Sutter says busy trade deadline prompted by need for change
By DANNY RODE
The past week or so has been busy time for Red Deer Rebels Owner, President, General Manager Brent Sutter.
Sutter has not liked what he’s been seeing from his team of late, losing the last seven in a row and 10 of 11, and knew it was time for some changes.
He did just that with six trades and filling the second import roster slot with 17-year-old Russian forward Gleb Semenov.
“Heading up the (trade) deadline (Thursday) it was obvious the makeup on this team had to change,” stressed Sutter.
“To me we’ve been under-performing and that’s not acceptable. My expectations for this team, this organization is high. We’re not going to win every game, I get that, it’s the way we lose games that’s really bothered me, and I just saw too much of that in the last little while.
“You can’t be inconsistent like we have been and expect to go on a good run and win games.
“There had to be a culture change, there had to be a shakeup in the dressing room, we need better leadership from the group, the overall group, there has to be a higher level of accountability and also players who play for the front of the jersey.
“Fans come to watch us play and there’s an expectation in Red Deer how our team has to play, and I surely believe in that. When there’s not you have to correct the problem and that’s what I’m doing.”
Overall Sutter brought in seven players and six draft picks with six players going out along with four draft picks.
Defenceman Matteo Fabrizi was the first to go in a trade with Prince Albert announced Dec. 31, followed by forward Carson Birnie heading to Calgary, goalie Taylor Tabashniuk to Regina, defenceman Hunter Mayo and forward Trae Wilke to Swift Current and forward Cole Peardon to Prince George.
Eric Johnston was involved as part of the three-team trade between Red Deer, Moose Jaw and Swift Current. He came to Red Deer from Swift Current along with 17-year-old forward Ty Coupland and a draft pick and was quickly redirected to Moose Jaw.
Also coming to Red Deer were 18-year-old rearguard Doogan Pederson and 15-year-old forward Miller Robson from Prince Albert, 20-year-old defenceman Keaton Dowhaniuk from Moose Jaw, 17-year-old forward Parker MacDougall and 16-year-old prospect Ethan Dundas from Calgary and 18-year-old Nishaar Parmar from Seattle.
One of the biggest additions was a player they didn’t have to trade for in Semenov. The six-foot-three 185-pound right shot forward was selected by the London Knights in round two of the 2024 CHL Import Draft. He played the 2023-24 season with the U17 and U18 Moscow Spartak where he had 21 goals and 42 points in 29 games.
He came to North America this season, but couldn’t get his visa to play in Canada but had a limited one in the States. He joined the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, playing 11 games with one goal and one assist.
Semenov hasn’t seen game action due to visa issues which have since been resolved. He cleared OHL waivers before being quickly picked up by the Rebels.
“Obviously we could do it with (Kasper) Pikkarainen not on our roster because if his injury,” Sutter explained.
“He’s a young player, he’s going to get a chance from now until the end of the season to show he’s good enough to play major junior hockey, to play at this level.”
Continued goal scoring issues and inconsistent play from some older players are largely what prompted Sutter to make some changes. He’s confident the new players joining the club will help make a difference.
“To me we added some really good players who have the skill to make plays who will be here for two or three years.
“On the back end we wanted to be more mobile, and we did that adding Dowhaniuk and Pederson, guys who can handle the puck, move the puck.
“If you look at the game today and the direction it’s going in that’s a big part of it. So I could see we needed changes.”
Sutter noted that sitting back and making no changes would have been the easy, albeit wrong, thing to do.
“It’s my responsibility to get back to where this team needs to be. At the same time, we needed to acquire more picks to help us down the road and in the future We were able to accomplish that … check all the boxes I wanted to check. But it’s a process and there’s still work to be done.”
Sutter added youth, some size and skill.
“We needed to be harder to play against, needed more puck possession, needed to score more goals and needed to spend more time in the offensive zone. Right now, we chase the game too much and that’s not a recipe for success.”
He feels he added players who will help with those areas and sees even more coming down the road.
“I had a mindset and a vision of what I wanted to accomplish, and I know the players coming in next year and they’re going to fit right into this mold I wanted for us to be like and play like.”
Still Sutter knows there has to be patience.
“The biggest thing right now with this group is to show patience. When you make a turnover like this it will take some time, but I expect the coaches will have things in order and get these guys to gel and hopefully be a good hockey team from now until the end of the season.
“I know they will, and I’m excited about the changes.”
Parting with Mayo was certainly a notable change.
“He’s been here a long time and it’s time to give someone else an opportunity,” Sutter continued. “We have young defencemen, and they have a chance to play. Hunter has had his ups and down this year. At times he’s played well and other times he’s struggled and especially lately.
“Hunter and I had a good talk a week or so ago and I know where he’s at and it was time for a change.”
