Daily Dose

Daily Dose of the DUB: Blazers, Tigers sign prospects, Hitmen announce leadership group and more

Written by Paul Figler on

 

Blazers sign Watterodt

The Kamloops Blazers announced they have signed their sixth-round draft pick from the 2019 WHL Draft, Vaughn Watterodt to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Rosetown, SK native played six games this season with the Yorkton Terriers of the SJHL, where he scored twice and added an assist. Watterodt was drafted out of the Okanagan HA U15 AAA program where he scored 18 goals and added 19 assists in 25 games.

Tigers sign Venne

The Medicine Hat Tigers announced they have signed undrafted goaltender James Venne to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. Venne played two games with the Saskatoon Blazers U18 AAA team this season, posting a 2-0-0 record, a 1.50 goals-against average, and a .949 save percentage. The Saskatoon, SK native was previously taken in the sixth round of the 2019 SJHL Draft by the Estevan Bruins.

Rangers sign Schneider

Defenseman Braden Schneider (185GP, 16G, 72A with Brandon) has been signed by the New York Rangers to an entry-level contract that begins next season. Schneider played two games with the Rangers AHL-affiliate, Hartford Wolf Pack where he registered an assist. At the IIHF World Junior Championship, Schneider had a goal and two assists over the six games he played. He was named Brandon’s captain on February 18th.

Rockets set roster for 2020-21 season

The Kelowna Rockets named their roster ahead of the BC Division’s start to the season. It includes 10 rookies, four of which were born in 2004. Six others were born in 2003. Dillion Hamaliuk, David Kope, and Sean Comrie are the three 20-year-old players chosen for this season. 2005-born Andrew Cristall will be an affiliate player with the team this season.

Hitmen name leadership group

The Calgary Hitmen have announced their leadership group for the 2020-21 season led by captain Josh Prokop (122GP, 24G, 40A). The team will go with four assistant captains; Jackson van de Leest (174GP, 5G, 50A), Cael Zimmerman (156GP, 20G, 37A), Luke Prokop (135GP, 5G, 30A), and Riley Stotts (247GP, 72G, 113A with Swift Current and Calgary).

ICE has a new broadcast partner

The Winnipeg ICE announced on Thursday that they have a new broadcast partner, Bell Media. The team will make the move from CJOB 690 AM to CFRW 1290, also known as Funny 1290. The games will also be streamed on the iHeartRadio app as well as winnipegICE.ca. The broadcast agreement includes pre-game and post-game shows, as well as an expanded platform for the ICE Breaker Show.

Andrews returns for a 10th season

Phil Andrews returns for his 10th season of WHL play by play with the Regina Pats the team announced on Thursday. Andrews had previously stepped away from the role in July 2020. Andrews and colour commentator Evan Daum can be heard on 620 CKRM in Regina as well as online. Regina opens their season on March 12th against the Prince Albert Raiders.

Rangers sign Geertsen

Defenseman Mason Geertsen (245GP, 19G, 59A with Edmonton and Vancouver ’10-’15) has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the New York Rangers. Geertsen has played four games with the Rangers AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, having collected one assists. Originally a fourth-round 2014 NHL Draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, Geertsen has yet to play a game in the NHL but does have 281 games of AHL experience.

Four Thunderbirds games to be broadcast on JoeTV

Veteran play-by-play voice Ian Furness returns to television with the Seattle Thunderbirds announcing they will have four games broadcast on JoeTV. The games include three against the Portland Winterhawks and one against the Spokane Chiefs. There will be games in April and May as well, the team stated in its release.

WHL Draft picks sign with Spruce Grove

Victoria Royals 2018 ninth-round pick Graeme Hampton and Brandon Wheat Kings 2019 fourth-round pick Liam Watkins have both signed with the Spruce Grove Saints of the AJHL. Watkins has also already committed to playing at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2023-24. In five games with the Okotoks Oilers, Watkins had five goals and two assists. Hampton had played six games with the St. Albert Raiders U18 AAA program and had one goal and one assist.

Snuggerud commits to the University of Minnesota

Forward Jimmy Snuggerud has committed to the University of Minnesota program for the 2022-23 season. Snuggerud was a 10th round pick of the Portland Winterhawks at the 2019 WHL Draft. With the US National U17 Team, Snuggerud has played 32 games, scoring 12 goals and adding 12 assists. Snuggerud has also played 16 games with USNTDP Juniors team where he has four goals and two assists.