Daily Dose

DUB’s Daily Dose: Americans ink a goalie, the DUB Weekly Awards and more!

Written by Kevin Shaw on

 

DUB News

Ams ink netminder

Eric Kahl has signed a Standard Player Agreement with the Tri-City Americans. the 2006-born goaltender was the 93rd overall selection in the 2021 WHL prospects draft. The 6-ft-2 product of Saskatoon, SK is playing with his hometown Blazers in the SMAAAHL where he has played in 19 games going 14-4-0 with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage.

DUB Weekly Awards

Bedard DUB Player of the Week

Connor Bedard was named WHL Player of the Week for the second straight week. The 16-year-old had a DUB best nine points (5G-4A) in three appearances.

His week:

February 8 at Edmonton: had two points (1G-1A).

February 11 vs Calgary: collected a career-best five points (3G-2A), including his second career hat-trick.

February 12 at Saskatoon: picked up another multi-point game with two points (1G-1A).

The pair of points against Saskatoon marked his sixth-straight multi-point contest. He has points in 15 of his last 16 games in which the North Vancouver product registered 39 points (19G-20A).

Bedard has not so quietly moved into a tie for 15th overall in league scoring with 54 points. He has also moved into a tie for fifth in the DUB in goal scoring with 29, just five behind league leader Ben King (34).

Vikman named Goaltender of the Week

19-year-old Vancouver Giant Jesper Vikman was named DUB Goaltender of the Week. The Vegas Golden Knights prospect (5th round pick, 125 overall in 2020) went 2-0 in a weekend sweep of the Cougars in Prince George. The Stockholm, Sweden product had an impressive pair of games at the CN Centre.

His weekend:

Friday, February 11: stopped 34 of 35 shots in a 4-1 win.

Saturday, February 12: was not as busy but still stopped 24 of 25 shots.

His goals-against average in the two games was 1.00 and had a .967 save percentage.

He is now 15-12-1-0 on the season with a 3.13 GAA and a .901 SV% with two shutouts for the Giants. He has started the last 12 games for Giants.

DUB Alumni

Pitlick traded to Canadiens

Tyler Pitlick (Medicine Hat 2010-11) was traded along with Emil Heineman, a first-round pick, and a fifth-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens by the Calgary Flames in exchange for Tyler Toffoli. The 30-year-old forward was in his first season with the Flames where he has two assists in 25 games.

The Minneapolis, MN product joined the Tigers from Minnesota State University (Mankato) and played just a single season in the DUB. He collected 62 points (27G-35A) in 56 games.

Neilsen signs tryout with Reign

Andrew Neilsen (Lethbridge 2013-16) signed a professional tryout with the Ontario Reign in the AHL. The 25-year-old defenseman has played 36 games with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL where he has 27 points (8G-19A).

The Red Deer, AB product played 131 games in the DUB, all with the Hurricanes where he collected 94 points (25G-69A).

Duda joins Dukla Trenčín

Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge 1998-2000), who was released from HC Benatky nad Jizerou of the 1. liga on January 31 was expected to join VHK Vsetin also of 1. liga, but the transfer fell through. The 43-year-old has now signed with Dukla Trenčín of the Tipos Extraliga (Slovakia). Playing in his 21st professional season, Duda had 13 points (6G-7A) in 15 games with Benatky. He is currently in his 21st professional season mostly in Czechia.

Translated from the Dukla Trenčín Facebook page:

“Czech striker Radek Duda is coming to Trenčín! Radek is a very experienced striker, accompanied by a rich hockey career, during which, among other things, he won a gold, silver and bronze medal in the HC Slavia Praha team. Following on, he won another bronze medal in the Pilsen team, and also represented the Czech Republic at the World Cup for several years.

Radek was this Friday to look at our home match against Slovan Bratislava, where our fans showed him an amazing atmosphere. The club has so far agreed on a contract with Radek until the end of the current season. Today he joined the training process and tomorrow he will start the home match against HC Grotto Prešov!

“I think that even at 43 years old Radek still has something to give us. He’s a player I know personally, he’s a leader, he’ll be an asset to the cabin. He knows how to drive the players and the team crazy and change the momentum in a game. After interviewing him, it turned out that he has a great desire for hockey and is hungry for the game. I believe it will help us,” said the sports manager Dukly Trenčín Branko Radivojevič.

Radek, welcome to Trenčín!”

Duda played two seasons in the DUB, his first with the Pats before being traded to the Hurricanes. in 134 games he had 161 points (66G-95A).

Patera recalled by Henderson

Jiri Patera (Brandon 2018-20) two weeks after being reassigned to the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL, Patera was recalled to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights and has spent time with both clubs in 2021-22. With Henderson, he has played in 8 games where he went 5-3-0 with a 2.43 goals against average and .923 save percentage. With Fort Wayne, the Praha, CZ product has played in 14 games going 6-5-3 with a 2.76 GAA and .907 SV%.

In his two DUB seasons both with the Wheat Kings, he got into 89 games going 46-32-9 with a 2.95 GAA and .913 SV% and six shutouts.