Former NHL defenceman Oleg Tverdovsky has bought a minority share in the Nanaimo Clippers.
As the second overall pick in the 1994 NHL draft, who represented Russia in the World Junior Championship, former NHL defenceman Oleg Tverdovsky would know what junior hockey players aspire to.
He will now have a hand, at the ownership level, in helping develop them.
Tverdovsky, selected behind only Ed Jovanovski in his draft year and who won two Stanley Cup championships over a 19-season NHL career, has bought a minority share in the Nanaimo Clippers of the B.C. Hockey League as part of a majority group owned by Los Angeles businessman and seafood executive Roman Tkachenko.
The deal was completed Friday. Financial details were not released.
“Oleg and I are extremely excited to join the BCHL and hope to contribute greatly to the Nanaimo Clippers future success,” said Tkachenko in a statement.
“We are both competitive and want to bring championships to Nanaimo, but we also believe in the player development path the BCHL offers, and want to help future players move onwards and upwards in their careers.”
The 50-year-old Tverdovsky played 713 regular-season and 45 playoff games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003 and the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.
He also played for the Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and completed his pro career with six seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League and won the KHL Gagarin Cup in 2011 with Ufa Salavat Yulayev.
The Clippers came into the BCHL in 1972, are the defending Coastal Division champions and played in the 2026 BCHL final this spring against the eventual BCHL champion Brooks Bandits.
Nanaimo also made the 2022 BCHL final, losing to the Penticton Vees.
The Clippers have reached the league final 10 times and won five BCHL championships, the last two in 2007 and 2004.
That history stretches to three consecutive BCHL championships in 1976, 1977 and 1978 with future Victoria Cougars WHLers and eventual NHLers Barry Pederson, Greg Adams, Torrie Robertson and Gary Lupul.
Current Clippers owner Brad Kwong bought the franchise in 2022, and the club said he will remain as part of the new ownership group and will continue his role as Governor of the club.
Kwong released a statement: “I would like to thank my exiting partners, Joe Carrabino and Brett Barakett, who have been extremely supportive these past four years. Going forward, Roman [Tkachenko] and Oleg [Tverdovsky] bring a fresh perspective and a passion for the sport of hockey.
“Their investment, which will be much more than just financial, is a huge positive for the Clippers players and the program.”
The BCHL has become known as a steady provider of talent to the U.S. collegiate NCAA, with an alumni list that includes past and current NHLers such as Brett Hull, Glenn Anderson, Mark Recchi, Cliff Ronning, Jamie Benn, Alex Newhook, Matthew Wood, Tyler Bozak, Scott Gomez, Paul Kariya and Tyson Jost.