Finley "happy" to be in Brampton

BRAMPTON, Ont. – As he stood in the middle of the Battalion locker room recently, a smile crossed Brian Finley´s face when he was asked about the trade that brought him to Brampton from Barrie on January 10.
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"I think its exciting," said the 19-year-old Sault Ste. Marie native who was part of a four player deal that saw veterans David Chant, Tyler Hanchuck and Matt Grennier head to the Colts. "Obviously it was tough leaving Barrie after 3 1/2 years but I am happy to be here. The team is on a roll lately and I think we are just coming into form now."
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Finley is regarded as one of the top netminders in the Ontario Hockey League. A first round (sixth overall) draft choice of the Nashville Predators in 1999, Finley was twice named to the Canadian National Junior team and was honoured as the OHL´s Goaltender of the Year in 1998-99. Last season Finley picked up the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the Ontario Hockey League´s playoff MVP as he led the Colts to the Memorial Cup, where they lost in the final to the Rimouski Oceanic.
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"There is a lot of pressure on guys like me, (Rostislav) Klesla, and (Raffi) Torres to lead this team," said Finley, who has compiled a record of 88-44-11 with eight shutouts in 156 games in his OHL career. "We have a really solid team and we have a lot of role players who are a big part of the team too. I have a lot of pressure on me but I like being in that role and I´m looking forward to a lengthy playoff run."
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Finley has not played since early December due to injury and has been an interested observer of 16-year-old rookie goaltender Brad Topping, who has backstopped the Troops to a 4-0-1 record since the trade.
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"I think Brad is going to be a great goalie in this league," said Finley, who could make his first start in a Battalion uniform on January 25 against Windsor. "He´s pretty good right now. I think I´m also here to help with his development and I will help him out the best I can."
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