Carruth to Portland

The Portland Winterhawks have won the recruiting battle for '92 goaltender Mac Carruth. The Minnesota product, considered one of the better '92 goaltenders in the United States, has agreed to forfeit his NCAA scholarship to Minnesota-Duluth - which was to start in 2010-11 - and join the Winterhawks.

Carruth has been playing Jr A for the NAHL's Wenatchee Wild but will be joining Portland right away.

Portland now has three goaltenders on their roster, with veterans Kurtis Mucha (20) and Ian Curtis (19). Obviously one of those guys is now about to be moved somewhere because few teams carry three goaltenders this late into the season. Who's out? Will the Hawks move Mucha and pick up some overage help at another position? Or do they move Curtis, which means Carruth would be Portland's starting goaltender as early as next season? Both Mucha and Curtis have comparable stats so far this season so I don't know if there's a clear odd man out.

And another name to consider in the Hawks' sudden crease crowd is that of Keith Hamilton. Once considered Portland's top goalie prospect and possible "goalie of the future", it now looks like Hamilton's WHL future may not be in Portland at all since Carruth is the same age....