NEWCOMERS DEBUT TUESDAY NIGHT
(Courtesy of James Shewaga, Brandon Sun) — It’s never easy being told you have been traded, but Darian Dziurzynski and Brandon Anderson were both happy to learn of their new destination.
Less than 24 hours after being traded for the first time in their WHLcareers, Dziurzynski and Anderson joined the Wheat Kings Monday for an afternoon practice in Kent, Washington in preparation for Tuesday night’s 4-1 victory over the T-Birds in Seattle.
“I’m happy to be here and to get to know all the guys … and we’ve got a good team here, so it should be a good year,”Dziurzynski, a 20-year-old left-winger, said via telephone yesterday. “That was one of the things that me and Lorne talked about was trading me to a team that has a shot at going far in the playoffs and winning a championship.”
Dziurzynski skated with Mike Ferland and Paul Ciarelli in practice Monday on what could be a particularly intimidating line, if they remain together as a trio.
“Playing against Ferland before, he’s not the type of guy you want to play against and then throwing us together, definitely you can see how it would put fear into the other team,”Dziurzynski said.
Meanwhile, Anderson, 19, joined Corbin Boes, 18, as the Wheat Kings’ new netminding tandem, with head coach Cory Clouston confirming that Anderson will start either tonight versus Seattle or tomorrow night versus the Everett Silvertips.
“Hopefully I get it (tonight), but if not, then I will be ready when I get called upon,”said Anderson, who flew out early Monday morning and arrived in time for the afternoon skate. “It’s a new situation to me, but I’m excited to get a start under my belt with these guys and I’m looking forward to it … I’m obviously pretty happy because Brandon is a good team to come to. They have a lot of skilled forwards and a good D-core and the coaches are very good and I’m excited to play here.”
Dziurzynski and Anderson were both acquired on a busy Sunday night of wheeling and dealing for Wheat Kings general manager Kelly McCrimmon. First he shipped struggling 18-year-old netminder Liam Liston and 18-year-old defenceman Spencer Galbraith to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for Anderson and third- and sixth-round picks in the 2012 WHLbantam draft.
McCrimmon then made the move to fill his open overage spot with the tough and talented Dziurzynski, trading second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 and a third-rounder in 2014 to the Saskatoon Blades, who solved their overage logjam and can put the draft picks to good use when they load up to host the 2013 Memorial Cup.
“Ifound out a couple of days ago that Saskatoon was going to move me after they found out they were getting the Memorial Cup, so it wasn’t a big surprise, it was just a matter of where I went,”said Dziurzynski, a 2011 NHL draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes. “It’s a make-or-break year for me and if I don’t get a (NHL) contract this year, who knows where I will end up next year. So I’m playing for that and also playing to help the Wheat Kings win a championship.”
Dziurzynski, who had three goals in four games with the Blades this season, gives the Wheat Kings added toughness and scoring punch after firing 35 goals with 23 assists and 125 penalty minutes while playing in 72 games last season.
“I think he addresses a couple issues,”Clouston said. “I think he can obviously add an element of offence, a 30-plus goal scorer and a physical presence on top of that. And he’s a guy who can add to our specialty teams as well, so I think he fills a lot of, I don’t want to say voids, but he’s able to contribute in a lot of different ways.”
Meanwhile, Anderson, who has signed a free-agent contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals, adds stability to the goaltending position after posting a 3.78 goals-against average and .894 save percentage — compared to Liston’s 4.77 GAAand .864 save percentage — for the struggling Hurricanes. The Wheat Kings believes the change will do him good.
“That’s what we’re hoping,”Clouston said. “He’s a signed guy and he’s played a lot in this league and we need that experience to show through for us and be able to help us win games.”
Anderson hopes to become the club’s No.1 netminder, although he knows that Boes has also been very good, posting a solid 2.60 GAA and .911 save percentage.
“Obviously Boes is a good goalie, too, so it’s going to be a good competition between me and him and I’m sure we will push each other for the starts,”Anderson said.
The Wheat Kings have also recalled 16-year-old right-winger Jack Palmer from the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League where he notched seven points in seven games with the Saanich Braves.
“Up until (Sunday) we only had 11 forwards, so it was not the best case scenario when you’re playing seven games in 11 nights and four games in the next five nights,”said Clouston, whose team is currently 1-2 on its seven-game West Coast road trip. “So he’s a young guy, definitely a part of our future and we just thought it was a good opportunity to bring him up and try to get him in a game or two.”
ICINGS: Brandon remains without D Brodie Melnychuk (broken wrist, 1-2 weeks), LWDominick Favreau (undisclosed lower-body injury, two weeks) and RWJens Meilleur (undisclosed upper-body injury, two weeks) …There were a handful of trades Monday, including a 2-for-2 deal in which the Prince Albert Raiders acquired CTeal Burns, 19, and DTyler Hart, 19, from the Vancouver Giants for RWAustin Connor, 19, and D Arvin Atwal, 16. The Everett Silvertips picked up DLucas Grayson, 17, from the Red Deer Rebels for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 WHLbantam draft, while the Regina Pats traded LWCampbell Elynuik, 19, to the Prince George Cougars for a conditional 2012 sixth-round pick …Portland Winterhawks forward Sven Bartschi has been named WHL player of the week after scoring three goals and four assists in two games, including his two-goal, two-assist effort in a 6-1 victory over Brandon on Saturday.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition October 18, 2011
