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Eddie Mountain clubs busy at trade deadline
Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) general managers were busy making moves to improve their rosters leading up to the Jan. 10 deadline, including all five clubs in the Eddie Mountain Division.
The Columbia Valley Rockies acquired the playing rights of 2006-born defenceman Luke Lawford and future considerations from the Kimberley Dynamiters for the playing rights of 2005-born defenceman John Lozeman.
Luke Lawford: Brings experience and knows that to do to win as he’s won a U18 prep league title. He’s a leader, skilled, defends great and will be a huge addition to the team.
Acquired the playing rights of 2005-born forward Brayden Vopat and 2007-born defenceman Danil Timchuk from the Fernie Ghostriders for the playing rights of 2005-born forward Isaac Sommer.
Timchuk: “He’s young and skilled and skates well, defends well, and brings some size to our backend. He has the ability to be an offensive force,” said Tucker Braund.
The Rockies acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forward Lachlan Hanton, 2007-born defenceman Ezra Siemens and future considerations from the Merritt Centennials for the playing rights of 2005-born forward Carter Velker and 2006-born defenceman Lukas Masters.
Hanton: He brings grit and skill as well as a winning mentality from having success at U17 and U18 and he’s a leader.
Siemens: He’s a big body, who can skate, is a solid defender first, but has offensive upside.
The Creston Valley Thunder Cats made a series of roster moves aimed at strengthening their lineup.
The Thunder Cats acquired the playing rights of 2007-born defenceman Nicholas Petropoulos from the Nelson Leafs in exchange for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Tye Matthews. Petropoulos recorded one goal in 18 games with the Leafs.
Creston Valley also added the playing rights of 2006-born forward Asher Makway and 2005-born defenceman Graham Willey from the Castlegar Rebels in return for future considerations.
“He is a veteran presence who brings a lot of experience to our lineup,” said head coach and general manager Geordie Wudrick of Makway. “He’s a big body with a strong frame who can bring a few different elements we’ve been missing throughout our forward group.”
Wudrick was also pleased to welcome Willey back to the organization.
“It’s great to be able to re-acquire Graham,” Wudrick said. “He has good familiarity with our program and our on-ice structures. He brings a strong package of skill, compete and grit, and fits in very well with our team defence.”
The Thunder Cats then acquired 2006-born forward Richard Urvald from the Spokane Braves in exchange for future considerations.
“He’s a bigger body who combines a nice mix of skill and grit,” Wudrick said. “He can play in a number of different spots in the lineup and make plays in all three zones. We’re excited to see Richard in our lineup.”
The final addition saw Creston Valley acquire the playing rights of 2007-born forward Joshua Douglas from the Osoyoos Coyotes in return for future considerations.
“He’s a very solid young player in our league,” Wudrick said. “He’s coming in with a lot of energy and excitement. He moves well, has good stick and puck skills, and fits in nicely with our current group and our core moving forward.”
The Fernie Ghostriders acquired the playing rights of 2005-born forward Carter Velker from the Merritt Centennials in return for future considerations.
Velker: “With Carter, my relationship with him goes way back to when I coached him in bantam, I’ve known him since he was 14,” said head coach-general manager Chad Scarff. “Funny enough, Taylor Sincennes was actually the first coach I called when I got hired, just to see if there was any chance. At 19, Carter obviously wasn’t on the market at the time.
“As a player, his career speaks for itself,” Scharff continued. “He’s got great vision, he skates well, and he’s a veteran in this league. We played them four times in the playoffs last year and I thought he elevated his game. He’s a great kid, great character, and we’re really excited to add him.”
The Ghostriders acquired 2005-born forward Isaac Sommer for the playing rights of 2005-born forward Brayden Vopat and 2007-born defenceman Danil Timchuk.
Isaac Sommer: “First and foremost, Isaac brings a wealth of experience in this league. He was part of a really good Kimberley team last year and went through a deep playoff run, so he’s been there and done it.”
“As we push toward the playoffs, it never hurts to have guys who understand what that takes,” said Scharff. “I like the way he plays — he’s competitive, skates well, and can play up and down the lineup. I think he’ll be an effective player as the games get harder down the stretch and into the playoffs.”
They also acquired the playing rights of 2007-born defenceman Evan Segstro from the Drayton Valley Thunder of the AJHL in return for future considerations.
Segstro: “He brings a lot of versatility. He played defence in U18AAA and then made the AJHL as a forward – to me that isn’t easy to do and tells a lot about a players’ hockey IQ.”
The Golden Rockets acquire the playing rights of 2007-born forward Christian Stephanson from the Merritt Centennials in return for future considerations.
Christian Stephanson: “He has played approximately 40 games at the Junior A level in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He also produced at a point-per-game pace with Kelowna this season, adding another offensive element to the group,” said head coach-general manager Jed Houseman. “We felt adding some more punch to our offensive group was important. We expect him to contribute at both ends of the puck, but hopefully his offensive production continues and develops in the right way.”
They also acquired the playing rights of 2007-born forward Spencer Bates and future considerations from the 100 Mile House Wranglers for the playing rights of 2006-born forward Justin Mol, 2007-born defenceman Jackson Folliott and future considerations.
Bates: “He brings additional scoring (21 points in 25 games) and speed. He has shown consistent offensive output throughout his junior career, including his time in Quesnel.
“He’s an impactful player,” Houseman said. “We wanted to add pieces that help our group, and he’s an important addition for us.”
The Kimberley Dynamiters acquired the playing rights of 2006-born forward Braeden Jack from the Sicamous Eagles in return for the playing rights of 2007-born forward Ethan Cameron-McGregor and future considerations.
Jack: “He served as captain in Sicamous and was a regular contributor on their top line,” said head coach-general manager Derek Stuart. “He can play anywhere in the lineup. I think he adds to our depth and makes us harder to play against.”
The Dynamiters also acquired the playing rights of 2008-born defenceman Owen Bambrick from the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in return for future considerations.
Bambrick: “That was a trade we felt we had to make not just for now, but for the future as well.”
Bambrick has already made a positive early impression.
“He’s played a game and looked good,” Stuart said. “He brings a lot of skill with the puck, he’s a fantastic skater, and I think he’s just going to get better and better as the days and years go by.”
The final move made was trading the playing rights of 2006-born defenceman Luke Lawford and future considerations to the Columbia Valley Rockies for the playing rights of 2005-born defenceman John Lozeman.
“I’ve been trying to get him for quite a while,” Stuart said. “The timing was finally right. He’s a great skater, a great passer, he shoots the puck, and he’s very good defensively. To me, he’s one of the best defensemen in our league.”
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