Surrey, B.C. – The Surrey Eagles are happy to announce forward Holden Katzalay (00) has committed to the team for the 2020-21 British Columbia Hockey League Season. The 20 year old forward will return to the team after playing the last half of the year with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League.
Katzalay started last season with the Eagles, and was one of the best players in the BCHL during his 28 games. Katzalay was 2nd in the league with 16 goals at the time of his departure, and had 33 points in his 28 game stint before earning a spot with the Giants. In the WHL, Katzalay scored 6 goals and 16 points in 39 games, but scored all of his points in the last 30 games of the season. Holden is 6’4, weighs 192 pounds and is a right handed shot.
For Holden, he’ll finish his junior hockey career surrounded with familiar faces and a team which is poised to take a run at the Fred Page Cup Championship. When asked about returning, Holden replied, “I’m just excited to see a bunch of the guys again that are still here from last year. Lots of really good guys on the team, and with the additions that have been made it seems like we’re going to have really strong team that has a chance to do really well.” When asked about team expectations, Holden wasn’t afraid to double down. “As I said I think we have a really strong roster so my expectations are high. I think we can make a push for a championship.”
Finally, while Eagles fans saw him dominate through the first 2 1/2 months of last season, Katzalay admitted to improving his game even further when playing in the WHL. “I think just making quick decisions under pressure. You tend to have a bit less time to make decisions in the WHL so adapting to that has helped my game. Also gaining confidence over time has been important.”
In an off-season filled with huge moves and great acquisitions, Eagles Head Coach Cam Keith admitted this was quite the surprise heading into this season. “Katzalay’s availability was unexpected due to his success last year in the WHL. A pure goal scorer with this group of playmakers will be fun to witness game in and game out.”
Welcome back Holden!
