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Set-up specialist

Vipers sign centre from Island

Jun 7, 2019 | 10:35 AM

He describes himself as a real team player.

JoJo Tanaka-Campbell, a smooth skating centre from Mill Bay, B.C., has committed to the Vipers for next season.

The forward said he loves hockey “because it’s a team game,” and he enjoys supporting his teammates on and off the ice.

“That’s also why I like playing rugby; I like the flow of hockey and rugby and the ability to coordinate with teammates,” he said.

His team approach led to Tanaka-Campbell being named captain this year at Shawnigan Lake School Prep, but he admits sometimes, he’s too humble, too supportive.

He agrees with Shawnigan Lake Coach Kevin Cooper’s assessment that he needs to shoot more when he’s in a scoring area.

The prospect said he played with a variety of wingers, but primarily with Jacob Fraser (27 goals) and Kaleb McHugh (15 goals).

“A lot of my assists came when Jacob would go to the net and I would feed him there,” he said.

He feels his best hockey asset is game sense and vision of the ice.

“I always look for the best pass option when I have the puck,” he said.

JoJo said he is looking forward to making the jump to the B.C.H.L. with the Vipers.

“When I was a kid at the Cowichan Valley games, I always liked Vernon when they came to play the Capitals, so now it’s exciting to get a chance to play for the Vipers,” he said.

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