By Patrick King, Sportsnet.ca
Another week saw another flurry of trades across the Canadian Hockey League.
In London, the rich continued getting richer as the Knights helped solidify their young defensive core. In a move which was predicted in our CHL season previews, the Knights acquired an overage defenceman, Trevor Koverko, from the Oshawa Generals in exchange for a draft pick. Koverko, a fifth round pick by the New York Rangers in 2005, will bring some much needed leadership as well as defensive responsibility as a stay-at-home defenceman.
Meanwhile in the Québec Major Junior Hockey League, the Halifax Mooseheads acquired overage goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier from the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The Mooseheads, who were also predicted to make a move for an experienced veteran goaltender in our CHL season previews, did not wait long to pull the trigger. Pelletier, who was a draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2005, should give the team confidence following the inconsistency from their goaltending duo of Mark Yetman and Roger Kennedy last season.
The Moose Jaw Warriors, who were one of the most active teams on the trade front last season, pulled off two trades this past week. The Warriors acquired forward Joel Broda from the Tri-City Americans in exchange for veteran forward Jason Reese. Reese, 19, was acquired last season as part of a package coming from Vancouver for forward Kenndal McArdle. Moose Jaw also brought in defenceman Brett Ward from the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for a draft pick.
In the Ontario Hockey League, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds sent defenceman Brett Halstead to the Barrie Colts for draft picks.
Edmonton strikes Oil in young season
Notice to the WHL: the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings won’t be a pushover in their first year.
The Oil Kings have gained five of a possible six points in the young season after sweeping the home-and-home with the Kootenay Ice before losing in a shootout to Red Deer on Tuesday.
What makes the Oil Kings’ success so impressive is their innate ability to battle in the dying moments of a game. Edmonton scored the game-winner with less than a second remaining in their first game while defenceman Cameron Cepek scored the tying goal against Red Deer with little over a minute remaining in the third.
Few expansion teams come out of the gate showing such moxie, and against division opponents no less.
In the OHL, the Niagara IceDogs and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors will forever be linked after what unfolded last season. Majors owner Eugene Melnyk bought the IceDogs before selling them to a group who later moved them to St. Catharines, Ont., allowing the Majors to move to the IceDogs’ former home in Mississauga.
It was only fitting that the two teams would open the season against each other. On the strength of three-point performances by Stefan Legein and Michael Swift, the IceDogs defeated the Majors 4-1 on Friday.
Handful of new captains
The last several months have been interesting, to say the least, for Thomas Hickey. The Seattle Thunderbirds defenceman was a surprise lottery pick in the NHL draft in June, going fourth overall to the Los Angeles Kings. This season, a lot more will be expected from the product of Calgary, Alta. as the T-Birds have now made him their captain.
"We feel he is the right choice," Seattle head coach Rob Sumner said in a release. "He has proven to be our leader on and off the ice. A guy that plays with that much passion is sure to rub off on his teammates and certainly earn the respect of the team."
In addition to the Seattle captaincy announcement were several more from the WHL. The Brandon Wheat Kings named overage defenceman Daryl Boyle captain while the Kootenay Ice named overage forward and last year’s second leading scorer in the league, Steve DaSilva, their captain. In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes named defenceman Ben Wright captain while the Prince Albert Raiders gave the captaincy to Ryan DePape.
National Hockey League camp returnees
Several big-name CHL players returned to their junior teams this past week following training camps with their NHL teams. Among the big names are: Calgary’s Ryan White (Montreal), Kootenay’s Ben Maxwell (Montreal), Seattle’s Scott Jackson (Detroit), Mississauga’s Kaspars Daugavins (Ottawa), Rouyn-Noranda’s Ivan Vishnevskiy (Dallas), Moncton’s Matt Marquardt (Columbus), Vancouver’s Jonathon Blum (Nashville) and Vancouver’s Michal Repik (Florida).
Noteworthy: Oshawa Generals forward John Tavares was named the OHL and CHL player of the week. … Québec Remparts goaltender Kevin Desfossés was named the ADT CHL goaltender of the week. … Desfossés was also named the QMJHL’s defensive player of the week while P.E.I. Rocket forward Brett Morrison was named the league’s offensive player of the week. … The QMJHL awarded the city of Sydney, N.S. and the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles the 2008 QMJHL Annual Session. … Kootenay forward Luke Wiens has been suspended two games by the WHL. … Saint John Sea Dogs defenceman Simon Després, the first overall pick in the 2007 QMJHL draft, scored his first career goal against the defending champion Lewiston MAINEiacs on Sunday.
