCHC Top Prospects Game. Last season, Toma appeared in four games as an affiliate with the Surrey Knights, notching a goal and an assist.
Campbell, born 2006 in Langley and raised in the Ridge Meadows Rustlers catchment, was in his first full season with the Flames following one appearance as an affiliate last season while a member of Burnaby Winter Club.
Appezzato, 2007-born from Langley, ends his Trappers tenure with 79 games played, 20 goals, and 21 assists for 41 points, along with three playoff appearances.
Sumners, the outgoing Trappers captain, was the elder statesman of the Langley squad, born in 2004. He appeared in 125 Trappers games, celebrating his century-club milestone earlier in the year, amassing 12 goals, 47 assists for 59 points. Sumners has played in 10 BCHL games, dressing for the Coquitlam Express and Langley Rivermen over parts of two seasons. He was named, as a Trapper, to the PJHL’s 2025 All-Star Game in Port Coquitlam, appearing following the trade and assuming captain’s duties for the Harold Brittain Conference All-Stars.
The next piece of the overall puzzle comes with the Trappers trading Wesley Rowley to the Surrey Knights for a player development fee. Rowley, a 2006-born forward from Surrey, was acquired earlier in the season from the Aldergrove Kodiaks. Appearing in 14 contests with Langley, he earned two goals and two assists to double up on his existing totals when including stats from Aldergrove and White Rock.
The final deal to crystallize the Trappers’ new-look squad was made with the Richmond Sockeyes, with Langley bringing in goaltender Armaan Kaila in exchange for forward Jordan Kirbyson.
Kaila, a 2007-born netminder from Delta, comes from a crowded Richmond crease. Acquired initially by Richmond from Delta, Kaila has racked up four wins in seven games with the Sockeyes, all of them as the starting goalie. Last season, Kaila made three appearances with the Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans.
Kirbyson, a 2006-born Langley-based forward, joins the Sockeyes with 39 games of experience, putting up five goals and three assists in his time as a Trapper.
Jake Torget, a 2006-born goaltender from Langley, sought new opportunities and heads to the Niverville Nighthawks of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
IN
• #8, Maxwell Kovach (’05 Forward from Cloverdale) from White Rock Whalers (PJHL)
• #25, Kieran Lige (’05 Defenceman from Maple Ridge), signed as free agent
• #2, Bergen George (’04 Defenceman from Langley) from Aldergrove Kodiaks (PJHL)
• #6, Cole Perry (’05 Defenceman from Cloverdale), signed as free agent
• #11, Dalton Toma (’07 Forward from Langley) from Ridge Meadows Flames (PJHL)
• #9, James Campbell (’06 Defenceman from Langley) from Ridge Meadows Flames (PJHL)
• #1, Armaan Kaila (’07 Goaltender from Delta) from Richmond Sockeyes (PJHL)
OUT
• #2, Isaac Zed (’06 Defenceman from Delta) to White Rock Whalers (PJHL)
• #8, Ritchie Riumin (’06 Forward from Coquitlam) to Grandview Steelers (PJHL)
• #7, Justin Sumners (’04 Defenceman from Aldergrove) to Ridge Meadows Flames (PJHL)
• #11, Matteo Appezzato (’07 Forward from Langley) to Ridge Meadows Flames (PJHL)
• #24, Wesley Rowley (’06 Forward from Surrey) to Surrey Knights (PJHL)
• #9, Jordan Kirbyson (’06 Forward from Langley) to Richmond Sockeyes (PJHL)
• #1, Jake Torget (’06 Goaltender from Langley) to Niverville Nighthawks (MJHL)