Troops acquire Kellerman from Rangers
BRAMPTON, Ont. The Battalion has acquired Tyson Kellerman from the Kitchener Rangers for Brad Topping in a trade of 19-year-old goaltenders, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Thursday.
(Rangers head coach) Peter DeBoer and I agreed that Topping and Kellerman might benefit from a change, said Stan Butler, the Battalion’s director of hockey operations and head coach. Brad has given us three and a half good years, and we wish him the best with his new team.
Kellerman joined Kitchener in a trade from the Saginaw Spirit on Oct. 7. He appeared in 19 games with the Rangers, posting a won-lost-tied record of 8-5-2 with a 3.15 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
A resident of Kingston who will turn 20 on Jan. 18, Kellerman was chosen by the North Bay Centennials in the fifth round, 87th overall, of the 2000 OHL Priority Selection.
He played 42 games with the Centennials in 2001-02, compiling an 11-23-1 record with a 3.52 goals-against average. After the North Bay club moved to Saginaw for the 2002-03 season, Kellerman made 35 appearances with a record of 3-29-2 and a 4.22 goals-against average.
Kellerman, who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round, 219th overall, of the National Hockey League’s 2002 Entry Draft, has a career record of 22-57-5 in 96 regular-season games with a 3.72 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage. He played four playoff games with North Bay in 2002, going 1-3 with a 4.18 goals-against mark.
He appeared in the 2002 Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects Game at Saskatoon and represented Saginaw in the Hershey Cup All-Star Game last season at Kitchener.
Topping was the Battalion’s second-round pick, 27th overall, in the 2000 OHL Priority Selection. He was named to the league’s second All-Rookie team as he set a club record with a nine-game undefeated streak on the way to a record of 14-10-4 with one shutout and a 2.87 goals-against average in 31 games in 2000-01. The following season Topping posted a record of 19-25-4 with one shutout and a 3.42 goals-against average in 50 games.
In 2002-03, Topping made 46 appearances with a record of 22-18-2 with four shutouts and a goals-against average of 3.08. He was outstanding in backstopping the Battalion to a six-game series win over the Barrie Colts in an Eastern Conference quarterfinal. This season Topping is 5-10-2 with a goals-against average of 3.33 in 20 games.
Topping, who was selected by the New York Islanders one pick behind Kellerman in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, has a career record of 60-63-12 with six shutouts with a 3.15 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 147 games. He was 5-5 with two shutouts and a 2.58 goals-against average in 13 playoff games.
Topping holds Battalion career and single-season goaltending records for games, minutes played, wins and shutouts.
