One WHL note to pass along this morning, from the blog of Regina Pats beat writer Greg Harder. Seems that potential Pats overage d-man Victor Bartley is undecided on whether he wants to play in the WHL as an overager or whether he wants to pursue a minor pro career this year in the AHL or ECHL.
If Bartley does not return, that's a big blow to the Pats. He's a top-pairing guy this year if he plays and their blueline would go from decent to being Teubert, Delahey, and a bunch of guys who didn't play very much last season. They've already lost Logan Pyett and Ryan Bender out of last year's top four defencemen. Not to say that the "guys who didn't play much" (Jackson, Kulchar, Pym) can't do the job but lack of experience always means question marks until they prove they can be top-four guys.
Spokane has also lost a potential overager, as the versatile Curtis Kelner has decided to go to university rather than return to the WHL. That tidbit come from beat writer Jessica Brown's blog. No surprise there though, it has been rumored since the season ended that Kelner wasn't going to come back.
In other, non-WHL, junior news, it sounds like OHL and Team Canada world junior star Stefan Legein has decided to retire from hockey at age 19. The story is here, on the blog of a couple of Columbus Blue Jackets' beat writers. The Blue Jackets drafted Legein in the 2nd round in 2007. I wonder what would make a kid so close to the Show (and its fame and fortune) walk away from hockey....kind of similar to Wheat Kings prospect Brandon Regier quitting hockey except that Legein is a heckuva lot closer to realizing the dream of millions of kids everywhere. Legein has signed an NHL contract with the Jackets and was likely ticketed for the AHL this year although he might have had a shot at seeing some time with the big club too. Strange.
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