Eastern Division

Daily Dose of the Dub: More signings and roster cutdowns

Written by Brandon Rivers on

Saskatoon signs their other import

Just a few days after singing an import pick from this June’s draft, the Saskatoon Blades inked their other one.

They announced the singing of Swedish defenseman Emil Malysjev on Tuesday. The 2001-born blue liner is six-foot-three and 187 pounds and played last year with HV 71’s J20 team.

He is listed as having both Russian and Swedish nationality though he was born in Uppsala, Sweden. He had four assists with HV7 last season.

The left-handed blue liner joins the team in time to make their preseason roster.

The roster sits at 35 for the Blades. They have 33 of those 35 signed to WHL education contracts. The two that are not signed and still on the roster are 2002-born defenseman and 2017 fifth round pick Alex Ozar and Cam Beson, a 2002-born goalie who is a camp invitee. Beson hails from the Pacific Coast Academy.

Seattle signs Milic

One day after they signed their top import, the Seattle Thunderbirds got a commitment from yet another 2003-born player. With the first four signed picks from the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft being forwards, Milic is the first goalie.

The five-foot-10, 138 pound netminder was taken in the third round by Seattle. He was named the top goalie in the CSSBHL last year while plying his trade with the Burnaby Winter Club’s Bantam Prep team. He posted a 2.06 GAA and 0.925 save percentage.

Milic is the fourth signed goalie in Seattle’s camp. The others being 1999-born starter Liam Hughes, 2001-born goalies Coel Schwebius and Eric Ward and Milic.

Moose Jaw signs two more

For the second straight day, the Moose Jaw Warriors signed two players. On Tuesday, they signed 2002-born forward Cade Hayes, an eighth round pick from their 2017 WHL Bantam Draft class and 2001-born forward Jesse Mistelbacher – a player they listed in October of 2017.

Hayes played last year for the Tisdale Trojans of the SMHL and put up 36 points in 44 games. He was a first round pick of the Melfort Mustangs of the SJHL as well.

Mistelbacher was originally a sixth round pick in 2016 by the Prince George Cougars. He played in 48 games last year for the Eastman Selects Midget AAA team and potted 47 points.

The two signings puts Moose Jaw at 37 in camp now with 18 of them being forwards.

Victoria signs Maddocks

The Victoria Royals signed their fourth player from their 2018 WHL Bantam Draft class on Tuesday in goalie Keegan Maddocks.

He was taken by Victoria in the eighth round of the May 3rd draft and is their fifth signed goalie in camp now.

Here’s how I have their goaltending depth chart.

 

Goalie
Griffen Outhouse (98)^
Dean McNabb (00)
Brock Gould (01)*
Joel Gzybowski (99)
Keegan Maddocks (03)*

Maddocks played last year for the Pacific Coast Academy Bantam Prep team and posted a 3.60 GAA and 0.896 save percentage.

^=overage player

#=import player

*=has not played a regular season or playoff game in the WHL.

Everett brings in an ’03 d-man

At the Green-Grey game he was getting time on the top power play unit for his team and he must have done enough to impress the coaching staff and management in Everett as they signed him just two days later.

The Everett Silvertips signed 2003-born blue liner Olen Zellweger, making him the second d-man to sign from the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft class.

Zellweger is also the 29th player in camp for Everett to have signed a WHL education contract. The 14-year-old, who does not turn 15 until October was taken in the second round by Everett in May. He put up 32 points in 30 games from the blue line for the OHA Edmonton Bantam Prep team.

Zellweger was the highest picked player Everett had in the 2018 draft.

He is their 12th signed defenseman.

Everett also announced that they had cut their training camp roster down to 30. 29 of those are signed and the one who is not is 2002-born forward Brayden Morrison. The son of Brendan Morrison – the former Vancouver Canuck – was a fifth round pick in 2017 by Everett.

Prince George signs another first rounder

One day after signing one of their first WHL Bantam Draft picks, the Prince George Cougars signed the other. Tyler Brennan, a 2003-born goalie was the second member of the 2018 draft class to sign with P.G.

The six-foot-three, 180 pound netminder posted a 1.52 GAA and 0.947 save percentage with the Rink Hockey Academy Bantam Prep team.

Brennan is the Cougars third signed goalie in camp as he joins 2001-born Taylor Gauthier and 2000-born Isaiah DiLaura.

Spokane signs 2017 fifth rounder

The Spokane Chiefs added 2002-born, right-handed forward Erik Atchison to their signed player list on Tuesday. The Las Vegas native was a fifth round pick by the Chiefs in 2017.

He had 14 points in 13 games a season ago with the Arizona Bobcats 16U team.

He is their 16th signed forward an the third member of the Chiefs 2017 draft class to sign.

Lethbridge signs three

The Lethbridge Hurricanes signed three and moved their overall number of signed players up to 35 on Tuesday.

The first was 2002-born list forward Nick Dorrington. He was added to Lethbridge’s protected list in the fall and put up 32 points in 33 games with the Yale Hockey Academy’s Elite 15 team. He is listed at six-foot-one and 159 pounds.

Jett Jones was the next signing and the 2002-born player was also a fall of 2017 listed player. The six-foot-two, 190 pound forward had 22 points in 33 games with the Airdrie CFR Bisons of the AMHL.

The last signing of the day for the ‘Canes was 2018 second round WHL Bantam Draft pick Joe Arntsen. The six-foot-one, 180 pound defenseman put up 50 points in 31 games with the Swift Current Raiders Bantam AA team. He also played six games with the SWift Current Legionnaires of the SMHL.

Regina down to 31

The Regina Pats also reduced their roster down to 31 on Tuesday. The three players that have yet sign on the roster were 2001-born invitee Steven Zonneveld, 2002-born list player Cale Sanders and recently acquired 2001-born goalie Carter Woodside.

Raiders trim roster

Following their Green-White game, which Green took 5-1, the Prince Albert Raiders trimmed their roster down to 31 players.

The only two not currently signed to a WHL education contract are 2002-born, 2017 WHL Bantam picks. Jakob Brook and Braydon Clark. Brook – a forward was taken in the second round, while Clark – a d-man was drafted in the third.