slovak prospects
Eastern Division

Daily Dose of the Dub: Alarie signs with Moose Jaw; Melcher coming to Everett

Written by Brandon Rivers on

Moose Jaw signs Alarie

The last pick of the first round in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft – 22nd overall – signed with the Moose Jaw Warriors today. Eric Alarie, a forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba had 55 points in 30 games with the Rink Hockey Academy Bantam Prep team. He then posted seven points in five playoff games.

In 2016-17, while playing for the Winnipeg Warriors in Bantam AAA Division 2, he had 90 points in only 29 games – the most in Bantam AAA Division 2.

Everett inks Melcher

The Everett Silvertips signed their import pick out of Slovakia, Peter Melcher to a standard player agreement. With overage defenseman Ondrej Vala signed to play professionally in the Dallas Stars’ system this year, they had open import spot.

They used their pick on Melcher, a Slovakian forward, who is familiar with their other import, Martin Fasko-Rudas.

Melcher, who is listed as five-foot-nine and 168 pounds is an incoming 17-year-old eligible for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Melcher won a silver medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament while playing for Slovakia as a 16-year-old. He had an assist in the tournament. The left-handed forward played with the Iowa Wild AAA U16 team last year, putting up six points in 21 games. He also played for MHC Martin U18 and U20 team, putting up 32 points in 27 games.

Everett seems pretty set with a top-six of Connor Dewar, Riley Sutter, Sean Richards, Martin Fasko-Rudas, Reece Vitelli and Bryce Kindopp, but Melcher should get a lot of opportunities to impress and earn some more ice time when Dewar and Sutter are away at NHL training camps.

Grishakov officially signs in Russia

With the Victoria Royals drafting Phillip Schultz, one of their other two imports had to be leaving. That forward departing is 1999-born Russian native, Andrei Grishakov who signed with Ladia Togliatti of the MHL in Russia.

Grishakov was originally drafted in the second round of the 2016 CHL Import Draft by the Calgary Hitmen back in 2016. He posted 35 points in 70 games in the 2016-17 season with Calgary.

He was on pace for an even better year with the Hitmen last year, as he had 26 points in 37 games. But then Calgary moved him to Victoria for a third round pick in 2019.

With the Royals, Grishakov had 13 points in 32 games. He then had a single point – a goal in 11 playoff games.

The Royals have yet to sign Schultz, their 2018 CHL Import Draft pick out of Denmark. Their other import on the roster is forward Igor Martynov, who had 43 points in 63 games last year.

BC U16 Provincial camp update

At Shawinigan Lake, the U16 BC Hockey Provincial Camp rolls on with the best 2003-born players from British Columbia competing as part of three teams – Team BC White, Team BC Blue and Team BC Yellow.

On the fifth day of camp, the semi-finals got underway with Team BC White playing twice. Once against the third place team through the first three days of games – Team BC Blue and once against the second place team – Team BC Yellow.

Prior to them playing, Blue and Yellow duked it out in a shootout that Blue won for a 4-3 final.

White then beat Blue 3-0, before going on to edge Yellow 2-1. they now have a perfect 6-0 record at the camp. They will wait again for Blue and Yellow to play before playing one more game in the final early tomorrow afternoon.

Team BC White has been led by the two leading scorers at the tournament and six of the top-eight. Logan Stankoven, a drafted and signed player of the Kamloops Blazers leads all scorers with seven points in six games, while drafted and signed Spokane Chiefs defenseman Graham Sward is second with four points.

Team BC White has been led in net by their duo of Saskatoon Blades ninth round pick Brayden Melnyk and Victoria Royals eighth round pick Keegan Maddocks.

Links and notes:

-Former Spokane Chiefs General Manager Tim Speltz is now the head amateur scout with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

-Former Kamloops Blazers forward Shane Doan will have his jersey number retired by the Arizona Coyotes.

-Andy Eide takes a look at who will captain the 2018-19 Seattle Thunderbirds.