The Langley Rivermen junior A hockey club have inked a blue-chip prospect for their blue-line with the commitment of Chris Forney.
“We feel Chris is a blue chip prospect and believe that he has the potential to be a great player in the B.C. Hockey League," said Rivermen coach and general manager Bobby Henderson.
"He is a fantastic skater with good vision and a nice skill set and we believe we addressed the Logan Smith departure on the blue line with this commitment."
Forney, who turns 19 in November, is from Thief River, Minn.
Forney weighs in at 6 foot 2, 180 pounds and describes himself as a two-way defenceman among other things,
“I like to take care of my own zone first and foremost, but then again I like to jump up in the play and try and create offense”.
Forney attended the Prospects Camp at the Langley Events Centre earlier this month and his play left a lasting impression on the coaching staff.
Forney admits he does not know a whole lot about the BCHL, but he does have some expectations for himself.
“I hope I can be a consistent contributor each and every night and I will do whatever the coaches ask of me," he said. "My goal is to win a championship in Langley”.
Forney has been watched closely by NHL scouts throughout the season as he is eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft in June. He was listed in the preliminary rankings in November and months later was ranked at 168th among North American skaters when the mid-term rankings were revealed. Final rankings are set to come out later this month.