Daine Todd Finds New Team
The V-Reds have begun the process of reloading for another run at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey championship that eluded them last year, announcing the addition of four new recruits, including homegrown talent Jordan Clendenning.
The former Fredericton midget star spent the bulk of his five-year Quebec Major Junior Hockey League career as a two-way centre. A trade to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles allowed him to play a more offensive role and he scored 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points in 39 games there.
He's hoping that trend continues in his career with the V-Reds. "If I can play an offensive role that would be great, but I'll just play wherever they need me to play," said the six foot, 202-pound Woodstock native who moved to Fredericton to play midget hockey at age 15.
"He had a great overage season and is a consummate team player," said V-Reds coach Gardiner MacDougall. "He can score, he can play physical and he has great intangibles."
Clendenning is prepared to pay his dues.
"I'm going to go in as a rookie on the team and just take it step by step," said Clendenning, who said UNB was "an easy decision" for him. "It's going to be a whole new game for me. It's going to be a learning process. It's more of a man's league, with bigger guys and stronger guys. I'll be a first year guy on the team and I'll take it as it goes."
Clendenning is anxious to return home to play in front of friends and family after five years away.
"It will be nice to be able to come back and play in front of my hometown," said Clendenning, who played with current UNBers Chris Hodgson and Ryan Seymour in Bathurst.
"He had a great camp in St. Louis (two years ago) and he's going to be a pro player," MacDougall said. "But this will be a great chance for him to continue his development and help our team succeed as well."
MacDougall announced three other recruits, including another returning expatriate if you will, defenceman Jonathan Harty of Oromocto.
The former captain of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League could have returned for another season in Washington State – he's second in franchise history in both games played and penalty minutes – but opted to pass up his overage year to continue pursuit of his business degree at UNB. The five-foot-10, 180-pounder has been taking courses online and was pencilled in next year.
"He's got a big upside," MacDougall said. "He's got a big heart, he's been well coached in Everett by (former NHL coach) Kevin Constantine. He's a great two-way defenceman and he was the captain there, so he's a strong leader."
Albertans Daine Todd, a five-foot 10, 168-pound centre; and defenceman Bretton Stamler, who was captain of the Edmonton Oil Kings until a Christmas trade sent him to the Swift Current Broncos, are the other two additions unveiled by MacDougall.
Stamler, a six-foot-one, 203-pounder originally from Alberta, was a seventh round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, 214th overall in 2005, "so he's right in their prime territory," said MacDougall chuckling.
Stamler had four goals and 22 assists in 71 games split between the two WHL entries last season and added 138 PIM. He spent the four previous seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
"He's very well-spoken. He'll be a top academic and a top player," said MacDougall of the 21-year-old.
Stamler was named one of the top three defensive defencemen in the Eastern Conference of the WHL last season. "He's a very good skater and a good strong, two-way defenceman."
Todd has had surgery on both shoulders over his five-year career with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
"He's a real strong two-way player but has some offensive capability," said MacDougall of the Tigers' former captain who scored 25 goals and 40 assists in 70 games in the WHL. He helped lead the Tigers to the Memorial Cup tournament in 2006-07.
MacDougall counts heavily on his WHL sources to send him players. He doesn't see them play but "we trust our contacts and they've been pretty well on," he said. "The first day of camp is kind of like Christmas for the coaching staff. And I think it's good, because you go in with no pretenses."
MacDougall isn't done. He hopes to put the finishing touches on another goalie to replace the departed Michael Ouzas, who graduated and turned pro with the American Hockey League Toronto Marlies; and "another couple of forwards," he said.
The V-Reds of course, have a tough act to follow after last season, when they rolled to a 26-1-1 regular season record and steamrolled to the Atlantic conference championship. They were knocked off by the University of Alberta Golden Bears 3-2 in the national championship final.