Grande Prairie local to tend the net for Vancouver Island University

May 21, 2025 | 12:18 PM

A Grande Prairie-born netminder will be joining the Vancouver Island University Mariners this fall, after wrapping up his KIJHL career.

Twenty-year-old Connor Stojan spent three seasons in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and was a three-time winner of the Neil Murdoch division top goalie award.

Over his last season, he had a 17-9-3 record, posting a 2.64 goals against average and a .921 save percentage, good for ninth best in the league in both stats.

When talking about his KIJHL career, Stojan said he was “appreciative of getting the opportunity to play in the league,” as “the exposure it has given me helped me get to this level.”

Stojan said he wants to be a Mariner as “they are one of the top teams in that league. I wasn’t able to get a championship in the KIJHL, but hopefully I will be able to land one in the BCIHL.”

For the Mariners, they were able to capture their first BCIHL championship in the 2023-2024 season, but recently lost their title defence this season, dropping the championship to the University of Victoria Vikings.

They now hope the 6’1, 180-pound northern Alberta product can be the missing piece, as he was known to bring “leadership, calmness and incredible talent,” to his Beaver Valley Nitehawks squad.

While off the ice at VIU, Stojan is hoping to soak in “living on Vancouver Island,” while he studies Power Engineering.

by Tanner Smith