With a large turnover of players going into this season (see below), the Merritt Centennials organization placed a premium on who it chose as this year’s team captain and assistants. The role of those selected to wear a letter on their jersey was expected to be substantial given the number of new faces in the Cents’ lineup.

The ‘C’ has been awarded to third-year defenceman Malik Kaila, while an ‘A’ will be worn by another third-year player, forward Gavin Gould, as well as second-year man Nick Fidanza and 20-year-old Cents rookie Ryan Forbes.

“Giving Malik a letter was a no-brainer in my estimation,” Cents assistant coach Matt Samson said, “given the length of time he has been with the club, and everything that he contributes to the team.

“Malik represents everything that we’re trying to do here — with his hard work and honest effort every night. He’s a character guy, a team guy who will do whatever it takes to win a hockey game.”

Kaila, 19, hails from Squamish. He played two years of major midget hockey with the Vancouver NW Giants before landing a spot with the Centennials at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

In 90 career BCHL games, Kaila hs scored one goal and added 13 assists for 14 points. He is a rock-solid, stay-at-home defenceman who places a high priority on taking care of his own end of the ice and making the smart play exiting the zone.

Kaila’s season came to an abrupt end last year when he broke his leg in the Cents’ opening-round playoff series against the Vernon Vipers.

“Gavin, being a third-year guy, a leading point-getter last season and leaving for college next year, we just thought that it was a natural progression for him to take on a leadership role,” Samson said. “It’s something he wanted to do, too. It will help him better prepare for college — having that added responsibility.”

Gould, a 19-year-old from North Vancouver, finished second in team scoring for the Centennials last season with 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points in 58 games.

In just nine regular-season games this season, Gould has already scored six goals and picked up another seven assists.

Gould has committed to Michigan Tech beginning in September, 2016.

“Fidanza was a natural selection simply because of his hard work on the ice,” Samson added. “Some-times he’s vocal out there, sometimes he just lets his play do the talking.”

Fidanza, 18, calls Kamloops his hometown. Last year, in his rookie season with the Cents, he scored 10 goals and chipped in with seven assists while playing primarily a shut-down role against other teams’ top players.

“As for Ryan, he wore a letter for Nanaimo last year, and they had a deep run into the playoffs,” Samson said. “He’s a 20-year-old. We picked him up for that experience and leadership. He’s been in the trenches. All the reports on him were that he was a great kid, and does all the little things right.

“We asked Ryan if, coming in late, he was comfortable with wearing a letter, and he definitely said that he was up for it.”

In 152 career games in the BCHL, the native of Kitimat has registered 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists).