First, Red Deer and Regina swung a trade yesterday, the Pats sending 18 year old goalie Dawson Guhle to the Rebels for 18 year old forward Lane Scheidl. The move cleared up the Pats' three-goalie logjam and created one in Red Deer, which the Rebels promptly resolved by assigning 16 year old backup Bolton Pouliot back to AAA midget in Calgary.
If nothing else, it's a move by the Rebels that shows their intention of competing for a title this season. Now they have an older backup with 30+ games experience, in the event that starter Darcy Kuemper goes down.
With Regina resolving their situation, only one team in the league still has three goaltenders on the roster now, and that is Swift Current.
Still with Red Deer and Swift Current goaltenders, - or former Rebels and Broncos goaltenders anyway - the QMJHL's Rimouski Oceanic recently added overage goalie Morgan Clark to their roster. Clark played four years in the WHL for Red Deer, Swift Current, and Prince George before becoming a victim of the overage numbers in Prince George last month. With the addition of Clark, the QMJHL now has three former WHL goalies playing as overagers there - Jacob DeSerres and Andrew Hayes being the other two. The QMJHL is also using three former OHL goalies as well....but some people used to think the QMJHL was a goalie factory and anglophone kids were inferior at that position....look who's taking the jobs of those "superior" QMJHL goalies these days.
The WHL has ruled on that hit by Vancouver's Wes Vannieuwenheuizen last week (see below). The verdict is a 7 game suspension, which seems a little light to me. I would have liked to see a few more games, maybe an even 10, but we'll live with 7.
One thing is for sure though, the league cannot ever go back to 2 or 3 game suspensions for serious hits from behind again....those days have to be long gone. There is still a lack of respect being shown to opponents by some players in the league (and in all leagues, to be fair) and I think at this point, only tougher discipline is going to make some players realize that there are certain points in a game where you don't need to make a hit - or can ease up on a hit - on a vulnerable opponent. "Finishing your check" be damned, if the guy is in a bad position then you don't hit him if you can help it. Next time it might be you in that bad position.
Lastly, the Saskatchewan and Manitoba hockey associations yesterday named their 11 players each who will make up "Team Western" for the annual World U-17 Hockey Challenge which starts December 29 in Winnipeg and Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.
Here's the roster, with WHL affiliation for the players not in the WHL right now:
Goaltenders:
Andy Desautels - Regina Pat Canadians (SMAAAHL) - property of Everett Silvertips
Chris Driedger - Tri City Americans (WHL)
Defencemen:
Brady Gaudet - Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Reid Gow - Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Justin Hamonic - Winnipeg Wild (MMHL) - property of Tri-City Americans
Landon Peel - Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL) - property of Regina Pats
Derrick Pouliot - Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Ryan Pulock - Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Damon Severson - Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Forwards:
Daniel Asham - Winnipeg Wild (MMHL) - property of Brandon Wheat Kings
Bryaden Cuthbert - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Brendan Harms - Portage Terriers (MJHL) - property of Brandon Wheat Kings
Colton Heffley - Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Shea Howorko - Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Jared Iron - Beardy’s Blackhawks (SMAAAHL) - property of Kootenay Ice
Brendan Leipsic - Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Logan McVeigh - Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Sutton Olson - Southwest Cougars (MMHL) - property of Swift Current Broncos
Tyrel Seaman - Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Chandler Stephanson - Regina Pats (WHL)
Brett Stovin - Interlake Lightning (MMHL) - property of Saskatoon Blades
Jaimen Yakubowski - Beardy’s Blackhawks (SMAAAHL) - property of Lethbridge Hurricanes
British Columbia and Alberta, who combine to form Team Pacific for the tournament, should announce their rosters any day now.
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