Kootenay Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth insists that he didn’t trade for his son for the sole reason of bringing him home.
“If I didn’t think he could help our hockey team I wouldn’t have made the trade,” Chynoweth told Trevor Crawley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman after acquiring his son, Ryan, from the Tri-City Americans Wednesday.
“Ryan will complement our existing age group of 1995-born players. He adds versatility playing either wing or centre, and is one of only three left-shot forwards on our team.”
The Americans received a fifth-round pick in the 2014 or 2015 WHL bantam draft for the younger Chynoweth, who never imagined he’d be wearing an Ice jersey this season, or ever.
“It’s a different feeling, for sure,” he said.
“I didn’t see it coming, but I’m excited to come back and I’m excited to play, I think it’s going to be fun to play for the team I grew up watching.”
Chynoweth, 18, was selected by the Everett Silvertips in the second round of the 2010 bantam draft and was dealt to the Americans last season. In 107 career WHL games, he has totalled three goals and 10 assists.
“I’m a hard working two-way forward, I can play in the offensive and defensive zones,” he told Crawley. “I can play all three forward positions and pretty much do whatever I can to help the team win.”
Regina Pats rookie head coach Malcolm Cameron posted his first victory Wednesday in surprising fashion as his troops spanked the host Edmonton Oil Kings 6-0.
The victory was the first of the season for the Pats who dropped both ends of a home-and-home series with the Swift Current Broncos last weekend.
“The guys played real well,” Cameron told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “It feels good. We probably should have got something the other night in Swift Current but to win it with a real great team effort top to bottom is real satisfying and gratifying for the players.”
Oil Kings bench boss Derek Laxdal, not surprisingly, was less than impressed with his club’s efforts.
“It was a very good lesson, if you don’t show up, you don’t win, it’s pretty simple,” Laxdal told Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun. “We got embarrassed in our own building tonight and we haven’t see that here in a while.
“I’m not sure if our guys thought it was going to be an easy night. We didn’t have a good game all around right from start to finish. We talk about playing 60 hard minutes to win and I thought we played 60 minutes and didn’t do anything.”
One season after playing 63 games with the Everett Silvertips and two years after being selected in the first round of the bantam draft, Ty Mappin of Big Valley is no longer in the club’s immediate plans.
The ‘Tips reassigned Mappin to a yet to be determined Alberta Junior League team this week after he was held pointless in four preseason games. Mappin notched five goals and 12 assists last season, respectable numbers for a 16-year-old rookie but not good enough to keep his job this fall.
“It’s one of those things where we had 16 forwards and had to make a decision,” GM Garry Davidson told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald. “And I think he was a little concerned about what his role would be this year as well. I think he was comfortable with going somewhere where he’ll play a lot.” Davidson said the door wasn’t closed on Mappin returning to Everett in the future. We want him to develop and work his way back here.”
Mappin played with the Red Deer midget AAA Optimist team as a 15-year-old in 2011-12.
The Medicine Hat Tigers added a bonus weapon to their back end this week, landing American rearguard Tommy Vannelli.
The 18-year-old rearguard had committed to his home state University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, but opted for the major junior ranks when he was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the second round of this year’s NHL entry draft.
“We feel fortunate,” Tigers head coach Shaun Clouston told Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News, adding that he doesn’t expect Vannelli to immediately be an impact player in the WHL
“I think everybody involved knows there is going to be some work. It doesn’t just happen. This player has a lot of tools and is a very skilled player. Now, it is up to us to work together to develop that.”
Vannelli, six-foot-two and 175 pounds, played high school hockey last season before joining the Hockey USA development program and helping his country win silver at the world under-18 championship last spring while scoring two goals and adding an assist in seven games.